July 2017

WARWICKSHIRE MEANS BUSINESS

"Buzz of excitement" in Nuneaton and Bedworth

Business leaders and entrepreneurs from Nuneaton & Bedworth gathered at a breakfast meeting to explore new opportunities for economic growth across the borough.

The well-attended gathering at Nuneaton Golf Club was organised by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, Warwickshire County Council and the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub.

Almost 100 guests heard presentations from a range of speakers including Terry Spall, commercial director of MIRA Technology Park, and Lisa Garley-Evans, chief compliance officer of health food giant Holland & Barrett which has its headquarters in Nuneaton.

The meeting was also addressed by West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, who shares the ambition to make the region the fastest-growing economy in the UK.

Mr Street praised the West Midlands region as "the most innovative area in the whole country" and outlined the scope of further potential growth ahead, including £8 billion of contracts to be awarded in connection with HS2.

"There is a real buzz of excitement across the whole of the West Midlands and it's really strong here in Nuneaton and Bedworth," Mr Street said. "The borough is well-situated within the logistics golden triangle and has great business links. It is a superb business location."

Warwickshire County Council's Inward Investment Manager Ian Flynn added: "This is a time of great opportunity for the borough. It is located a short distance from the new HS2 station at Birmingham Airport/ NEC, we heard at this event from Terry Spall about the unprecedented growth of MIRA Technology Park to the north of the town and the 1500-plus additional engineering jobs to come from new and existing automotive global brands, and we’ve heard how companies like Holland & Barrett are growing their investment and employment in the borough. This event is a great opportunity to showcase the borough’s appeal to existing and new inward investors”.

"At the county council we work constantly, in partnership with the borough council and CWLEP, to promote the area and listening to all the presentations at this meetingwas just a reminder to us all of how impressive the the local offer is."

Gareth Edwards, Business Mentor and Account Manager at CWLEP GrowthHub was delighted with the strength of support for the event.

"We have some major high-profile businesses within Nuneaton and Bedworth so it's wonderful that our event has been so well-supported," he said. "There's lots of support for business here too; we work closely with the borough and county councils to provide targeted, specialist supportto both established businesses and start-ups."

The event included an expo of the business support services available to local businesses, with stands from the Federation of Small Businesses, the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, the University of Warwick Science Park and the Coventry & Warwickshire Innovation Programme.

Among the many excellent speakers and exhibitors, perhaps the star of the show was the quietly spoken fully electric Dynamo Taxi, developed by local Bedworth company ADV Manufacturing, based on the Nissan NV200 van. It is the first fully electric hackney carriage, and was launched recently at a national taxi show. Delegates were able to meet representatives from the company and to test drive and ride in the taxi.

For businesses interested in accessing any of the support available, the Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub provides a free and impartial diagnostic and brokerage service, listening to SMEs and helping them to identify the most appropriate support for them. Gareth and his colleagues can be reached by calling 0300 456 3565 or visiting www.cwgrowthhub.co.uk.

 

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