Partner Article

Businesses set to network

BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN EAST DURHAM HOPES TO BOOST GROWTH AT NETWORKING EVENT

BUSINESSES in East Durham are set to meet next week as part of a once-monthly event to generate economic growth and sustainability in the area.

Peterlee Business Park Group’s ‘Network With Your Neighbour’ event will see representatives from 27 firms attend the popular meet-up.

The group was set up four years ago by Business Durham to generate growth and establish a stronger unified voice for firms in the area.

It has grown steadily and now boasts over 40 members. Businesses on Peterlee Business Park (PBP) who may not have attended previously, are also encouraged to come, with a view to joining the group.

The event will include two short presentations from PBP’s newest members – steel design, manufacture and supply business, Icarus, and sheet metal work and fabrication firm, D&S Services.

Zac Hussain, the managing director of Icarus, and Alastair Tennant, managing director at D&S Services, will each give an introduction and brief speech about the work they do.

There will also be ample opportunity for members to network, and hopefully inter-trade. Joanne Urquhart-Arnold, of Business Durham and member of the PBP Steering Group, said: “It’s all about trying to encourage businesses to network with each other in a relaxed environment.

“We hold themed events quarterly, which aim to address some of the issues faced by our business members. In between the themed events, we hold monthly ‘Network with Your Neighbour’ events – they each prove really popular and help to boost links and inter-trading opportunities on the park. Ideas and best practice can be shared.

“Peterlee Business Park group is a business community, which gives the area a voice and helps to build an identity, locally and regionally, as a place to do business. It helps to showcase the best that the area has to offer, somewhere businesses can share their good news whether these be businesses, jobs, or premises.”

She added: “It will be great to hear from our newest members Icarus and D&S Services at our next event, which will introduce them to group.”

Alastair from D&S Services said: “In the short time we have been here we have been made to feel very welcome by our closest neighbours, and have already seen the benefits of our closer proximity to our key customers.

“We are still looking at other businesses in the area and what we can source more locally on and around the business park.

“Being part of the group will help us develop these links and help us build great relationships with our neighbours - not just trading relationships but those where we can help each other on wider business issues.”

The event will be held on Tuesday, September 15, from 8.30am to 10.30am, at East Durham Employability, 3 Palmer Road, South West Industrial Estate, Peterlee.

PBP has members from Peterlee’s three industrial estates and two business parks.

For further information, or for any new businesses who wish to attend, email info@peterleebusiness.co.uk or on twitter at @peterleebiz.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Felicity Collinson .