News story

Business Minister visits manufacturers and LEPS in West Midlands

The minister wants to meet with as many partnerships as possible as they put together strategies for growth in their local areas. Meeting local…

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The minister wants to meet with as many partnerships as possible as they put together strategies for growth in their local areas. Meeting local businesses to discuss the individual challenges they are currently facing in the West Midlands, as well as the opportunities to stimulate growth and job creation, will help inform the government’s approach to working with LEPs and supporting businesses of all sizes.

Business Minister Mark Prisk said:

“I find it extremely valuable to meet with businesses and local enterprise partnerships and hear about the different challenges they are facing and their ideas about how we can work together to stimulate growth.

“I’m keen to learn about the different and innovative approaches that businesses are taking to help them thrive in the current economic climate and listen to their ambitious and creative plans.

“Manufacturing businesses across the West Midlands have been leading the way in grasping opportunities to innovate, export and grow as the economy recovers from the recent recession. By listening directly to business this Government is better able to tackle the barriers and red tape that frustrate businesses.”

Mr Prisk’s tour will begin in Rugeley where he will visit the Armitage Shanks factory to discuss with management recent investments and current issues before touring the factory. He will then meet with the Stoke and Staffs local enterprise partnership at Alstrom Grid and the then the Marches partnership at Capgemini. At both of these meetings he will hear about their individual plans for economic growth in their areas, and the progress they are making so far.

He is then due to go along to Golden Bear Products Ltd in Telford, the official manufacturers of the Wenlock mascots for the 2012 London Olympics. The first day of the West Midlands tour will be rounded off at a visit to MOOG, a manufacturer of motion control technology for aircraft based in Wolverhampton.

The second day of the tour comprises of further local enterprise partnership meetings, starting with the Worcestershire partnership at Thomas Vale Construction, before meeting with the Black Country LEP at East End Foods.

There are now 35 LEPs, covering 96 per cent of businesses across England. Local enterprise partnerships bring together local businesses and civic leaders, working to support their local economy. They operate within a geography that reflects natural economic areas and provide the vision, knowledge and strategic leadership needed to drive sustainable private sector growth and job creation in their area.

Notes to editors:


  1. There will be opportunities for media to speak with the minister on each day of his tour. For more details please contact the press office on 020 7215 5951.

  2. In September 2010 the Government received 62 responses to its invitation to form local enterprise partnerships. Proposals covered every part of England outside London. The 35 partnerships approved since October are:

  • Black Country
  • Birmingham & Solihull with E. Staffordshire, Lichfield & Tamworth
  • Cheshire and Warrington
  • Coast to Capital
  • Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly
  • Coventry & Warwickshire
  • Cumbria
  • Enterprise M3
  • Gt. Cambridge & Gt. Peterborough
  • Greater Manchester
  • Gloucestershire
  • Hertfordshire
  • Humber
  • Kent, Greater Essex & East Sussex
  • Lancashire
  • Leeds City Region
  • Leicester & Leicestershire
  • Lincolnshire
  • Liverpool City Region
  • London
  • New Anglia
  • North Eastern
  • Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby, & Derbyshire
  • Oxfordshire City Region
  • Sheffield City Region
  • Solent
  • South East Midlands
  • Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire
  • Tees Valley
  • Thames Valley Berkshire
  • The Heart of the South West
  • The Marches
  • West of England
  • Worcestershire
  • York and North Yorkshire
  1. A map of approved local enterprise partnerships is available from http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/economic-development/leps

  2. BIS’s online newsroom contains the latest press notices, speeches, as well as video and images for download. It also features an up to date list of BIS press office contacts. See [http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom](http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom) for more information.

Notes to Editors

Contact Information

Name BIS Press Office Job Title

Division COI Phone

Fax

Mobile

Email NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk

Name Joanna Fletcher Job Title

Division Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Phone 020 7215 5951 Fax

Mobile

Email Joanna.Fletcher@bis.gsi.gov.uk

Published 6 July 2011