Tees Valley mayor leads delegation to Multimodal logistics event

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen has led a delegation of local businesses at a major logistics event in Birmingham.

He was joined by the likes of PD Ports, AV Dawson, LV Shipping and Air Liquide in an effort to highlight the opportunities for inward investment in the North East.

Taking place at Birmingham’s NEC, Multimodal is a national freight, logistics and supply chain management event.

At the event, Mayor Houchen spoke to investors about the opportunities presented by the South Tees Development Cooperation site and Durham Tees Valley airport.

More than half of the developable land at the Development Corporation site has now been brought back into public ownership and is thought to be ready for investment

The same goes for Durham Tees Valley airport, which was brought under public control in March this year with the support of Stobart Group.

Mayor Houchen also underlined plans to establish the UK’s first free port in Tees Valley and discussed the benefits this would bring to businesses.

Free ports are thought to provide special freedoms to trade within an area around a major port.

Such a status supports international trade expansion, attracting jobs and investment, by offering exemptions from certain operational, regulatory and customs requirements.

More than 250 exhibitors and 9000 visitors attended the logistics event at the NEC. These included global firms such as Dachser, Eddie Stobart and Kuehne + Nagel.

Mayor Houchen said: “My one mission at this inward investment event is to shout about the opportunities at our local airport and the former Redcar steelworks site.

“Leading a huge delegation of local businesses, I will be doing all I can to boast about our fantastic assets, workforce, location and expertise.

“Whether home or abroad, I’m determined to do all I can to make sure investors know that our airport, the former steelworks site and our region is open for business and highlight all of the benefits Brexit can bring.”