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New NECC President named

Local businesses must come together to make change and protect investment in the region, according to the incoming president of the NECC.

John Mowbray was voted in at the North East Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting, and the Governments’ localism plans were high on his agenda.

He called for support in high value growth sectors, and made a renewed plea for funding to upgrade to the roundabouts either side of the Tyne Tunnel, as well as improvements to the A1.

He said: “The Government says it has to be business led and it is up to us to lead. We must not sit back and wait, we have to force our way in if we are to get the type of change we want for the region.

“Whether we like what the Government is doing or not, the Government is creating spaces. We need to step into those spaces and really influence this process.”

Both Mr Mowbray and the outgoing president Martyn Pellew emphasised the importance of exports to the North East economy and stressed the chamber movement as a global link for NECC members to exploit.

Mr Pellew added: “China represents the major opportunity. We are the biggest exporting region and it is upon our shoulders in the North East to grasp the opportunity that 1.3billion people in China represent.”

The North East’s export industry is expanding rapidly, and recent developments surrounding larger manufacturers such as Hitachi and Nissan illustrate this growth. However, James Ramsbotham NECC chief executive warned that many sectors were still experiencing difficult trading conditions.

He said: “I am deeply conscious that there are many tough challenges ahead and NECC will work hard to help businesses resolve these issues.

“Equally, we will contribute fully to help companies capitalise on the many opportunities that do exist.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .