Thoughts for the New Year
It’s that time of year again when we consider what we have been doing and plan how we can do things differently in the coming year. As we look ahead to 2011, we have some uncertain economic times ahead but …
West Midlands
Bentley: on the up during the downturn
This week I took Malcolm Scott, our Consul General in Dusseldorf, to visit Bentley Motors in Crewe. Although the automotive industry in general has had a tough time during the economic downturn, and Bentley is no different to other car …
Birmingham
I've been to Birmingham a couple of times before but have stayed in the centre of the City. My exercise regime has suffered since being back in the UK so thought I'd have a go at finding somewhere to run in Birmingham. Not usually the easiest task in the centre of a city, but actually Birmingham is set on a series of canals and the tow paths make a perfect running track. Winter has started to set in but I can imagine that an evening drink next to a canal on a hot summer’s day would be lovely and so close to the centre of a big city.
Business Development Diaries Five — Worcester
After Exeter I drove up to Worcester for the Export Factor an event where over 100 companies from the West Midlands met to hear how UKTI can support them to export. The West Midlands, with its dominant automotive, minerals and metals and advanced engineering industries, has had a tough time in the recent recession. Unemployment has risen sharply. The Export Factor brought together businesses that were looking to export their way out of the slump.