Matthew Hooper

  In its occasional look at commercial property precincts, WA Business News this week gives an overview of the BankWest Tower.

In the first in an occasional look at commercial property precincts, WA Business News gives an overview of QV1, the home of many of our resources-focused companies.

WHEN companies change their name, investors usually just see the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

WHILE serial name changers tend to be small companies, some of Western Australia’s biggest blue chip companies have also changed their names.

Three quarters of listed Western Australian companies have changed their name over the years. Matthew Hooper and Mark Beyer have delved into the archives to review the changed identities of listed stocks.

A HANDFUL of well-known deal makers, including Farooq Khan, Reg Gillard and Tony Trevisan, cropped up with some regularity in WA Business News’ review of serial name changers.

APOLLO Gold Mining is an up-and-coming mining company while Clearview Capital is a ‘shell company’ with no activities, so at first glance they don’t seem to have much in common.

On Wednesday February 12, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry is conducting a seminar entitled, State Tax Reforms

AFTER a tough 12 months for the travel industry, business is booming for WA’s travel agents.

THE public relations industry in WA is undergoing a period of buoyancy after the general downturn in business resulting from the State Government’s decision to reduce the amount of work outsourced to PR consultants.

THE State Government recently unveiled plans designed to help control the spiralling costs driven by the public liability insurance crisis.

RATIONALISATION within WA’s Internet service provider (ISP) industry will continue, while the minimum threshold number of Internet users that ISPs require to remain economically viable continues to rise, according to EF Tel chief

WA’S health and fitness clubs have to move towards the provision of a total holistic health and fitness service in order to attract new members to health and fitness clubs

FIGURES recently released by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations predict that six industries –

BANKWEST has taken the number one position in the WA Business News 2002 Book of Company Lists, which ranks banks in WA by the total amount of deposits held in WA.

TWO of Western Australia’s leading web site development companies, HarvestRoad and Pretzel Logic, have been acknowledged for the second consecutive year in the 2002 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 program.

FEE bargaining within the architecture industry is seriously affecting the future viability of architectural firms, according to Oldfield Knott Architects managing director Ian Oldfield.

CIVIL engineering firms can expect a further improvement in the volume of opportunities available to them in the next year, according to Barclay Mowlem Construction Limited business development manager Peter Dyball.

OCCUPANCY levels for hotels in WA have improved in the past six months, but have not returned to the levels experienced before the collapse of Ansett and the events of September 11, according to Sheraton Hotel Perth general manager Craig Seaward.

A PERCEPTION that interior designers are simply decorators that fluff up cushions and put paint on the walls, has long been the overriding impression of the industry.

THE printing industry in WA is facing a period of rationalisation as a result of deteriorating levels of volume and decreasing profit margins.

IN today’s business environment, management consultants must be able to demonstrate genuine value and return on investment for their clients in order to secure business contracts,

FREEHILLS has maintained its dominance as the largest law firm in WA, according to the WA Business News 2002 Book of Company Lists.

THE Australian Islamic College has retained the number one spot as the State’s largest independent school, with total enrolments of 1850 primary and secondary school students, according to the 2002 WA Business News Book of Company Lists.

AUSTRALIA’S $1 billion-plus community care system is in urgent need of reform according to Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA), the main peak body representing the aged and community care industries.

ERNST & Young will consolidate its position as the largest professional service provider in WA, and the second largest in Australia, if the proposed merger with troubled accounting firm Andersen Australia goes ahead.

THE State’s catering industry is headed for a significant shake up following the introduction of new National Food Safety Standards last month.

ONLY 10 of the 20 companies ranked from 61 to 80 in the Business News list of publicly listed companies made a profit for the 2000/2001 financial year.

This week someone told me that stockbrokers should not be listed.They are in a cyclical business that gives much of its profit away as bonuses to staff.

ONLY 10 of the 20 companies ranked from 41 to 60 in the Business News list of publicly listed companies made a profit for the 2000/2001 financial year.

Thirteen of the 20 companies ranked from 21 to 40 in the Business News List of Publicly Listed Companies, returned a profit for the 2000/2001 financial year.

CONSUMER confidence is returning to the travel industry following the collapse of Ansett and the events of September 11, according to Travelworld regional manager WA Jenny Rimmer.