RKE Group backs initiative to put the borough on the map

Liam Grady, Group Operations Manager, RKE Group, Ashley Bostock, Operations Manager at Enviro Systems and Richard Farnell, leader of Rochdale Borough Council

RKE Group has backed  the new Rochdale Ambassadors scheme, a private-sector board working with Rochdale Borough Council, to promote Rochdale as a place to do business.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/1/business-news/109142/rochdale-ambassadors-launched-to-help-sell-the-borough

Liam Grady, a director of RKE group, said: “I travel up and down the country for my job and there’s still a perception among people I meet that places like Rochdale are all dark, satanic mills and cobbled streets, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s a hidden nugget.

“Rochdale gets a lot of bad press, but I’m really proud to say my business is here. There’s a huge amount of good quality office space; we ourselves rent space in the council-run Globe Business Park, and the transport links are excellent, meaning that we can transport goods easily and our staff can get to and from work without difficulty. There’s also a huge amount of investment being ploughed into the borough. Rochdale is very much on a steep upward curve now.

“We have a very strong network of successful businesses in Rochdale, so, as well as selling Rochdale nationally, the ambassador scheme is a great way of bringing those businesses together, so they can work together and keep money circulating in the local economy. I know I have generated lots of business from other companies within the borough and have also given my business to local companies.”

The Rochdale Ambassadors, which launched last month, is chaired by David Bottomley, director of Rochdale AFC and national toy business Asobi. Other members of the board include Richard Tang, founder of Zen Internet, Julian Appleyard, principal of Rochdale Sixth Form College, and Steve Rumbelow, chief executive of Rochdale Council. Companies also represented are Tetrosyl, Nomical, and James Nuttall Transport.

Councillor Richard Farnell, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We’ve had a great reaction to the launch of the ambassador scheme, with many businesses, like RKE Group, really passionate about getting involved. Rochdale has a thriving business community, so there are no better people to sell the borough than these highly successful local companies.”

Businesses who would like to find out more about the ambassadors scheme and how they can get involved are can contact Carol Hopkins on c.hopkins@investinrochdale.co.uk or 01706 868999.