The vision and ideas of a leading light in the Black Country business world are now being shared over the internet.
Stewart Towe, chair of the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership and managing director of Hadley Group, has kicked off the New Year by launching a blog entitled ‘Towe the line'.
The first of the blogs is now live on the Black Country LEP website at http://www.blackcountrylep.co.uk/and it offers his thoughts on the role of the LEP, one year on from its formation.
It also looks ahead to various funding avenues the LEP is exploring as it seeks to bring millions of pounds of investment into the Black Country during 2012.
The Black Country LEP's work is focussed on six key priorities of planning, transport, business support & advice, skills & education, access to capital & investment and international trade. In addition there is a seventh priority around perception and communication, which includes a focus on the visitor economy.
Stewart Towe is chair of the board and the key areas each have a private sector lead tasked with pushing forward proposals and plans. And the four Black Country councils of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton, have also taken on responsibility to support on specific priority areas.
Meanwhile the Hadley Group is one of Europe's largest privately owned cold rolled steel manufacturers. It has operational plants in the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Germany and Thailand. The Hadley Group supplies many types of industry from automotive and construction through to aerospace. The company's internationally patented UltraSTEEL process has won the Queen's Award for Enterprise Innovation.
People can find out more about the LEP and read ‘Towe the line' by visiting http://www.blackcountrylep.co.uk/