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Business summit held to discuss plans for the local economy

Business
16:00, Monday, 1st June 2020

North Lincolnshire Council has held a summit with representatives from leading businesses to consider the challenges and opportunities for the area’s economy.

A new virtual network has now been created, with key figures from the business community agreeing to meet regularly to discuss the challenges they have overcome, support they may need, and opportunities to grow the economy.

James Gallacher, Managing Director at Moulded Fibre Products Limited, said:

“Moulded Fibre Products Limited manufactures environmentally friendly packaging products in Scunthorpe. While the social distancing measures have posed challenges, staff have really stepped up and embraced the changes. Their incredible support has enabled us to export products to Latin American and Asian markets; places that we wouldn’t have imagined prior to the pandemic.”

Stephen Green, Operations Director at Nexon Group, said:

“The Nexon Group supplies cleaning, hygiene and healthcare items to sectors including care homes. Our team have been fantastic, rallying to the changes in the workplace to meet the unprecedented demand for our products. I would also like to thank the council for the support they have provided; the timely processing of grants have actually enabled us to increase the size of our workforce.”

Hannah Dale, Creative Director at Wrendale Designs, said:

“At Wrendale Designs we sell greeting cards, gifts and homeware products to thousands of shops across the UK and globally from our base in Brigg so the sudden closure of retailers all over the world has had a significant impact on us, even despite an increase in online trade. As shops begin to re-open, reduced footfall is a huge concern, and it will be important to empower and educate retailers to provide a safe shopping environment and to give consumers the reassurance that they can return to the shops without putting themselves at risk.”

Alex Wright, Director at Knapton Wright, said:

“As a marketing agency, at Knapton Wright we have found that the current economic situation has encouraged businesses take stock and re-evaluate, in a positive way, how they promote their products and services. It has been heartening to see how the business community has pulled together to exchange ideas. North Lincolnshire is such a fantastic place to live, work and invest in and it will be even more important to celebrate this and to keep making improvements as the area emerges from the pandemic.”

Thanking the group, Cllr Rob Waltham, Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said:

“Listening to the experiences of our business community is such a valuable exercise and directly shapes how the council continues to grow the economy, enabling our communities to flourish.

“Whilst it is clear that the coronavirus has and will continue to create challenges, hearing the optimism from our businesses has made me even more confident in our ability to bounce back and build for the future.”