The industry facing its worst conditions ever - and other top business stories from Dorset and Hampshire

The global shipping industry is experiencing the worst conditions in the history of container freight, according to the boss of a big player in the sector locally.

The warning came from Rob Lewis, operations director of Southampton-based Meachers Global Logistics.

After the blockage of the Suez canal demonstrated how much we rely on container shipping, he said Covid and its aftermath were presenting much bigger challenges than that.

While times have been tough for seafaring businesses of all kinds, ABP in Southampton has gone ahead with its investment in a new cruise terminal. It welcomed its first passengers - and gave Echo readers a look inside.

Other top stories this week

• Most Covid regulations seem set to disappear on July 19. But the boss of one pub chain told us he would not be treating it as "burn your mask day", while an employment lawyer warned that employers would still have a responsibility to keep staff safe.
• A marina on the River Hamble has a new owner after being sold for an undisclosed sum.
• Southern Water is being prosecuted for discharging huge amounts of sewage into Hampshire's coastal waters over a six-year period.
• A fashion shop in central Bournemouth is closing after a big drop in footfall - and its owner has put up a big sign pinning the blame on a leading councillor.
• It was going to leave Christchurch town centre and release its premises for housing - but now the structural steel firm REIDsteel wants to rebuild its factory instead and incorporate empty buildings nearby.
• The UK's biggest independent provider of full fibre broadband is ahead of schedule in rolling it out to Poole. Its chief executive told us why its infrastructure "can last forever".
• Many businesses have been thankful for the government loans that have helped them through the Covid crisis. But loans, of course, need to be repaid. We looked at how much has been borrowed in Hampshire and Dorset.
• A security firm in Bournemouth has been recognised in national awards alongside names such as IBM and Nestle.
• A newly opened agri-tech centre in Dorset will create jobs and apprenticeships.
• A babywear brand in Dorset is being featured in the pages of Vogue.
• Sixth formers received some tips on how to become "happy, sexy millionaires" thanks to a donation of books from a Poole IT business.
• The famous name in training Pitman opened recently in Bournemouth. It is seeking to appeal to people who need to retrain or improve their skills in the wake of the pandemic.
• And a business coach is restructuring her business and offering in-person clinics.

Have you entered yet?

You almost certainly deserve an award if you've managed to keep your business going over the past year. And if you're based in Hampshire, this might be the year you lift a trophy.

The Daily Echo-backed South Coast Business Awards are open for entry. We're running regular pieces on the various categories - and details of how to enter can be found here.

Someone else's story

The pandemic has done a lot to sort the caring, supportive employers from the other kinds. I'm currently reading Tom Peters' brilliant book Extreme Humanism, which is an invigorating plea for leaders to treat people well.

I enjoyed this post by Maddy Alexander-Grout, of Hampshire-based My VIP Card, offering some short and simple tips for saying thank you to staff without breaking the budget.

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Until next time, stay safe.