BABC
The British American Business Council is committed to promoting transatlantic trade and investment between the US and the UK
Contact: Lauren Hunt T: 0845 603 6650
BABC Patrons
Prime Minister strengthens ties
Jeffries Briginshaw, CEO of the British- American Business Council, says the visit by UK Prime Minister Theresa May to the White House to meet with US President Donald Trump will strengthen trade ties between the two countries. The visit was the first by a foreign leader
Partnership takes off Partnership: Professor Hanifa Shah (right) with Randy Chalmers at the Meridian plant
Researchers at Birmingham City University (BCU) are hoping to transform the fortunes of the lightest of all structural materials, magnesium. The BABC patron wants to show that magnesium is a viable alternative for luxury car makers and the aerospace industry. BCU has signed an exclusive partnership with
the world’s largest producer of magnesium components, Meridian Lightweight Technologies United Kingdom (MLTUK). The alliance will see the two organisations
work together in the education, research and development of magnesium use, which will place fuel efficiency through weight savings and sustainability at its core. As well as being light, magnesium is the
eighth most abundant chemical element in the earth’s crust and is 100 per cent recyclable. Magnesium is produced from sea water, brines and magnesium-bearing minerals, which offer unlimited reserves. It is 75 per cent lighter than steel and 33 per cent lighter than aluminium. Nottingham-based Meridian makes a range of magnesium diecast products for automotive firms, including Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, Ford, Honda and Volvo. However, the Canadian firm has found that
offering bespoke magnesium components for low-volume manufacturers, such as Aston Martin,
‘It is imperative that we remain at the forefront of the machining and casting capabilities of magnesium’
Bentley and Rolls-Royce, can prove expensive using current manufacturing methods, due to the costs of tooling. This where BCU comes in – academics from the
university’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and The Built Environment will be investigating new ways to make magnesium products more feasible for low-volume manufacturers, and the same time cut production costs for Meridian. Meridian plant manager Randy Chalmers said:
“The strategic partnership we have signed with Birmingham City University is one which we hope will pave the way for future expansion and sustenance with the institution as we seek to work together on our shared strengths in fuel efficiency and sustainability.” Professor Hanifa Shah, associate dean
(Research and Enterprise), Faculty of Computing, Engineering and The Built Environment at Birmingham City University, said: “As well as benefiting Meridian’s work here in the Midlands, we hope that our findings can enhance lightweight technologies around the world.”
Navigate Chicago conference
New speakers have been added to the line-up for the forthcoming British American Business Council transatlantic conference in Chicago, on 10-11 May. The two-day conference will have ‘Navigating
the New World’ as its theme, and main after dinner speaker will be American political satirist and journalist PJ O’Rourke. The event will also feature of number of
speakers who are experts in their field, including Phil Jones, president and CEO of Northern Powergrid, Caralynn Nowinski, CEO of UI Labs, and Larry Goodman, CEO of Rush Medical Center. Phil Jones has worked in the electricity
distribution sector since 1993, having started his career with Yorkshire Electricity. He is a former president of the Energy Networks Association. Caralynn Nowinski has had a varied career,
which included co-founding SanoGene, biotechnology company. She was also associate vice-president for innovation and economic development at the University of Illinois. Larry Goodman has been CEO of Rush
Medical Center since 2002, and was formerly the medical director of Cook County Hospital. Prior to that, he was an infectious disease specialist at Rush, which is a not-for-profit healthcare, education and research enterprise.
US expansion help
The British American Business Council in the Midlands (BABC), in conjunction with Avitus Group, is hosting a special ‘Doing Business in the USA’ event on 14 March. This event, at Squire Patton Boggs, in
Edmund Street, will aim to demonstrate that expansion into the US is feasible and profitable. A panel of experts will share their
experience of the US market, and this will provide the audience with the knowledge and guidance to assist them in tackling what is a sophisticated, diverse and highly competitive market. There will also be opportunities to book
one-to-one meetings with experts to discuss in detail how they can assist. The event, which starts at 9am, is free.
March 2017 CHAMBERLINK 39
since Trump’s inauguration and Mr Briginshaw said: “Each day a million British people go to work in the UK for a US headquartered company, just as a million Americans go to work every day for a British headquartered company in the US,” said Briginshaw. “The business activities of the thousands
of companies that day in, day out, trade and invest across our borders, strengthen the ties between our respective economies, and bring prosperity to the citizens of both countries. “Our members remain ambitious and
upbeat about the transatlantic business relationship and look forward to both leaders forging closer business ties that enhance the special relationship.”
Jeffries Briginshaw
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