Excavator manufacturer JCB has secured a £60m order with the Brazilian Government for 1,016 machines. The order is for a fleet of backhoe loaders which will be used to improve the road infrastructure in the country. The first 114 have now been delivered.

Vauxhall Motors has confirmed that 700 jobs will be created at its factory in Ellesmere Port, Merseyside. The factory will work an additional shift in order to build the new Astra, with assembly of the new car scheduled to start in 2015.

Yorkshire-based Angloco has secured additional funding from Barclays after winning a £16m contract. Angloco supplies fire-fighting and rescue vehicles worldwide and Barclays is providing trade facilities to support exports. The ongoing expansion of the company could create employment opportunities. Angloco employs 70 staff and has turnover of £16m.

General Motors has indicated that the future of Vauxhall factory in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire is secure, along with 2,100 jobs. The manufacturer is expected to confirm the creation of hundreds more jobs at the plant. The factory is expected to produce the new Astra, along with a factory in Poland, from 2015.