:: Car showrooms in Northern Ireland have experienced their worst August for new sales in five years, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has confirmed.
According to the SMMT, just 3,647 new cars were registered in Northern Ireland in August, down 9.3 per cent on the same month last year. It's the weakest year for new car sales in the north since 2013 (37,762) and compares with almost 52,000 sold at this stage in 2007.
:: Planning approval is granted for a £29 million Co Tyrone racetrack, which could play host to international motorsport competitions.
Lake Torrent in Coalisland, a 57 acre site, formerly known as the 'clay pits', is set to become a 3.59 km circuit, offering 12 turns and a mix of technical and high speed sequences, with associated pit garages, spectator gallery, hospitality facilities and new access and public link roads.
It is hoped that the venue could play host to regional, national and international competitions.
:: The new £28 million Titanic Hotel opens to the public for the first time. The 119-room hotel is on the site of the former Harland & Wolff drawing offices and headquarters. The building has been meticulously restored with many authentic spaces from the original offices retained, including the telephone exchange, which received the first communication of Titanic hitting the iceberg. Other heritage spaces preserved include the board room, directors’ entrance and lobby and former directors’ offices including Thomas Andrews, Lord Pirrie and Charles Payne.
:: Northern Ireland's biggest private employer Moy Park is bought by US poultry giant Pilgrim's Pride in a deal worth £1 billion. The UK’s largest poultry producer, which employs over 9,000 people, was put up for sale earlier this year by Brazilian owners JBS and the Craigavon headquartered company has been purchased by Pilgrim's in a move the US firm believes will help it become a "global player" in the market.
:: Plane-maker Bombardier confirms that up to 95 staff are to be made redundant in Belfast as part of ongoing global plans to reduce the company's workforce. The Canadian-owned firm announced plans last year to cut 7,500 jobs worldwide and the latest development is in the keeping with Bombardier's ongoing work to improve its competitiveness in the industry and save $300 million by 2018.
The latest announcement is not linked to the ongoing dispute with Boeing, but rather is believed to centre on the outsourcing of IT services.
:: Coleman's Garden Centre in Templepatrick announces a £5 million renovation and extension of its facilities, set to create 100 jobs. The first phase of the major project, due to be completed within months, features an 18,000 sq ft building, which will house a garden centre and restaurant. It is due to officially open before the end of the year, following the demolition of the current retail shop. Phase two includes an additional 32,000 sq ft of garden centre retail space.
