Here are the business stories making the headlines locally and across the country this morning.
Odfjell Technology buys Aberdeenshire oil services firm McGarian TDC in £3m deal
Offshore engineering services firm Odfjell Technology has acquired Aberdeenshire-based McGarian TDC in a deal worth “in excess of £3 million”.
Odfjell said the acquisition will strengthen its plug and abandonment (P&A) and slot recovery offering and enhance its well services division.
Founded in 2005, McGarian designs whipstocks, casing and packer miling, fishing and remedial products from its base in Portlethen.
Odfjell said demand in the global P&A sector is growing rapidly, with the segment now representing up to 45% of an asset’s decommissioning costs.
Businesses recruiting new staff will have to hire British workers first under 'non-negotiable' curbs on migrant labour, Work Secretary says
Businesses looking for new staff will have to put British workers first under 'non-negotiable' curbs on migrant labour, a senior minister has said.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride urged firms that rely heavily on foreign workers to 'recruit Britain' to fill their jobs.
Mr Stride said visa reforms brought in this year would slash net migration by 300,000 a year, presenting a 'recruitment challenge' for sectors which rely heavily on migrant labour such as hospitality, construction and care.
But he said that, unlike in the past, the Government would not ease visa restrictions if firms struggle to fill vacancies.
Cazoo goes under after $8bn flop
Cazoo has gone into administration only three years after listing in New York at a valuation of $8 billion.
The used car business launched by the Zoopla entrepreneur Alex Chesterman sought protection from creditors earlier this month and warned shareholders that it might need to file for administration.
It has now appointed restructuring advisers at Teneo to handle the insolvency.
Chesterman founded the business after building Zoopla, the property portal, and LoveFilm, the mail-order DVD business that was ultimately acquired by Amazon.
Superdry plots emergency sale process if creditors block rescue plan
Superdry is preparing to run an emergency four-week sale process if creditors block its founder's plans to inject up to £10m of his own money into the fashion chain in a bid to stave off insolvency.
Sky News has learnt that the accelerated M&A process would be launched if a restructuring plan is not approved by creditors in the coming weeks.
Under the proposed survival plan, Julian Dunkerton would stump up either £8m in an open offer available to other shareholders or £10m in a placing that would only be accessible to him.
The share sale would precede Superdry's delisting from the London Stock Exchange.
Electric cars more likely to hit pedestrians than petrol vehicles, study finds
Hybrid and electric cars are more likely to strike pedestrians than petrol or diesel vehicles, particularly in towns and cities, according to an analysis of British road traffic accidents.
Data from 32 billion miles of battery-powered car travel and 3 trillion miles of petrol and diesel car trips showed that mile-for-mile electric and hybrid cars were twice as likely to hit pedestrians than fossil fuel-powered cars, and three times more likely to do so in urban areas.
Why eco-friendly cars are more hazardous is unclear, but researchers suspect a number of factors are to blame.
Drivers of electric cars tend to be younger and less experienced, and the vehicles are much quieter than cars with combustion engines, making them harder to hear, especially in towns and cities.