New body to market region to the world

A NEW body tasked with attracting investment, jobs and visitors to the West Midlands has been established.

The new West Midlands Growth Company broadens the remit and signals the end of Marketing Birmingham after 35 years, in keeping with the geography of the new combined authority.

A board has been established to oversee the company which will continue to promote Birmingham to investors but also champion other areas of the West Midlands county including Coventry and the Black Country.

The newly formed company will work in partnership with local enterprise partnerships, councils, universities and the private sector as it bids to deliver a pipeline of major inward investments.

The change comes as the West Midlands chooses its first directly elected mayor who will chair the combined authority. Birmingham Airport chief executive Paul Kehoe will chair the new West Midlands Growth Company.

He said: “By working across a unified region, the growth company will be able to tell a much stronger story internationally and use this collaboration to its advantage in securing more investment and visits into the West Midlands.

“In recent years, Marketing Birmingham has worked closely with partners across the public and private sectors to secure a recordhigh number of foreign direct investment projects, the largest growth in international visitors of any UK city outside London and the relocation of HSBC UK from the capital to Birmingham.

“The decision to create the new West Midlands Growth Company will build on Marketing Birmingham’s expertise for the benefit of the whole region.”