Gloria Jeans goes Nudie

Gloria Jeans Coffees, headquarted at Castle Hill, has joined Nudie Juices to launch the “passion mango crash” a hand-made, ice-blended drink made by Nudie with real passion fruit and mango, and served a 444 Gloria Jeans Coffees store nationally.

Boost for methane industry

AJ Lucas Group, at Ryde, which owns the biggest coal-seam methane drilling business in Australia, has signed a heads of agreement with Sydney Gas for two drilling rigs, its expertise and a new chief executive, Andrew Lucas, an AJ Lucas director who has resigned his executive position with the company, to develop its coal-seam assets. AJ Lucas is spending $20 million to take a 15 per cent share in Sydney Gas with the option to take its stake to 25 per cent if it meets targets for expanding the company’s reserves over the next three years.

Mr Lucas said the Hunter region had huge potential for coal-seam producers while the Sydney area was also a huge market for modern technology operations. Sydney Gas, a coal seam explorer, is drilling in the Camden area.

City could join the global economic corridor

Parramatta, so near and yet so far, could join the Sydney Global Economic Corridor, but it could take up to 25 years to eventuate. The corridor runs from Botany Bay, through the Sydney/North Sydney CBD - Global Sydney - ending ending at Macquarie Park, approximately 10 kilometres from the Parramatta CBD.

The Department of Planning has identified a potential corridor from Westmead, through the Parramatta CBD, Sydney Olympic Park-Rhodes to Macquarie Park. The corridor could be realised over the next 25 years as a series of major commerical projects were completed, and could assist the expansion of higher order jobs towards Western Sydney.

Indian IT firm to open in Parramatta

Technology services player, Wipro, will become the latest Indian software outsourcer to launch a development centre in Australia when it opens an office in Parramatta in mid-February. The interior fitout at an undisclosed premises is currently underway. The initial staff number is between 35-40 employees. A Wipro spokesperson said last November the facility could eventually house as many as 200 workers.

The new software centre, which is backed by the NSW government, will handle consulting, development and testing services for Australian and international customers. Most of Wipro's clients are based in Sydney.

Ambulance service moves HQ to Northmead

Parramatta City Council has received a DA for the construction of the new headquarters of St John Ambulance. The estimated cost of the development of a 2-3 storey building at 1c Redbank Road, Northmead, is $18.9 million. In addition to head office facilities, the building will accommodate a gym and a radiotheraphy cancer treatment facility. The service, which will relocate from Surry Hills, has financed the move by selling three buildings including its vehicle and equipment storage facility at Rydalmere.