Sector champions to promote Telford trade
A group of key industry specialists have been appointed to promote their own sectors in a move aimed at helping win new business and finance for Telford.
Telford Business Board has launched the new scheme, which will see members allocated particular specialisms in different areas of the economy.
Established with the goal of promoting each designated sector in the borough, it will include representatives of well-known borough companies including BAE Systems, McPhillips, and Ricoh.
Board chairman Paul Hinkins revealed the Sector Champions scheme at the board's latest meeting, at Telford College of Arts & Technology.
"It's all about what we can do for the local economy," Mr Hinkins told the meeting.
"There are a lot of private sector businesses that are very passionate and enthusiastic about the borough.
"We are trying to have sector champions who have expertise in their individual field, so we can use that constructively to help large, medium and micro business.
"The champions will be members of the board who are keen to support the business sector as a whole."
Among the 17 champions already appointed, Bob George, general manager of BAE Systems in Hadley Park, will join James Beirne of Midlands Alloy in Stafford Park in looking at different areas of advanced manufacturing.
Peter McPhillips, of McPhillips (Wellington), will tackle construction, Neil Phillips of Phillips Chartered Accountants will be in charge of professional services, and Bluehub Solutions director Matt Flanagan will oversee the creative sector.
Mr Hinkins is to discuss the retail sector with Telford Shopping Centre, while food and international trade were other sectors proposed at the board meeting.
As well as promoting the borough to outside investors, the individual representatives will be feeding back specific information of the performance of their sector which can be used by the LEP, council and business board for future funding applications and tenders.
The champions will be assisted by officers from Telford & Wrekin Council's business support team.
"Success for this programme would be for the collaborative working to be exactly that," Mr Hinkins said. "Cross-collaboration in the sectors would be success in itself. The term I have started to use is shovel ready – when an opportunity comes along, we want to be shovel ready with all the evidence we need to win it for Telford.
"It's about promoting and getting the message out there from the champions and their networks."
