GREENCORE and British based Northern Foods are to merge, creating a €2 billion company.

Batchelors and Origin Foods are to merge to form Valeo Foods, it was announced today.

STAFF at the Irish Examiner and Evening Echo are to be asked to take a 10% pay cut from October 1 next.

Drinks company C&C Group has today announced that its takeover of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Irish, Scottish and Northern Irish businesses has been completed.

BT and Vodafone today received approval from the Irish Competition Authority to progress the strategic partnership announced on July 22 this year.

BT and Vodafone have today agreed a strategic partnership which could lead to a more competitive telecoms network in Ireland.

Heineken today announced the impending closure of its Beamish & Crawford brewery in Cork in March 2009 with the loss of around 120 jobs.

Heineken Ireland boss Gerrit van Loo has taken over the helm at Beamish & Crawford, after the resignation of Alf Smiddy.

Heineken Ireland was notified today of the decision by the Irish Competition Authority that it has given unconditional approval of the acquisition of Beamish & Crawford by Heineken.

THE Competition Authority looks set to extend its investigations into the proposed takeover of Beamish & Crawford by Heineken to a second phase of deliberations.

The EU Competition Authority has delayed until April 4 any decision relating to the takeover of Beamish & Crawford (B&C) by the Heineken and Carlsberg breweries.

A MANAGEMENT buyout at the Beamish & Crawford brewery in Cork could be the final resolution to concerns raised by the Irish Competition Authority to Heineken’s proposed €10.5 partial billion takeover of Scottish & Newcastle.

Imtech NV, a Dutch technical services provider, is to buy the Irish firm Suir Engineering Ltd.

Soft drinks firm Britvic today said annual results were likely to hit forecasts, despite the poor summer weather.

GLEN Dimplex, the electrical goods company owned by Martin Naughton, has acquired a British firm Applied Energy Products.

VIVAS Health is more interested in complaining than competing, the VHI insisted yesterday after learning the company has urged the European Commission to take immediate action against the State-owned private health insurer for abusing its dominant position.

British retailer Debenhams plc has today announced that it has signed contracts for the acquisition of nine Roches Stores outlets in Ireland for €29m, plus the value of stock.

THE ISEQ fell back into negative territory yesterday. The Irish exchange closed down 83.21 points to 7566.69.

Statoil has sold its chain of petrol service stations to a private group of Irish investors for around €280m, it was confirmed today.

Topaz Energy Group has announced its acquisition of the retail and commercial business of Statoil in the Republic of Ireland.

THE former chief executive of the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) has been appointed as chairman of the Competition Authority.

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment Micheál Martin has announced the appointment of William J. Prasifka as chairperson of the Competition Authority.

BUSINESSMAN Ulick McEvaddy said yesterday he is confident that the Competition Authority will allow him access to Dublin Airport runway, clearing the way for him to build a third terminal there.

FORMER Aer Lingus boss Willie Walsh has no doubts about the need for private ownership as the way forward for the Irish economy.

Irish based building materials gourp Kingspan has today completed its acquisition of Century Homes.

The ISEQ index made modest gains today, rising 15.36 points to 6514.95.

The ISEQ index is virtually unchanged in morning trading today, rising 0.49 points to 6,500.08.

Glanbia is set to take on CMP from Dairygold in a €10.05m deal, subject to approval from the Irish Competition Authority.

ISEQ-listed DCC plc's food and beverage division has agreed to acquire Bottle Green Limited, a UK-based wine sales and marketing business with a five per cent share of UK off-trade wine market volume.

THERE’S a new Big Six in the grain market, after the Irish Competition Authority’s successful court case against half a dozen farmers, following an investigation into the IFA’s alleged “cartel” activities.

The Irish Competition Authority has approved the acquisition by Scottish Radio Holdings PLC of Capital Radio Productions Ltd, Scottish Radio has said.

Trinity Mirror said today it has completed the sale of its regional newspaper businesses in Ireland to venture capital group 3i for £46.3 m (€67.2 m), after the Irish Competition Authority gave the all-clear.

FIRST ACTIVE shareholders will receive a New Year’s boost expected to be paid to them in mid-January.

Most of the financials were ahead on the Irish Stock Exchange today with Anglo-Irish the star performer.

MEP John Cushnahan has criticised Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary over his plans to mount a legal challenge to any state aid given to Aer Lingus.