Meet the Buyer event hailed huge success

A Meet the Buyer event which attracted nearly 100 delegates wanting to learn more about winning construction work in Shropshire has been hailed a huge success.

The Shropshire Construction Summit event aimed to showcase opportunities to win work on multi-million pound building and development projects being delivered by Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council.

It also included support for SME businesses on procurement, and allowed delegates to learn more about how to register with local authority supplier frameworks ahead of a period of major housing and infrastructure work in both council areas.

The Meet the Buyer event, sponsored by law firm FBC Manby Bowdler and PR and business communications company Be Bold Media, was held at the Lord Hill Hotel, in Shrewsbury.

Speakers at the event included Katherine Kynaston, Assistant Director, Business, Development & Employment at Telford & Wrekin Council; Ian Kilby, Planning Services Manager and Tim Smith, Head of Business Enterprise & Commercial Services, both at Shropshire Council.

SCE Chairman Gareth Emberton, of commercial landscape specialists Crown Group, said the event had been organised as part of a bid to boost the value of the construction sector in the region, as millions of pounds are ploughed into infrastructure projects and business park developments.

He said: “Both Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council spoke to businesses about opportunities for them to bid for contracts at this event which was a huge success.

“It was great to hear that Telford is the top town in the country for housing growth and that Shropshire Council has a renewed ambition to invest, develop and partner and has a number of investment sites in the pipeline.”

"We have a wealth of construction excellence, experience and talent in Shropshire, yet sometimes our own companies are not able to compete with those from outside of the area. This event included a chance for businesses to speak directly with buyers about the opportunities on offer and feedback from attendees shows this was a really valued part of the evening.”

From left, Speakers Ian Kilby, Tim Smith, Katherine Kynaston, with Mark Turner, of FBC Manby Bowdler, Mel Boulter, of Be Bold Media and SCE Chairman Gareth Emberton