Paul Cadman, Managing Director for design, technical recruitment and prototyping experts Futura Group, will head up Sandwell Business Ambassadors, which brings together leading business figures to drive inward investment. The group – featuring personalities from the manufacturing, construction and food processing sectors – will focus on building the area’s strengths to help shape the future vision for growing the local economy.

Each ambassador has been chosen as they are synonymous with the region and will participate in a range of activities with SMEs to share their expertise, guidance and knowledge through a series of master classes.

“Sandwell is growing in confidence and increasingly dynamic and diverse,” explained Paul Cadman. “We have many economic strengths, a solid skills base and a Council that is very supportive in their thinking…the talent and personalities of this group will drive it forward, unlock its potential and create jobs.”

Futura Group is one of the area’s fastest growing businesses, seeing sales soar past the £25 million mark for the first time in its history in 2015. It recently secured £3 million of contracts to supply bespoke design services to Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, VW Group and McLaren, creating 50 new jobs in the process. This has helped it fund major investment across its two studios in Oldbury and Warwickshire, equipping it with three paint booths, a 5-axis large bed CNC machine and dedicated trim and body departments.

“We are passionate about our Black Country roots and my roles in the Ambassadors programme and at the local Chamber will ensure the region is well represented when it comes to attracting inward investment,” concluded Paul, who was also recently named in The Manufacturer’s Top 100.

Members of Sandwell Business Ambassadors Programme include:

• Melvin Wingfield, director, A&M EDM Ltd
• Tony Bryan, business development manager, Briggs Amasco
• Mark Evans, partner, Crowe Clark Whitehill
• Kate Manners, managing director, David Manners Group
• Paul Deep, sales director, East End Foods
• John Wood, group corporate services director, Liberty Industries Group
• Graham Pennington, Principal and Chief Executive , Sandwell College
• Geoff Walker, chief executive, Sandwell Community Caring Trust
• Tracy Pearce, chief executive, SIPS Education
• Richard Allen, general manager, voestalpine Metsec
• Adrian Wright, sales and marketing director, West Bromwich Albion FC

Think Sandwell, the local authority’s business growth team, will oversee the programme and work closely with the ambassadors throughout the year. It has helped start-ups, SMEs and major companies secure finance to support their business growth ambitions.