Vanessa Emery

Vanessa Emery has worked on the Business Park activities in the West Midlands since its inception. During this time, she has prepared bids for ERDF and AWM funds for capital and revenue projects for industrial/employment areas across the West Midlands, totally over £2 million.

She is currently managing a major RDA project to promote the business park activities across 18 targeted industrial estates in the West Midlands area, from Warwickshire and Worcestershire in the south, through to Staffordshire in the north of the region.

She has worked extensively with the local business community in Walsall assisting them to improve their working environment through the introduction of image and security improvements and has considerable experience in facilitating private sector involvement in regeneration and encouraging a self-help culture. She has also worked with the wider community in Walsall on SRB and New Deal for Communities projects looking at how the residential and business communities can work together to improve the wealth and health of the borough.

Jess Fowler has worked extensively with SMEs since 2000 within the business park activity in Walsall. Prior to this, she managed her own business in the early 1990s that gave her a considerable understanding of the small business.

Jess was directly involved in the setting up of the successful Steps to Work training project that has, and continues to deliver to all 6 business parks in Walsall. She has also managed the delivery of training to Business Park residents in 10 business parks in the Staffordshire area, in conjunction with Cannock College via an IT bus.

Other key achievements have been the management of the inaugural Business Park Showcase event and the development of the Burntwood, Lichfield, Wolverhampton, Bilston and Coventry business park activities.

Kevin Lowe is employed as a Business Park Development Coordinator. For the past 15 years he has been offering business solutions to companies across the Midlands, Staffordshire and Shropshire.

With British Business Parks he has conducted research in Wolverhampton covering some 300 companies, in South Staffs covering approximately 90 companies, and he leads on a project of planned activity in Stourport for an estate of some 110 companies suffering with crime, environmental issues and general decline. This has resulted in both private and public money being invested on improvements to the security and infrastructure of the estate.

He was also instrumental in developing dialogue with companies on a small industrial estate in Lichfield to identify local issues. Following this dialogue the Local Authority agreed to upgrade the street lighting on the estate. This work was completed in May 2004.

With his colleague Jess Fowler he recently conducted a survey on behalf of the City Council in Coventry which produced an 86% response.

 Mira Chowdhury

Mira is BBP’s Administrator and helps the team meet many of its deadlines. She joined BBP in February 2004 and was a key organiser of the Staffs in Business Show, as well as helping in the maintenance and development of the web site.

Prior to this Mira was employed by Southern Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce where she organised many of the Chamber’s events.

Morag Pringle

Morag is employed as Business Park Coordinator for the Cannock Chase region, covering 7 business parks in Cannock & Rugeley with approximately 300 companies.

She has been in this role since April 2003 and has developed several projects, including running the IT Bus from Cannock Chase Technical College around the business parks, setting up a security syndicate in Norton Canes to provide out of hours security guards and also assisting with the organisation of the Staffs in-Business Show planned for October 2004.

Prior to coming to work for BBP, Morag worked for RAC Motoring Services for 8 years. The final 6 of which as Customer Care Manager, dealing with Customer Care issues for the RAC’s corporate customers including Motability and HSBC Vehicle Finance.

 Natalie O'Gara

Natalie has been the Business Park Co-ordinator for Burntwood Business Park since November 2003. During this time, she has developed the business park and assisted a number of companies to take advantage of grant assistance.

She also introduced the new naming and new signage for the area that helped to reinforce the Park’s proximity to the new M6 Toll Road.

Prior to this Natalie was employed by the economic development department at Cannock Chase Council.