Celebrating the brilliant bond between Coventry and Warwickshire

In an exclusive guest column for Warwickshire Means Business, Tom Mongan, president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, reflects upon five remarkable years as chair of the Chamber’s North Warwickshire branch and celebrates the mighty bond between the city of Coventry and the county of Warwickshire.

It is an honour to be a guest columnist for this edition of Warwickshire Means Business.

Coventry and Warwickshire is a region I have lived and worked in for most of my life – and what a region!

In my opinion there is none better, for we have a rich industrial heritage, a unique history and a beautiful and varied landscape few can match.

Coventry and Warwickshire, whichever way you look at it, go together like Motor and Car, like Warwick and Castle, like Stratford and Shakespeare and like Coal and Mine.

They are entwined and I am beyond proud to have been elected as President of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce for the past three years and Chair of its North Warwickshire branch for the past five years.

What a journey it has been. One could never have imagined what was about to unfold when I took over the President’s role in December 2020.

I think we can all agree that the last few years have been, putting it politely, challenging!

However, starting out on this journey some 50 odd years ago as a Technical Apprentice at Alvis Ltd, I never dreamed I would one day become President of one of the UK’s leading Chambers of Commerce. Back then CNC machines weren’t even in existence, it was copy lathes, capstans and whole sections given over to grinding, milling and turning.

I witnessed first-hand how manufacturing developed from manually operated systems and conventional machining, to computer-controlled processes, robotics and lasers. Lasers were the stuff of Star Wars and James Bond movies, certainly that used to be most people’s perception. Nowadays, of course, they are used in everyday life, from surgery to cutting metal.

It was an industry I worked in for nearly three decades as I was instrumental in making Subcon Laser in Nuneaton one of the UK’s most successful organisations that used laser technology, winning many regional and international awards along the way.

It certainly has been quite a journey and, as I stated earlier, I could never have imagined what was about to unfold when I took over the role as President.

The journey has had everything. Brexit, Covid, Lockdowns, Furlough, Four Prime Ministers, Six Chancellors of the Exchequer, Energy Crises, Fuel Costs, Interest Rates, Cost of Living and not forgetting the Toilet Roll Shortage!

I could go on forever and it has been an incredible journey with a lot of stories to tell. I’ve met some inspirational people, visited some world class companies and travelled extensively.

Some say I’m lucky! I say I’ve worked hard for it! There have been highs and lows, all of which make up a lifetime of tales and stories.

I am lucky, however, that I can call this region my home. I am lucky that wherever I go I can come home to this wonderful county of Warwickshire.

A county rich in heritage, steeped in history, with a future as bright as LASERS!