New action group seeks ‘better deal for city firms’

A leading Derby businessman has called for urgent action to stem the amount of money “leeching from the city of Derby” because property and construction contracts are being awarded to outside companies “who have very little interest in the community apart from its income-generating potential”.

At the launch of a new initiative for key personnel in the local construction and property sectors, multi-award-winning Ian Hodgkinson, “It is particularly galling when you consider that within Derby itself there are long-established companies with proven track records, expertise, enthusiasm and pride in this city who are missing out.”

He went on to tell the audience at the launch of the new Derby 500 Construction and Property Group: “I am not opposed to competition and I am not asking for special privileges but I do believe that the powers-that-be should be more mindful of the home-grown businesses that make a valuable financial, social and cultural contribution to the life of this community.”

A key message from these companies, said Mr Hodgkinson, was the need to tell the world that “there is more to Derby than Rolls-Royce and railways - great though those companies are.”

The new construction and property group would, he said, not only add considerable weight to the valuable and strenuous efforts now being made by a host of agencies and partnerships to boost economic-regeneration in the Derby area but also provide a formal and informed voice to ensure that its message was heard “by those with influence at all levels”.

Group members would also benefit from creation of a database and portfolio which would be disseminated to companies outside the city awarded major contracts, engagement with bodies concerned with tendering and processing to ensure that local business had a chance to become involved, the maintenance of a focus group with strong referral and marketing potential, and quarterly business meetings to discuss industry-relevant issues. There would also be social events and all the benefits of membership of the 500 Club at Derby County Football Club.

Mr Hodgkinson, Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce's ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ for 2009 and a finalist in the Chamber's ‘Business of the Year’ competition in 2010, added: “This group is not some pie-in-the-sky initiative. It will be a forum from which we can make a real difference to developments in a part of the world in which we all have a mutual interest.”

Other guest speakers at the launch - which attracted many key figures involved in regional regeneration - included Tom Glick (Derby County FC chief executive), John Cadwallader (Derby Cityscape chief executive) and Stephen Mold (Derby North Conservative parliamentary candidate)

Further information about the group is available from The 500 Club at Derby County Football Club on 0845 652 0584 - email c.walker@derby500.co.uk