Business Week aims to boost investment levels in Wolverhampton

THE public and private sector in Wolverhampton have combined in a new initiative to lure inward investment to the city.

Wolverhampton Business Week aims to showcase the city and its facilities to regional, national and international investors.

The event is the brainchild of Wolverhampton’s City Board, which comprises the city’s key public sector organisations and its leading business representatives.
The organisation is hoping the week’s activities will boost investment levels and create new employment opportunities.

Business Week will run from September 29 to October 6, 2014. Among the events planned by the City Board are a ‘Business Opportunities Breakfast’ and the Global Trade Fair: Midlands.  
 
The Global Trade Fair: Midlands, will include a live video conference to give Wolverhampton businesses better access to global markets and investment.
 
There will also be a Jobs Fair for local people, featuring more than 30 different companies.
 
The week is being supported by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding.
 
Cllr Roger Lawrence, leader of Wolverhampton City Council, said: “We’re both ambitious for our city and optimistic about its future.
 
“In part, Wolverhampton Business Week is about attracting strategic businesses with a high growth potential and the job and supply chain opportunities they bring.
 
“But it’s also about supporting Wolverhampton’s home-grown entrepreneurs to develop and grow their businesses – and helping businesses of every side to innovate and become more internationally competitive.”
 
The event will trade on the city’s track record for attracting investment; one that in recent years has seen Wolverhampton secure more than £1bn in private and public sector funding.
 
“It’s important to understand that none of this would have been possible without the strong partnership that exists between business, the education sector and public sector organisations in Wolverhampton.   Business Week is another example of how we’ll work together to create more and better opportunities for the people of Wolverhampton,” added Cllr Lawrence.
 
John Wood, Director – Group Corporate Services at Caparo Industries and a co-opted private sector member on the City Board, said the city was already home to some of the UK’s top businesses and cutting-edge industries, like aerospace and research.  
 
“Some 137 companies with a turnover of at least £1m have invested here and we want to encourage more to come and share in our success,” he said.
 
“We’re a business-friendly city with a can-do attitude – Wolverhampton Business Week will give us the chance to show these qualities to the world”.
 
The first event on the Business Week calendar – the ‘Wolverhampton, a City of Business Opportunities Breakfast’ – has already attracted support from leading local companies including Jaguar Land Rover, UTC Aerospace Systems, Hadley Group, Caparo Industries Santander, Steelway and WOW.