Cheshire hosts UKTI visit

Cheshire & Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership and Marketing Cheshire hosted a two-day tour of the sub-region by senior representatives of UK Trade & Investment, the government agency for promoting overseas trade.

The visit at the start of this week was designed to promote the strengths of Cheshire and Warrington and encourage foreign investment into the sub-region. UKTI's remit is to work with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets, and encourage the best overseas companies to invest in the UK as their global partner of choice.

Colm Reilly, head of the new investment services team for England at UKTI, said: "The two days we have spent in Cheshire and Warrington have been inspiring and we have been given an excellent overview of the area and brands based within it. There are lots of opportunities for potential investors which we will be promoting and we will look forward to working with the LEP and all the stakeholders within the area to make sure that the world knows about these assets."

Among the business sites visited were Astra Zeneca, MEPC Birchwood Park, Bank of America, Daresbury Science & Innovation Campus and Bentley Motors.

Christine Gaskell, director of Bentley Motors and chairman of Cheshire & Warrington LEP, said: "We were delighted to host a top-level visit by representatives of UKTI and show them around our key companies and investment opportunities in the area.

"Cheshire and Warrington is home to prestige international companies with world-class products and services, and we want to showcase the best to help us attract more inward investment.

"Our quality of life and our skilled local workforce make Cheshire and Warrington strong contenders for major relocations and new starts.

"The UKTI visit is a major step forwards on our road to sustainable long-term success."