Member Article

NEEC celebrates successful first year

An initiative to bring more Japanese business into the North East is preparing for a second year of action after an initial 12 months, in which Hitachi chose County Durham for its new train assembly plant.

The decision was the highlight of the North East Enterprise Company’s (NEEC) first year, which also included welcoming four visits from potential Japanese investors to the region.

The public-private sector group was set up by former Newcastle United owner and Metro Centre developer, Sir John Hall in partnership with Durham County Council and the South Durham Enterprise Agency.

Aiming to plug the regional business promotion gap left by the demise of One North East, the NEEC also works with international investment consultant Masao Kumori, who has brought nearly £5bn of Japanese investment into the region in the last two decades.

In its first year, the group developed relations with current Japanese investors including Nissan and Panasonic, as well as Hitachi, which will start work on a new train assembly plant in Newton Aycliffe later this year. When it opens in 2016, the site will employ more than 700 people and provide hundreds of supply chain jobs.

NEEC and South Durham Enterprise Agency chairman, Coun Rob Yorke, said: “The NEEC has enjoyed a very successful first year and the relations between Durham and major Japanese companies has never been stronger.

“With the development of Hitachi’s rail plant in Newton Aycliffe gathering pace, the partnership is looking forward to doing even more, showcasing the benefits of County Durham and the region as a whole as a business destination to these vital Japanese markets.”

In addition to welcoming inward investment visits, the NEEC also helped to organise a number of visits by North East businesses to Japan and the British Embassy in Tokyo.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Karen Dent .