Rebecca Harris MP undertook a whistle stop tour of businesses across Castle Point on Thursday to witness the excellent work that they are doing. In association with the Essex Chamber of Commerce, Rebecca and the Chamber’s representatives Donna Gale & Kim Paxman met local business owners and staff to talk about their businesses and how Rebecca and the Chamber of Commerce may be able to assist them.
The tour included visits to: Thames Ambulance Service; 1st Class Linen and Dauntless Boat yard on Canvey; Electroglass and Castle Point Autos in Benfleet; and Oakenhurst and Essex Auto Group in Hadleigh.
All the businesses that were visited have been trading successfully for several years now and were just a small cross section of the many excellent businesses in Castle Point.
Commenting on the day, Rebecca said:
“It was great to visit so many wonderful businesses in Castle Point. Small businesses are the driving force behind our economy and it is great to see so many in rude health right here in our own community. From boat manufacturing to designing systems for export to countries such as the USA, Castle Point really does produce it all.
I am proud to support the brilliant work that all our local entrepreneurs do and I know that the Government has worked hard to back small businesses allowing them to flourish.”
Denise Rossiter, CEO of Essex Chamber of Commerce, said that:
“it is essential that our members are able to talk to their local MP face to face about the challenges that confront them on a daily basis, giving Rebecca the opportunity to understand their issues and lobby government on their behalf.”
Martin Sanderson, Accounts Manager for Oakenhurst Aircraft Services based in Hadleigh, commented:
“It was our privilege to host a tour of our facility for our local MP, Rebecca Harris, on 19th March.
We are a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility (MRO) carrying out the repair, service and overhaul of commercial aircraft parts at our workshops in Castle Point, employing around 55 people from the local community. We offer apprenticeships in aviation based engineering and regularly take on school/college leavers, offering the opportunity to progress in a career in this business.
Rebecca was shown the various workshops in which we carry out our work, specialising in gyros, radio, radar, galley equipment, inflight entertainment systems, cockpit instrumentation, batteries, oxygen equipment, generators, windows and lighting (both interior and exterior).
It was a wonderful opportunity for us to meet with Rebecca and to demonstrate one aspect of the work going on within her constituency and we look forward to working more closely with her in the future.”
Richard Stormont, Managing Director of Electroglass in Benfleet, said:
“I appreciate Rebecca taking the time to visit Electroglass and to see first-hand some of the diverse business activities in her constituency. The systems and equipment we design and manufacture here in Benfleet are exported to countries worldwide, from Chile to China, with the equipment Rebecca saw today destined for the USA, Bangladesh, India, South Korea and Japan.
We exporters need the support of both national and local government and I hope Rebecca will continue to promote that support.”
Mike Brown, Deputy Managing Director Essex Auto Group said:
“It was good to see the local Member of Parliament out and about as the motor industry is one of the largest employers in the UK and it is important that its issues are understood by government.”
Gareth Worters from Dauntless Boatyard on Canvey commented:
“We would like to thank Rebecca very much for her visit and for the support she showed in our business, we found it very encouraging. As a local company we are enjoying expanding and building a good customer base in and around the Castle Point area. We are looking forward to the year ahead and the opportunities that will arise. We appreciated Rebecca’s comments and advice and hope she hears about us growing as a business, employing local staff and becoming more of an asset to our area.”
Margaret Serna, Chief Executive of Thames Ambulance Service on Canvey said:
“It was a great pleasure to host a visit by Rebecca Harris MP and representatives from the Essex Chamber of Commerce. Rebecca is an outstanding constituency MP who works tirelessly to support local businesses. As a growing business, Thames Ambulance Group has benefitted from this support in a number of ways, most recently in the development of a ground breaking initiative with the Job CentrePlus and the Light Bulb Training Company, which has significantly improved staff recruitment whilst providing much needed opportunities for the longer term unemployed. Rebecca was also instrumental in our work with students at SEEVIC College, who were asked to design new corporate logos for ambulances and staff uniforms. Her support and encouragement to business, to work with and in support of the local community is inspiring.”