On a very busy constituency Friday, Lucy Frazer MP visited four local enterprises each with a reach far beyond the region.
First stop was the Advanced Aircraft Training company in Ely, established in 2006 to deliver training to engineers working for some of the world’s biggest airlines and maintenance organisations. To date, over 5000 engineers from over 70 organisations worldwide have benefited from its specialist training courses. It has secondary sites in Jordan and Singapore and can also offer onsite training at a client’s own facilities. Lucy was shown round by founder and CEO, Mr Rowland Taylor with whom she is pictured below. http://www.advancedat.co.uk
Next stop was a return visit to the NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany) Innovation Hub, near Soham, which Lucy opened with the Life Sciences Minister George Freeman MP in November 2016. The NIAB facility near Soham specialises in researching ways to reduce all forms of food waste in the supply chain. According to the annual food waste report produced by WRAP UK (Waste and Resources Action Programme),16% of all food waste is estimated to occur before it arrives on retailers’ shelves, so this facility’s work to reduce wastage in UK agriculture is extremely relevant. The Innovation Hub is also to be used for industry events and for training and apprenticeships, supporting learning throughout the region and working with schools and colleges to develop the skills for a thriving agri-industry. http://www.niab.com/pages/id/416/NIAB_Innovation_Hub
Staying very much in the science related industries field, Lucy then dropped in to LGC Pharmaceutical, Fordham, an international life sciences measurement and testing company. LGC Pharmaceutical is the designated UK National Measurement Institute for chemical and bio-measurement and has been home to the UK Government Chemist for more than 100 years. The company offers a broad range of expert services from its site in Fordham. These include world-class drug surveillance laboratories for sports doping, bloodstock examination services used by the local horseracing and equestrian industry and forensic services used to assist the police in investigations. In addition bioanalytical services, material science and pharmaceutical analysis are all a part of its laboratory offering at Fordham. http://www.lgcgroup.com
Moving onto an altogether different sector, Lucy’s final visit of the day was to Barcham Trees, located between Ely and Soham. Barcham is Europe’s largest tree specialist suppling over 1 million trees to locations across the UK over the last 20 years. The company holds two Royal Warrants as suppliers of trees to HM The Queen and the Prince of Wales. It’s true to say that wherever you live in the UK you aren’t too far away from a Barcham Tree! Their trees line roads, housing estates, golf courses, out of town shopping centres and supermarkets as well as private gardens and estates nationwide. What’s more for years their trees were featured on the BBC’s gardening programme Groundforce where gardens were transformed by large specimen trees to create instant impact for an unsuspecting homeowner. Barcham now sell their trees online so everyone can benefit. https://www.barcham.co.uk
“The range and diversity of businesses in the East Cambridgeshire region is truly awe inspiring.” said Lucy, “It is such an interesting and fulfilling part of my job to meet the people behind these businesses and get to see what they do and also learn about any concerns they may have so that I can better represent them.”
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