COMMONWEALTH GAMES WILL BOOST REGION SEB COE TELLS COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE CHAMBER

With the Commonwealth Games set to take place in Birmingham this summer, Olympian Sebastian Coe told business leaders from Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce about the transformative impact a major international event can have.

Lord Coe, the multi-Olympic medallist who headed up the London Olympics in 2012, highlighted to businesses the major commercial and social benefits that the Games brought to London.

He believes the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is set to bring a similar boost to Coventry, Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands.

“The potential legacy after the games is very exciting, but it will challenge a region in a way nothing has challenged it before.

“People should not underestimate the impact this area connecting with the Commonwealth Games will have.

Lord Coe lived in Warwickshire from the age of one, initially in Redditch, before moving to Alcester and then Stratford-upon-Avon

“This is an area that was quite important to me, my father ran a manufacturing business in the region. It was also where I achieved my first top three finish in a race, as part of a Warwickshire schools’ competition at the age of 10,” he said.

Urban-Air Port is backed by the government and supported by Supernal, a company formed last year by Hyundai Motor Group to lead the Group’s progress in Advanced Air Mobility.

Air-One will operate in Coventry for at least a month and aims to provide a blueprint for more than 200 vertiports planned worldwide by Urban-Air Port over the next five years.

The advanced air mobility market is forecast to reach $1 trillion within the next two decades. But despite a booming market and a strong pipeline of eVTOLs entering commercial operations, the lack of ground infrastructure remains one of the single biggest barriers to growth, according to analysis by NASA.

Ricky Sandhu, Founder and Executive Chairman of Urban-Air Port, said: “Air-One is the starting gun for a new age of transport, an age of zeroemission, congestion-free travel between and within cities. Cars have roads. Trains have rails. Planes have airports. Now eVTOLs have an Urban-Air Port.

Minister for Aviation, Robert Courts, said: “British innovation has a rich history of transforming global transportation. The opening of AirOne, backed by Government funding, will revolutionise the way people and goods travel across the nation. This step forward puts Britain at the vanguard of clean transport.

Engineering firm 3P invests £5 million on purpose-built Warwick facility

3P innovation is doubling the size of its premises with a £5 million investment in an eco-friendly 30,000 sq ft facility at Warwick.

High-tech engineering company, 3P innovation, helps global pharmaceutical and medical device businesses develop new products, devices and production processes. This employee-owned business is one of a very limited number of companies globally which can design and manufacture this sophisticated and heavily regulated automation.

The new site, being built by Clowes Developments, will be a 30,000 sq ft purpose-built facility, taking the 3P premises to a combined total of 60,000 sq ft of office and workshop space. This move will allow for 3P’s workforce to double in size.

Culinary Leamington Spa entrepreneur celebrates prestigious Alexander McQueen contract

A Leamington chef who walked away from commercial kitchens to launch his private dining business in lockdown, is celebrating his latest collaboration – with an international luxury clothing brand.

Bramble Dining was approached by the Alexander McQueen fashion house to create a bespoke range of canapes and cocktails.

Richard Bramble was tasked with creating the culinary artworks to complement McQueen’s ethereal spring/summer range, launched in their flagship store in Old Bond Street.

Bramble Dining enlisted the help of Liquid Spirit Events from the Cotswolds to provide bespoke cocktails and mocktails for the event to accompany the canapes.

Richard said: “You can imagine our excitement when we were contacted by Alexander McQueen. They asked us to create canapes and cocktails to match the colours of the sky and the London skyline.

“Obviously we are extremely proud to be working with a company of this calibre. It is a huge boost to our independent business to have such world-renowned companies that want to collaborate with us.”

Whitehouse Industries buys Ernest Engineering and plans for further engineering business acquisitions

Coventry-based Whitehouse Industries has acquired Ernest Engineering, which is also based in the city.

Ernest Engineering incorporates Bailey & Wade Limited, a manufacturer of precision turned parts, and Anchor Inserts Limited, a manufacturer of inserts for the rotational moulding industry.

Whitehouse Industries Limited was established by entrepreneur Stuart Whitehouse to purchase engineering businesses.

Stuart said: ““I am delighted with the acquisition of Ernest Engineering, Bailey & Wade and Anchor Inserts, who have undergone significant development over the last 10 years. With ongoing investment in sliding head CNC machines and property extensions, the Group has gone from strength to strength and I look forward to maintaining this trajectory.”

Austin Wade, owner of Ernest Engineering, added: “What we really like about joining Whitehouse Industries is that the business will still be run as a family company.”

Whitehouse Industries also owns Nutters Fastenings in Birmingham, and has plans for further engineering acquisitions.