PM visits Seamark HQ

PRIME Minister David Cameron paid a visit to the east Manchester headquarters of Seamark to meet successful businesspeople from the North West’s Asian business community.

The PM met the owners of several firms at the event last Thursday, which included an informal dinner, speeches and one-to-one conversations at Seamark’s Vermilion & Cinnabar restaurant on its site at Hulme Hall Lane.

Other guests at the event included North West MEP Sajjad Karim, Conservative Party vice-chariman Andrew Stephenson and co-chairman Baroness Warsi.

Mr Karim said: “We wanted David Cameron to see for himself how the North West is dealing with the economic climate.

“It was good for him to talk to Iqbal Ahmed because Seamark is one of the region’s biggest success stories and can be an inspiration to other companies.”

Seamark and its parent company IBCO imports prawns from several overseas destinations including Mr Ahmed’s native Bangladesh. The company was set up in 1976 by Mr Ahmed and his two brothers. It now has a worldwide turnover of $250m and employs 2,000 people – 300 of whom work in East Manchester. The company has also made a number of donations to Conservative Party funds.

Mr Ahmed said: “It was an honour for us to host a visit from the Prime Minister and it was a welcome opportunity for us to show him the operation here in Manchester.

“I was able to discuss with Mr Cameron the particular difficulties we face in the North West and he was very responsive to that. Seamark is committed to the North West of England where we have been a driving force in the regeneration and revival of east Manchester.”

Mr Ahmed said exports would play a big role in improving the UK’s economic fortunes and said that his firm was looking to expand into Eastern Europe and into former Soviet Union states.

“In Bangladesh, we have played a huge role in the development of the food sector and in New York, where we are establishing a major part of the company’s global operations, our reputation continues to grow.”