PD Ports’ CEO Frans Calje is to be part of a group of influential leaders in the Redcar | Cleveland community that are coming together in an ambitious project to tell the story of the borough to the world to attract jobs and investment.
On Friday, Mr Calje will be joined by more than 100 of the borough’s business leaders to launch a place marketing new campaign to sell the positive attributes of Redcar | Cleveland locally, nationally and internationally.
A call-to-action for local businesses, the new campaign will see the partners telling the story of Redcar | Cleveland, its proud past and positive future – a confident and inspiring story of a region’s industrial heritage and a forward looking vision of the future.
Delivering a consistent message about Redcar | Cleveland, regardless of which organisation is speaking, will help create a strong self-image about the borough’s strengths in an ever-changing world.
Backed up by a bold, new visual identity, the long-term project will position Redcar | Cleveland as a great place to work, live, play and study.
With a united message being expressed by different partners and identifiable branding being seen all over the borough, businesses will know what makes Redcar | Cleveland special and what it has to offer.
Initial projects will include the launch of a new website, featuring business investment advice and opportunities as well as details of events and leisure attractions throughout the borough, and the creation of an Ambassador scheme.
Made up businesses of all sizes and influential individuals, the new Redcar | Cleveland Ambassadors will act as a sales force for the borough. Actively promoting Redcar | Cleveland to developers, investors and visitors, the Ambassadors will use their contacts and know-how raise the borough’s profile locally and nationally.
Frans Calje, Chair of the Redcar | Cleveland Place board, said: “Our story explains what Redcar | Cleveland has to offer, captures the essence of the area and will be what puts us on the map for all the right reasons. It asserts that we are proud of our past, but ambitious with our future. We have many strengths to build on and can move forward with confidence, raising the bar in everything we do.”
Councillor Sue Jeffrey, Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council said: “As a council we have been championing our cause but by working with local business partners, we can really give our borough the reputation it deserves.
“We’ve been working on this since April 2017, laying the ground work of this ambitious project, building partnerships and developing our story. It reflects the development of the wider Tees Valley and the work so many people are doing to talk up our part of the world.
“We know we have great assets here; fantastic, hard-working people, renowned businesses, exciting start-ups, industrial estates, business parks, a well-connected highway system and easy access to a huge port. All things any business would want to take advantage of and now we have a plan in place to sell this fantastic offer.
“As a council we have just approved the ‘Our Flourishing Future’ plan to bring tens of millions of pounds of new investment, jobs and homes to the borough. We’re confident the new place marketing campaign will play a major part in the delivery of our ambitious plans for the future.”
The launch event, to be held at PD Ports on Friday 4 May, 8 – 9.30am, will be hosted by former Gazette editor Chris Styles and includes presentations from Councillor Sue Jeffrey, Amanda Skelton CBE, Chief Executive of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, Peter Jones, ICL External Affairs Manager, Sharon Thomas, Director of New Homes and Delivery at Thirteen Group, Anju Sanehi, Director of Policy and Regeneration at MGT Teesside, Ruairidh Taylor, Hotel Manager at Guisborough Hall, Frans Calje and Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council Place Marketing Manager Richard Baker.
The new place marketing project is an SSI Task Force Legacy project.
