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http://tinyurl.com/q55tnnq David Marock, chief executive of insurance service specialist Charles Taylor (LON:CTR) comments on the state of the insurance industry and the firm’s plans to extend its service offering. The London-listed firm claims to makes the business of insurance “work efficiently”. It does this by managing complex insurance claims for brokers, clients and the insurers themselves. Speaking to Proactive, Marock comments on Charles Taylor’s recent progress, including the acquisition of an international life insurer, acquiring a stake in an insurance software specialist and expanding its office network.

http://tinyurl.com/p4lc4sb Proactive speaks to Andy Hogarth, chief executive of Nottingham-based recruitment firm Staffline (LON:STAF), about how his company is getting people back into work across the UK and its plans hit a £1bn revenue figure in 2017. Set up 12 years ago, Staffline is now one of the fastest growing blue-collar recruitment companies in the UK. Thanks to recent acquisitions, it’s become the largest operator of welfare to work contracts, where the government pays Staffline to get people off benefits and back into work. It now supplies up to 36,000 workers every day to more than 1,300 clients and saw revenues top £500mln last year – the target for 2017 is £1bn.

http://tinyurl.com/q6929h4 Ray Gibbs, chief executive of Haydale Graphene (LON:HAYD), says the firm’s European patent opens up a massive market for the company. Haydale has been awarded a key process patent underlying the company's proprietary functionalisation treatment. Crucially, it not only covers graphene or carbon materials but also covers all nano particles. This means the Haydale process can now be extended in Europe to a wide range of alternative materials, opening future opportunities and applications using the HDPlas® functionalisation process.

http://tinyurl.com/qgv3wk9 Tango Mining (CVE:TGV) boss Terry Tucker says he is confident the firm will secure the US$8mln it needs to wrap up the purchase of Firestone Diamonds’ (LON:FDI) Botswana operations. Tango has managed to turn around a preliminary economic study for the BK11 kimberlite pipe in Botswana just a few short months after agreeing terms for its acquisition from former owner Firestone. Tango’s PEA shows the BK11 pipe to have a net present value of US$40mln at an 8% discount rate and excluding the overall US$8.8mln acquisition costs. The company has until April to pay up and is in talks with financiers in London, South African Botswana and Canada.

http://tinyurl.com/nctmdsa Gerard Kisbey-Green, chief executive of Goldplat (LON:GDP), says he is focused on building the company’s cash resources after sorting out operational difficulties. The firm’s main refinery, Rand, was unable to process material in the year to June, 2015. That knocked the firm’s operations and cash-flow. Kisbey-Green joined in February and has helped Goldplat recover. Speaking to Proactive, the CEO says his aim is to restore and then build the firm’s financial performance.

http://tinyurl.com/pegvmdg Ian Harebottle, chief executive of coloured gemstone specialist Gemfields (LON:GEM), says the company’s full-year results reflect what’s been a phenomenal year of growth for the business. The miner said it had either met or exceeded production guidance at its Kagem emerald and Montepuez ruby operations, with record prices achieved at the six auctions held during the period. Costs increased and pre-tax profits were lower, but speaking to Proactive, Harebottle puts this down to a “quadrupling of the size and growth of the company.”

http://tinyurl.com/pptszzq Randeep Grewal, chief executive of Green Dragon Gas (LON:GDG) says China’s decision to devalue its currency has had little effect on the company. “We’re a domestic producer, we get paid domestically and we consume domestically, so we are very well sheltered.” Meanwhile, Grewal says Green Dragon is benefiting from China’s regional gas market, which is currently experiencing strong pricing and demand while the firm's drilling programme is on track.

http://tinyurl.com/po6j92k Neil Murray, chief executive of Redx Pharma (LON:REDX), says there are strong commercial returns available in the antibiotics market for the “right drug with the right profile”. The company is working on a new compound designed to tackle MRSA, which began pre-clinical testing in the second half of this year and is advancing well. Other areas of focus for the business include oncology (bone tumours, skin, brain and blood cancers).

http://tinyurl.com/n9842de The executive chairman of Paragon Diamonds (LON:PRG), Philip Manduca, says the firm’s funding deal with private equity group Acrux bring business management as well as much needed capital. The company has signed a term sheet with Acrux, a private South Africa based finance group, for a combined convertible debt and revenue sharing facility. Paragon will receive US$8mln in return for giving up 7% of the revenue from its Mothae and Lemphane mines for first three years. From then on Acruc will receive 4% of Mothae’s revenues but none of Lemphane’s. Meanwhile, Paragon is still likely to get ITGT on board as an investor to finance the distribution and manufacturing of the production.

http://tinyurl.com/o7a3sna Nick Clarke, chief executive of Central Asia Metals (LON:CAML), says the company is on course to produce 12,000 tonnes of copper this year in total from its plant in Kazakhstan, despite reduced output in the third quarter. An operational incident in June, now rectified, affected output in the three months to end September 30, but the facility did achieve a new monthly record last month (September), the firm said. Clarke also comments on the company’s stage two expansion which will see it install additional infrastructure to enable the extraction of copper from the Western dumps.

