Construction leaders from across the region gathered at Wherstead Park for the inaugural BUILD Suffolk expo.
The event, organised by Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, brought together organisations delivering the biggest construction and infrastructure projects from across the county to celebrate the industry’s successes, make connections and explore opportunities for future projects.
The expo included keynote speeches from Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chamber of Commerce and Andy Laflin, Chair of the Suffolk Joint Construction Committee, along with a host of expert panels and discussions.
Shevaun said events such as this are ‘absolutely crucial’ to delivering the projects and infrastructure the county needs.
She said: “There’s a huge amount of infrastructure being put in place across the county and, in fact, across the region and it’s really important that the flow of money comes into the county through supply chains.
“That does not happen by accident.
“We need to bring together those who are building the projects – Tier 1s, the supply chain, local government, skills providers – we need to wrap everyone around it so we can make sure that the money is flowing into the county and into the right UK businesses.”
Multiple speakers highlighted how Suffolk has become one of the most exciting places in the country for construction thanks to major ongoing infrastructure projects – posing opportunities for local firms.
Shevaun added: “I think that with massive infrastructure projects like we’re seeing around here – Sizewell C, offshore wind, National Grid, hospital builds – all of that presents new challenges for construction in terms of delivery.
“I think what’s crucial here is that construction companies, especially small and medium-sized businesses, are really well-educated on what’s coming, how they can deliver for it, what capability they need to deliver, so that they are absolutely right and ready when the moment comes, when the contracts come.
“Events like this, getting everyone in a room in one place at one time, are absolutely crucial.”
The event was sponsored by Castons, Pick Everard, Artelia, Blackwell Earthmoving, Flannery, Civil Works Alliance, McCann, Suffolk New College, Construction Technical Excellence College, the University of Suffolk, East of England Co-op, Clean Energy Technical Excellence College and Construction Anglia.
James Loveland, Technical Director at Castons, said: “We are local to Ipswich so it’s fantastic that this is right on our doorstep.
“We’re a long-established company, and it’s just great to be part of the industry, collaborating with all our partners, business partners and people we work with in various supply chains across the industry.”
He said the event was a great place to make connections.
“It’s brilliant, it’s essential,” he said.
“We see lots of people that we work with, lots of new people as well – it’s a great networking event.
“It’s great to see that there’s plenty of opportunities out there, in some sectors that we’re not in, as well as the ones that we are in. It’s a great collaboration opportunity for us.”
John Dugmore, Chief Executive of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, added: “Today is an important milestone.
“This is about how we showcase to the Suffolk business community, and particularly those who are associated with the construction sector, the immense opportunities that are happening – not just in Suffolk, but within our region – around national strategic infrastructure projects that are a must for the UK.
“We believe they must leave a lasting legacy for Suffolk and the East of England.”
