Special Reports

ISA Technologies, the company that invested $5 million in a supercomputer in 2003, is providing access to that infrastructure, free of charge, to what

A LACK of pre-seed funding is the most common complaint from those involved with the State’s innovation sector.

PERTH was home to Australia’s largest private equity transaction of 2004 when heavy equipment supplier Emeco International was sold to GS Private Equity and Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) for a price believed to be about $450 million.

FOR the second year running, Alinta was one of the most active companies in Western Australia, completing a series of deals that added to the size and diversity of its operations.

SOME of Western Australia’s best-known companies were fundamentally changed as a result of the big corporate deals of 2004.

CANADIAN engineering giant Hatch appears to have won the biggest share of major contracting work in Western Australia in a year that was dominated by oil and gas, resources and the Perth to Mandurah railway.

THE boom conditions on the Australian stock market in 2003 laid a solid foundation for 2004, with most broking firms reporting improved totals in the WA Business News 2004 equity capital raising survey.

THE $1.86 billion sale of the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline has been judged by WA Business News to be the top business deal in Western Australia in 2004.

WITH or without her flamboyant hairstyle, Patti Chong still makes an impact. The general counsel for the Corruption and Crime Commission is well known for her colourful clothes and personality, and so it came as no surprise that after hearing a radio

OFTEN those who have experienced tragedy first hand are the most passionate and dedicated when it comes to committing their time, energy and money to charitable causes.

SPORT is rarely far from business in the world of Neil Hamilton, who is a huge fan of Australian Rules and Rugby Union football.

Neil Hamilton unexpectedly found himself at the centre of two of the biggest business crises of 2004. He spoke to Mark Beyer about the year that was and his plans for the future.

MICHAEL Chaney’s philanthropy rated highly in a recent survey undertaken by WA Business News.

MINING and stock broking veteran David Reed has a long track record of giving both time and money to support not-for-profit and charitable causes.

MANY of us seem aware of the importance of ‘giving’ only when those closest to us are in need, or on special occasions throughout the year, such as Christmas.

ENERGY reform is likely to be a key issue for Neil Hamilton in 2005, whichever party wins the State election.

MURDOCH University post-graduate studies program chair and University of Western Australia PhD student, Grant Robertson, believes shopping for groceries on the Internet will become common-place in

AN ability to deliver the right products in the right environment is an essential component in the ever-competitive retail world.

WESTERN Australia’s current trading hours regime is an impost to business, according to several big names in the State’s retail landscape.

WESFARMERS chief Michael Chaney describes Joe Boros as one of the country’s best retailers.

RAY Della-Polina sold his farm businesses to move to the ‘big smoke’ in his 20s and bought into a Perth small-parts business called Marlows.

ROBYN Ahern took a job in the family business, department store Aherns, to earn some money to finance a bit of overseas travel.

IT may seem a simple, or rather obvious, business strategy but Patrick Stephenson puts much of his success with the Liberty Liquors chain down to communication and marketing.

MUCH of the credit for the recent success of one of Australia’s biggest retailers, Woolworths, is given to Reg Clairs, who climbed the retail ranks all the way from retail trainee to chief executive.

MIKE Folwell is an achiever, and while his style may not be flamboyant, it’s very effective.

GROWING demand for mineral sands is allowing Iluka to secure much-needed price increases.

MIKE Folwell returned to his home town of Perth in 2002 after a 25-year absence, boasting an impressive CV and a reputation for getting the job done.

Share option schemes made a big difference to the total remuneration of more than 20 chief executives last year.

In Western Australia’s most comprehensive executive salary survey, Mark Beyer looks behind the headline numbers to find the State’s best value chief executives.

Two diseases that threatened to devastate the State’s $200 million-a-year lupin industry have been stalled, thanks to the work of Department of Agriculture molecular geneticist Hu