http://tinyurl.com/poq3un6 Robert Estill, chief executive of Madagascar Oil (LON:MAD), says there is plenty of interest from potential partners in the firm's Tsimiroro asset. Earlier this week Estill told investors that four major shareholders have agreed to provide a US$21.9mln bridge financing facility, which will allow it to kick start a drilling programme. The company has more than 130,000 barrels of crude oil in its storage tanks at Tsimiroro, and has decided to cut down its output until an off-take agreement has been signed and it has secured a partner for the next phase of development.

http://tinyurl.com/nzm9grm Magomet Malsagov, chief executive of PureCircle (LON:PURE), says the natural sweeteners market servicing the food and beverage industry is worth US$90bn globally. PureCircle creates sweeteners from the stevia plant – a sugar alternative – an increasingly popular ingredient used to reduce calories in food and drink. Speaking to Proactive, Malsagov discusses the potential for the firm, regulatory challenges, big brands using its products and the long-term outlook for growth.

http://tinyurl.com/orz5bf5 Andrew Shepherd, deputy chief executive of AIM-listed wealth management group Brooks Macdonald (LON:BRK), discusses the growth for the business since its IPO in 2005 and its investment approach going forward. Since listing in London a decade ago, the company’s market value has soared to £235mln with shares trading at 1,722p. Last month, the company revealed it had grown annual pre-tax profits by 8%, to £11.4mln, in a year where funds under management grew 13%. “It’s about giving clients the best returns with the least amount of risk,” says Shepherd, who has been at the business since 2002.

http://tinyurl.com/o257xdm Tom Becker, chief executive of Iofina (LON:IOF), says the company is in good shape to take advantage of an anticipated iodine price rise. The US-based firm is continuing to reduce costs, improve production and be as efficient as possible given the weak price of the chemical element. The company's losses have been reduced to in the first six months of 2015 from US$1.3mln a year earlier. During the same period, Iofina achieved record iodine production across the group, notching up the highest level of crystalline iodine produced in its history.

http://tinyurl.com/op58eq3 Patrick Walker, chief executive of Rightster Group (LON:RSTR), says the online video distribution specialist is in good shape after what’s been a period of transition. Walker took the helm in January and has spent time cost cutting, launching new products, targeting new markets and integrating new busineses. Now, he explains the firm’s strategy is to focus on more high profile international brand and content partnerships, to deliver sustainable, higher margin growth.

http://tinyurl.com/qznsbzd Lambros Anagnostopoulos, chief executive of Secure Property Development & Investment (LON:SPDI), has hinted at the company’s first dividend payment to shareholders may not be far away. The South-eastern Europe-focused real estate investment firm made underlying earnings (EBITDA) of €1.5mln in the first half of this year and is keen to start rewarding loyal holders of its stock. Assets under management broke through the €100mln barrier to end the reporting period at €126mln as it made five property acquisitions between January and June.

http://tinyurl.com/ndqfyde Paul Johnson, director at Metal Tiger (LON:MTL), discusses the investment vehicles’ first half performance and how a contrarian view on the mining sector is proving profitable. The firm moved into the black after booking trading gains in the first half of the year of £534,300. Holdings include Kibo Mining (LON:KIBO), Eurasia Mining (LON:EUA) and Ariana Resources (LON:AAU). Speaking to Proactive, Johnson says there are numerous opportunities for “brave and determined” investors in the current commodity environment.

http://tinyurl.com/oj8gpve Symphony Environmental CEO calls on govt to scrap tax for green bags Michael Laurier, chief executive of degradable-plastics firm Symphony Environmental (LON:SYM), has urged the government to exempt biodegradable bags from the shopping bag tax to be introduced next month. Ministers are bringing in a 5p charge for plastic bags in England from October to cut their use. As things stand, the plan for the levy does not distinguish between traditional plastic carrier bags and those that are both biodegradable and recyclable.

http://tinyurl.com/otwum8o The chief executive of DP Poland (LON:DPP), Peter Shaw, comments on the company’s half-year results, which confirmed like-for-like sales had grown for the eleventh consecutive quarter and losses had been cut. The Domino’s Pizza franchise holder for Poland told investors today it had seen an improvement in store performance and will continue to focus on finding and negotiating new sites. It also added that it will open its new commissary soon, giving it the capacity to supply fresh dough and ingredients to its stores across Poland.

http://tinyurl.com/pgtar2s Bruno Jactel, chief executive of TyraTech (LON:TYR), gives his growth outlook for the company’s head lice treatment – Vamousse - and comments on the firm’s plans to launch alternatives to pesticides in the animal health market. Today the firm said that despite the two major US pharmacy chains placing its lice treatment in stores later than expected, product sales increased by a factor of more than three times compared to last year’s first half. Its Vamousse shampoo, which drove the increase, was the fastest growing branded head lice product in the US. Speaking to Proactive, Jactel adds that the group's progress in the animal health markets is ongoing, with products previously licensed to Novartis expected to generate sales next year.