One of the region’s largest ever events for the construction sector is being held this week.
As part of their commitment to help support growth in the construction industry, Nottingham City Council and CITB are working in partnership with New College Nottingham to hold a “Meet the Buyer” event, providing an opportunity for local construction businesses to meet with major buyers of services within the sector.
The event comes at a key time in the industry, with 3110 construction jobs expected to be created each year in the East Midlands between 2016 and 2020*.
More than 15 buyers from across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire will be taking part in the event, including; Wates Group, Willmott Dixon, Kier, Nottingham City Homes, Morgan Sindall Group, J Tomlinson Limited and many more, allowing for SMEs (small medium enterprises) to make key appointments.
Held in the Brian Clough stand at the Nottingham Forest City Ground on Tuesday 22 March from 8am – 4pm, contractors and SMEs will be matched with the services they offer to the needs of the buyers to ensure that appointments are the most productive.
Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Jobs, Growth and Transport Councillor Nick McDonald said: “This event is the second major “Meet the Buyer” organised under the City Council’s joint investment strategy with CITB.
“This major joint investment of public and private sector funding into the development of the construction industry has seen Nottingham lead the way in demonstrating how the public sector, working hand in glove with developers and tier 1 contractors, can deliver crucial improvements in market share, productivity, and connectivity for this vital sector of the local economy.
“In recognising the importance of construction, the Council and its partners are working tirelessly to increase the competitiveness of local business so it can secure more work on major developments and projects across Nottingham, the surrounding region, and beyond.”
Head of Business Development for ncn, Jade Brindley said: “This is a key event for local businesses in this sector. It’s rare to get so many opportunities all under one roof.
“The fact that we are matching businesses with the best possible buyers for them will also help to ensure as many positive outcomes as possible for all attendees.
“As a workplace training and Apprenticeship provider we are keen to encourage business growth and development in the region, helping to match up local skills with key developments to enhance job creation and opportunities.”
Nottingham City Homes attended a similar event last year and are attending again this year. Chief Executive Nick Murphy said: “Last year, it was very successful for us and we were able to meet with suppliers and talk to them about future opportunities to tender for NCH work. Subsequently a number of them have bid for work. We have a wide range of opportunities this year including supply of ironmongery, garage doors, structural engineering, fire alarm management and we have some exciting new development projects planned.”
For more information about the Meet the Buyer event please visit www.ncn.ac.uk/meetthebuyer