Burton & District Burton & District Chamber Patrons
Contact: Chris Plant T: 0845 603 6650
Investment boost for the region
Investment totalling nearly £400m in Staffordshire business developments since 2014 will lead to the creation of over 13,000 jobs on schemes completed as part of the county council’s growth programme. A new report states that since 2014, economy
boosting projects with a total value of £383m have been completed, are under construction or being planned. Of this total, some £56m of direct investment
will come from the county council. This means that for every £1 invested by the
county council an additional £15 is levered in from the private sector or from the Government. The number of small businesses with fewer
than 49 employees in Staffordshire is growing and makes up 96 per cent of all businesses in the county. Larger businesses account for 55 per cent of employment in Staffordshire, reinforcing their role in the local economy. Staffordshire has seen near full employment for some time with just one per cent of the local population claiming unemployment benefits. This is lower than both regional and national averages. In addition to its business development
investment, the council has continued to develop its business support programme. This includes the delivery of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub on behalf of the Local Enterprise Partnership. The hub has helped more than 4,300 local companies since it was set up in 2014. Successful development schemes have
included i54 South Staffordshire, Redhill Business
Park in Stafford and Kingswood Lakeside in Cannock. The county council is also supporting development at Branston Locks near Burton and Bericote Four Ashes in South Staffordshire. Staffordshire County Council’s economic
growth leader Mark Winnington said: “Staffordshire’s economy is in healthy shape and this report demonstrates how far we have come in a relatively short time. We have seen considerable investment in the last three years which has seen significant returns and will result in the creation of thousands of jobs.
‘We have established a number of good quality employment sites with more in the pipeline’
“It is a county council priority to do all we can
to create the right conditions for businesses to grow and thrive. As figures suggest, employment is fairly evenly distributed across large and small businesses and so it is important that we promote a mixed and balanced economy. “We have established a number of good
quality employment sites with more in the pipeline which gives us a strong basis to make the most of Government funding opportunities. We are continuing to support businesses of all sizes and attract new investment and look forward to building on our successes into 2018.”
Else has its hard work recognised
Burton-based Else Solicitors have been recognised for their work in dispute resolution by scooping the Regional Firm of the Year award. The gong was part of the
Legal 500 Awards which ranks law firms across the UK and lists those who provide the most cutting edge and innovative advice. Else fought off competition
from large corporate and national firms to take the Regional Firm of the Year prize for dispute resolution. Andy Rudkin, head of
dispute resolution at Else Solicitors, said: “It is an honour and a privilege to have been chosen for this prestigious award. “Our growing team has worked hard to
achieve the right result for our clients while maintaining a high level of client care. We are thrilled to have been recognised for this.” Chris Else, managing partner of Else Solicitors, said: “We are delighted to have won this award.
Else Solicitors was built on its reputation for dispute resolution. “We have been helping businesses and private individuals across the UK to resolve their differences for over 14 years. This award highlights our high level of capability and dedication to our clients.”
Winning team (from left): Andy Rudkin, Amiee O’Toole, Stephen Stewart, Susan Ellis and Dan Woodall
In good shape: Mark Winnington
Long-standing employees get their just rewards
Burton law firm Smith Partnership has celebrated the long service of 11 members of staff, each of whom has worked for the company for more than two decades. The firm, which has
branches in Derby, Leicester, Stoke and Swadlincote, also celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. CEO Steve Mann
(pictured) said: “We are so proud of our reputation to retain trusted and loyal members of staff across all our regional offices. They are the life-blood of our business and we couldn’t provide such high quality service without them. “To have so many employees reaching 20
and 25 years of service in our anniversary year is fantastic, and we want to thank them all for their huge efforts to look after our clients on a daily basis, often dealing with difficult and emotional issues in their lives.”
February 2018 CHAMBERLINK 41
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