A survey released today has revealed that despite falling business optimism, companies in the UK are spending more on their marketing activities in an effort to ward off competition.

The latest IPA Bellwether survey published today showed that marketing budgets were revised up in Q4 for a second successive quarter.

Trade intelligence company Zepol Corporation reports that US import shipment volume for December, measured in TEUs, decreased 8.2 percent from November, but increased 1.5 percent from December of 2010.

The total number of inbound shipments decreased 6.5 percent from November and increased 2.3 percent from December of last year. For the year 2011 as a whole, total TEUs are up 0.98 percent from 2010.

Netherlands-based construction and infrastructure specialist Ballast Nedam has won a €25 million contract for expansion works at a refinery in Suriname.

Expansion works to double the processing capacity at Tout Lui Faut Refinery to 15,000 barrels a day are due to commence in April. Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname, the state oil company of Suriname, has awarded Ballast Nedam the general civil and steel piling works contract for the project.

French electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company Asteelflash has announced the acquisition of the American EMS company, Catalyst Manufacturing Services Inc., based on the East Coast of the United States and in Mexico.

Asteelflash is already established on the west coast of the United States, and this acquisition extends its presence in North America, adding three production sites in Owego (New York), Raleigh (North Carolina) and Tijuana (Mexico).

Ensor Holdings has announced its acquisition of Technocover, the Wales-based manufacturer, supplier and installer of security products.

Technocover's products are used for the protection of critical national infrastructure assets operated by UK and European utility companies within the water, energy, communication and transportation sectors.

Ensor said it believes Technocover’s services to government-driven national security initiatives demonstrate resistance to recessionary pressures.

Colossus Minerals has announced the acquisition of the Cutia Property in Brazil from Cooperativa Mista do Garimpeiro de Cutia. 

The property is located approximately thirteen kilometres to the southeast of its 75 percent owned Serra Pelada gold-platinum-palladium project. The Serra Pelada Project is a Colossus-COOMIGASP joint venture located in the State of Pará, Brazil.

Winning the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup has generated a construction boom in Qatar that is attracting interest from all over the world. One company that will be helping to ensure that demand for construction materials is met is Qatar National Cement Company.

Kenya Meat Commission is determined to resume its leading position in East Africa as a producer of top quality meat cuts and processed products. Julia Smith reports.

Richard Schooling, chief executive of multi-marque car leasing and fleet management company Alphabet, explains how companies can leverage innovation to fuel the supply chain.

Liquid fuel oils the wheels of the global supply chain. Worldwide, transportation burns through 8.5 billion litres of petroleum products a day, using up 62 per cent of the world’s oil production and 25 per cent of its total energy consumption.

One way of enhancing your business in 2012 is to hire a consultant—but you need to shop around, as Huw Hilditch-Roberts, director in charge at the Institute of Consulting, explains.

With leading economists predicting a technical recession in the UK—two consecutive quarters of negative growth—it seems inevitable that businesses are facing a tough year ahead. To survive, they will need to differentiate, innovate and certainly be more competitive than ever—and for many of them, this will require change.