Midlands Engine chair encourages Black Country businesses to roar about their success

THE Midlands must continue to look to China and other global markets to provide the growth needed to power the Midlands Engine, the chairman of the partnership has said.

Sir John Peace told members of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce that the West Midlands and its eastern neighbour had to be confident about their offer and shout about it to other countries.

“We have a great story to tell and we must learn to tell it in a confident and positive way,” he said.

“The UK is of particular interest to China, due to its stability, time zones and strong financial services. The Midlands already boasts a positive trade surplus with China, so it is imperative that we make the most of our scale and significance.”

He said with the pace of technology dictating the way firms thought, digital connectivity had taken on a new importance. This was especially true when combined with the expansion of the air hubs at Birmingham and East Midlands and improvements to the region’s road networks.

With Midlands Connect striving for a level of connectivity that will put the region on the world map for inward investment, he called for organisations across the region to collaborate so there was a unified front.

He said the chamber’s willingness to engage with other business support organisations was a good example of the collaborative approach needed.

He told businesses that developing the Midlands Engine brand would allow the region to promote itself to investors and trade partners alike. This is turn would stimulate more growth, investment, exports and jobs.
 
Corin Crane, Chief Executive at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, said: “Sir John Peace has a wealth of experience in the business arena and understands the importance of the business voice to the Midlands Engine.

“We also agree with (him) that the Midlands is a brilliant place and has something to offer but we need to make sure we shout about the great things we do.
 
“Repeatedly the key areas that members are highlighting as being top of the agenda are infrastructure, supply chain and productivity. Black Country businesses will continue to grow, create jobs and trade across the world if we can address the issues around congestion and power supply that sometimes hold us back. We will support the Midlands Engine in any way we can to make this happen.”     

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