focus on southampton
Accelerating growth across the South Coast
EY is proud to be part of the thriving business community in Southampton, with our research predicting strong economic performance and growth leading up to 2020, writes David Hales, EY’s office managing partner, Southampton
However, the future brings many challenges, not least with the uncertainty around Brexit. It is a crucial time for everyone – business, government and people – to understand the options available to us and the opportunities that follow to ensure that the south continues to benefit from its unique nature and to maximise the economic potential of the region.
EY recognises the rich diversity of the South Coast and is committed to the success of the region by playing an active role within the local business community. This is reflected in our Economics for Business programme that supports the region’s changing economic landscape. EY’s Regional Economic Forecast predicts that Southampton’s economy will grow by 1.9% Gross Value Added (GVA) until 2020 – outperforming the UK’s average growth of 1.8%. Furthermore, according to EY’s UK
Attractiveness Survey, Southampton has seen a handful of sizeable and significant investments, attracting five foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in 2017 that resulted in hundreds of jobs for the local area.
It’s positive that the strong economic performance of Southampton is expected to continue in the coming years. However, to ensure these growth forecasts become a reality, I believe the region needs to focus on three key drivers to accelerate growth: Firstly, businesses will have to take the lead in attracting and retaining talent. Having access to the necessary talent pool, will be crucial to that. Secondly, investment in infrastructure is needed to support business growth, including roads, public transport and the region’s connectivity via faster broadband. Thirdly, we have an opportunity to enhance and sustain a culture of
collaboration between large businesses and start-ups to deliver further innovation.
At EY, our teams work with a diverse range of businesses across the South Coast, from boat builders and aerospace engineers, defence firms and fast growth tech companies to entrepreneur-led businesses. Our focus is on providing strategic advice to help our clients achieve their growth ambitions, which in turn help boost growth, innovation and productivity across the region.
Dave Hales 023 8038 2100
ey.com
Welcome to a regular Solent 250 column, bringing together news about our annual campaign and the companies in our 250 listing
column
Judges will this autumn be visiting companies in our Solent 250 listing to gather information in advance of the 2019 Solent 250 awards.
Judges want to meet companies on their premises and are arranging interviews from September onwards.
The Solent 250 is an annual list sponsored by HSBC, business adviser RSM and law firm Irwin Mitchell. It focuses on private companies headquartered in the area.
David Murray, publisher of The Business Magazine, said: “Our judging panels are drawing up ‘longlists’ of 10 companies per awards category. This will eventually be reduced to five, and the finalists will be invited to our dinner in the new year when the category winners will be announced.
“We look forward to meeting many dynamic and growing companies in the weeks ahead.”
Latest Solent 250 news:
• Hendy Group – at number four in the 250 – continues to grow, after completion of the Anchorage Road site, Portsmouth, previously operated by Unbeatablecar. The site has now become Hendy’s largest used vehicle operation to date.
• Fat Face – at number 11 in the 250 - has bucked trends in high-street retail by posting increased sales and profits. Total sales rose by 7.4% to £238.4 million in the year to June 2, 2018. Online sales have grown significantly – with an 11.8% rise.
News from the list Solent 250 LinkedIn group
Solent 250 companies are invited to join our LinkedIn Group – an online community for the members of the Solent 250, including relevant updates, technical information and opportunities, and for you in turn to share relevant updates with your fellow members.
Go to:
linkedin.com/groups/8622693
Beyond the Balance Sheet guide
Solent 250 sponsor RSM has produced a guide, Beyond the Balance Sheet, looking at issues of governance facing businesss today.
For details visit the website:
rsmuk.com/ideas-and-insights/beyond- the-balance-sheet
Business THE TM MAGAZINE 36
businessmag.co.uk THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018
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