A round-up of today's other business stories in brief.
€20m equity for care homes firm
NCB has completed a €20 million equity fundraising for Canford Healthcare, a newly formed British company that plans to acquire and operate care homes in the south of England.
Canford was co-founded by Irishman Brian Cooney (41) and UK businessmen Barry Lambert and Chris Bialan.
The company is in advanced talks with three banks, including Anglo Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland, to supplement its fundraising with bank debt for investment purposes.
AXA to open centre in Derry
AXA Insurance is to invest more than £15 million over the next five years developing a new customer service centre in Derry that will employ 150 people.
AXA said the centre, which is being supported by Invest Northern Ireland, would service its business throughout the island of Ireland, handling customer services, claims and finance.
While the centre will take over the handling of Axa's Northern Irish business, now being serviced from Dublin, a spokesman said it would not affect employment levels in its Dublin office or Athlone call centre.
Homewares chain plans new store
Homewares and DIY chain 4home has opened its 10th store in Ashbourne, Co Meath, as part of a €10 million development plan. Twenty people will be employed at the €2 million store.
Iran rig contract to be extended
Dragon Oil yesterday announced a five-year contract extension on the Iran Khazar jack-up drilling rig, enabling the company to continue its extensive drilling programme.
Ryanair challenge to airport ruling
Ryanair has applied to the High Court to seek a judicial review of the decision by the Commission for Aviation Regulation to designate Dublin airport as fully co- ordinated from March 25th.
The commission's decision involves the replacement of the existing voluntary system whereby airlines agree take-off and landing slots between themselves with an independent co-ordinator who decides on departure and arrival times.
The airline successfully challenged in the High Court a similar ruling by the regulator last year. The commission declined to comment.
Eakin buys Pelican Healthcare firm
Northern Irish medical device company TG Eakin has acquired Pelican Healthcare, a Cardiff-based medical device firm. Eakin produces niche products used in stomach care and wound care, while Pelican has a wider product portfolio sold primarily in the UK.
Aminex US assets re-evaluated
Oil and gas group Aminex yesterday released the details of a re-evaluation of its US assets, revealing reserves of 5.4 million barrels of oil equivalent, which at today's commodity prices are estimated to be worth about $84.5 million (€64 million).
The group said that 871,300 of the reserves had been categorised as proved, while 4.5 million are probable.
This compares with 2.6 million counted at the end of 2003.
