The Japanese Ambassador to the UK visited Toyota’s offices in Derbyshire today (Friday January 27), meeting with business leaders including the Chair of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, Peter Richardson (pictured).
Mr Koji Tsuruoka has been Japan’s Ambassador to the UK since June (2016). He held today’s meeting at Toyota’s UK offices in Burnaston to help understand how Toyota is received by the local community, particularly around supply chain organisations dependent on the Burnaston plant.
Fifteen leading figures from a variety of organisations including Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, YMCA Derbyshire, the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce and the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) attended. D2N2 was represented by its Chair, Peter Richardson.
D2N2 is the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and works with businesses, local and national government, skills and training providers, and community and voluntary organisations to grow its area’s economy; with the aim of creating 55,000 new jobs in ten years (2013-2023).
In devising its Strategic Economic Plan for how this target could be achieved, D2N2 identified eight key commercial sectors – areas in which Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire are particularly strong, or which have the potential for new businesses to start up and grow – one of which is Transport Equipment Manufacturing (planes, trains and automobiles).
Car manufacturer Toyota is one of the main sector employers in the D2N2 area. Toyota’s Burnaston plant has been open for more than 20 years and it employs around 2,700 staff.
Also involved in Toyota’s manufacturing process is a range of supply chain companies, including:
- textiles firm Guilford Europe of Alfreton;
- parts manufacturer Futaba Industrial UK of Foston – who were also invited to attend today’s event;
- gearbox, bearings and driveline systems specialist Romax Technology, based at the University of Nottingham Innovation Park.
Peter Richardson, Chair of the D2N2 LEP, said: “D2N2 champions companies like Toyota, not only for their direct impact on local employment but also for the supply chains they help to develop, enabling other companies to succeed as well. Businesses are stronger when they work together, and the success of major companies such as Toyota benefits other firms in the area who supply it.”
To find out more about the work of the D2N2 LEP, visit: www.d2n2lep.org
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Sean Kirby D2N2 Communications Manager 01159 578749 |  | Sam Burbage D2N2 Social Media and Marketing Officer 01159 578254 | ||
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