National Express and E.ON become chamber patrons

BIRMINGHAM-based transport group National Express, one of the biggest employers in the West Midlands, has signed on as one of the latest patrons of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group.

Joining the transport group is energy firm E.ON, which employs around 12,000 people in the UK – although it has recently announced plans for 500 redundancies.

In addition, Business Birmingham, the city’s official inward investment programme and part of Marketing Birmingham’s destination marketing strategy has become a patron of the British American Business Council.

Jerry Blackett, chamber chief executive, said: “We are tremendously proud to have these companies as patrons.  They can provide valuable service and advice which are vital to the economic and social wellbeing of businesses.”

E.ON will work closely with the chamber to promote sustainability across business, commerce and transport as well as in homes.

Don Leiper, director of new business, said: “Birmingham has already laid out extremely ambitious environmental targets – cutting carbon pollution by 60% in the next 15 years – but through partnerships between the public and private sector we hope to help deliver the skills, knowledge and investment needed to make Birmingham a truly low carbon city.”

Andrew Cleaves, managing director of the National Express UK coach business, said:  “We are delighted to become a patron of the chamber.  With our global headquarters in Digbeth, and as one of the region’s largest employers, we are proudly rooted in the West Midlands.”