Council launches Meath business set-up campaign

Meath County Council is bringing together individuals, businesses and students in a drive to attract new business into the county. Its 'Whatever your business…Make it Meath' campaign invites everybody in the county to promote the benefits of setting up a business in Meath among their friends and contacts throughout the world. Cathaoirleach, Cllr Niamh McGowan, said that Meath County Council had put together support programmes to assist the local community to attract new business to Meath. "With many of our emigrant citizens returning to Meath for Christmas, we are asking everybody to make sure that our visitors are invited to promote Meath as an ideal location to set up a new business or open a European office. "We have a comprehensive promotional brochure available from our offices or at any library in the county. It highlights the benefits of working and living in Meath and provides information on a number of individual towns in the county. For individuals or companies who wish to have the information posted to a contact abroad please contact us on 046- 909 7000 or email: edi@meathcoco.ie "Those who have businesses in the county are asked to promote Meath among their high level business contacts, especially those abroad. Indeed successful business people who are now retired may wish to support the campaign by sharing their international business contacts abroad. By working together we can attract new companies to the county and generate jobs," she said. Research by Meath County Council's Economic Development and Innovation Unit has identified that each and every member of the community has a wealth of contacts in Ireland and throughout the world. They include business executives either working in or from Meath who regularly travel overseas, solicitors and accountants with clients who may be in a position to invest in Meath, local clergy whose parishioners are now working abroad and local schools who can identify high profile former students who could help bring businesses to the county. Mr Frank Harrington, President, Navan Chamber of Commerce welcomed the initiative from Meath County Council and has urged all Chambers of Commerce in the county to come together to make sure that all their contacts receive the promotional brochure. "This united approach will bear fruits in terms of attracting industry and commerce to Meath. The support of all the Chambers of Commerce and the advice and assistance of the key state agencies in the county will make sure that directors and their families of those companies coming here have access to the best advice and assistance available in the county," he said. Mr Kevin Stewart said that if the county was to attract new business, then it's up to each and every one of us working and living here to get out there and sell the benefits. "These benefits include a high quality of life, access to quality education as well as excellent infrastructure, premier business locations, easy access to major towns and cities and a wealth of skills currently available in Meath. Our workforce has a wealth of skills in the majority of industry sectors and fluency in a wide variety of languages. "We are of the view that if you don't ask companies to consider Meath as a location, they won't. We need everybody working together to ask international business people to set up in Meath. And we have had a great response from every section of the community in Meath and we are confident that if we all promote Meath abroad, we will attract new business. We also have the support of the State agencies in the county to help companies to set up in Meath," he said. Meath County Council's Economic Development and Innovation brochure, 'Whatever your business… Make it Meath", showcases the economic case for locating a start up in Meath. It provides an overview of the county with an economic profile insert for seven key locations in the county. Further information and a copy of the brochure is available from www.meath.ie/business