The Hub The Hub What’s on at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce
Openreach chief will address Autumn Expo
Opening up: Kim Mears
Your four-page
pull-out guide to recent and forthcoming Chamber Events
John Tudor Firm will share its
story of success A speaker breakfast event in Cannock will hear how a Staffordshire business rose from the ashes after its predecessor ran into trouble three years ago. The firm is Access Covers Ltd, based at
Towers Business Park, Rugeley, which was set up by employees of the now defunct Aquacast, which went into administration in 2015, putting 12 jobs at risk. Among them was John Tudor, who only
A leading figure from the UK’s top broadband network provider will deliver a seminar to delegates at the Chamber’s forthcoming Autumn Expo. Openreach is headline sponsor for the event at
Edgbaston Stadium on 5 October – and its managing director of infrastructure development Kim Mears will also be addressing delegates in the first of three seminars. The Expo is expected to attract around 800 delegates and 80 exhibitors. Kim is responsible for building and
strengthening Openreach’s strategic and commercial relationships, and will be explaining to businesses why Birmingham is one of nine cities chosen for a rollout of ultra-fast broadband, in a programme known as ‘fibre to the premises’ (FTTP). FTTP is a pure fibre connection, which extends
all the way from the exchange into a home or business. It offers speeds of up to 1Gbps. Openreach says this will help businesses work
more efficiently, and will underpin any growth strategy they have. Openreach expects FTTP to extend to more
than three million businesses by 2020. That will leave still many businesses – and communities – without access, but Kim will explain to her audience how a government scheme, offering grants of up to £3,000, can help address this. Kim joined BT in 2004 as a general manager
for the Thames Valley Field Service. A year later, she was appointed regional director for the
‘We see a growing demand for faster, more reliable and future-proofed broadband services’
London Home Counties area. She became director of NGA (Next Generation Access) in 2008, with responsibility for the Openreach’s broadband UK programme, and has been managing director of infrastructure delivery since 2015. She said: “As the leading digital network
provider in the region, we see a growing demand for faster, more reliable and future-proofed broadband services, and we’re getting on with the job of building a next generation ‘fibre to the premises’ network that will support local industries for decades to come. “Businesses in the Greater Birmingham area
rely heavily on connectivity, and we’re proud to be providing the platform for them to innovate, grow, boost productivity and compete in new markets.”
A limited number of places are available for Kim’s seminar so delegates are urged to reserve a spot by emailing events@birmingham-
chamber.com
• See p40 for more details. October 2018 CHAMBERLINK 39
joined Aquacast six weeks before it went into administration. In an unusual turn of events, the
administrator offered John and his colleague Jon Turner the chance to buy the company as an asset - providing all current employees kept their jobs - and Access Covers was born in November that year. The company makes manhole covers, and
other types of access covers. Mr Tudor – now the company’s joint managing director - said: “It’s a real phoenix from the ashes story. We started with 12 staff, no offices, no funding and no bank account. We now have 21 staff (three apprentices), and in the first year we had a turnover of £1.1m, and we are on track for £1.8m this year.” Mr Tudor said the business’ success was
heavily aided by support from the Stoke- on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub and the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce. He added: “It’s refreshing to see all these
groups like the Growth Hub and the Chamber supporting businesses.” Mr Tudor will tell the company’s amazing
story to an audience at a Chase speaker breakfast event at Roman Way Hotel on 20 November. All speaker breakfast events are free for
patrons and 1813 Club members. See p40 for more details.
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