London's Deputy Mayor for Business visits the London Riverside BID area
The London Riverside Business Improvement District (BID) welcomed London’s Deputy Mayor for Business, Rajesh Agrawal, to showcase the area’s business talent and potential as London’s industrial powerhouse
4 September 2019
The London Riverside BID Team was delighted to welcome Rajesh Agrawal and members of Havering Council to the BID area, showcasing its potential, but also highlighting the challenges for people running businesses here.
Industrial Potential
Ilker Dervish, Chairman of the BID has been working hard on behalf of Rainham’s businesses to safeguard the region’s industrial heritage and attract the investment needed for it compete in a digital age. “The Rainham industrial area not only has the highest concentration of industrial jobs in Havering, with over 4500 people employed here, but it represents huge potential for further development to meet London’s economic growth needs.
“The London Riverside BID area is poised to become the South East’s most successful industrial region in construction, logistics, transportation and use of the river and freight as an alternative to roads. This riverside location can be a major contributor to helping London meet a number of its challenges including reducing emissions from road use, speeding up home building through off-site construction, consolidating deliveries in to London and developing the skills of tomorrow.”
Business Visits
An afternoon tour of the area took in three of the BID’s most successful businesses, each market leaders in their respective fields:
Keeble’s Recycling, which has been on their current Rainham site for over 100 years and is at the forefront of the paper re-use and recycle sector;
SG Technologies, which employs over 200 people, the majority in high-skilled and semi-skilled jobs and the only UK business still producing precision magnetic components entirely from raw materials. Their world class products can be found in your Dyson, your VW and your Caterpillar digger!
Reuse Technology Group, one of Europe’s largest buyers and sellers of used CISCO equipment. The business cleans and refurbishes IT equipment, ready for re-use, with their circular processes ensuring zero waste to landfill.
Rajesh Agrawal enjoying a presentation from S G Technologies
Challenges and investment needed
The Deputy Mayor was joined by representatives from Havering Council, including Cllr Robert Benham, and the message to them from the Chairman was clear, “With proper investment in infrastructure, public transport, digital connectivity, skills training and a vibrant business start-up community the full potential for businesses and the local workforceol can be achieved.
Investment in innovation and resources for local SMEs
The group also heard from Havering College and Neil Impiazzi from SEGRO PLC (pictured below), who presented plans for a leading-edge Innovation Centre, funded by the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund. The concept will bring to the area state-of-the-art capability in AI and immersive technologies, enabling local businesses, large and small, to access transformational digital technologies, and the latest software and expertise that is driving the logistics and construction sectors.
Maggie DIxon Fairview Industrial Park, Ilker Dervish BID Chairman, Cllr Robert Benham, Rajesh Agrawal and Neil Impazzi of Segro