Mayor’s visit highlights cutting-edge businesses in Chatteris

Mayor’s visit highlights cutting-edge businesses in Chatteris

From space exploration components and cutting-edge drone technology, to pioneering advancements in fresh food supply chains, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Paul Bristow’s visit to Chatteris told a story of leading innovation in the middle of the Fens. The Mayor met with business leaders at Eco-Pak, Aerotron Composites Ltd and Advanced Precision Technologies –  companies not only creating growth and supporting jobs locally, but having impact across the UK and even globally.   

The visits form part of the Mayor and Combined Authority’s commitment to supporting local businesses to drive economic growth, in the bid to meet the Local Growth Plan (LGP) ambition to triple the region’s economy by 2050. 

Eco-Pak specialises in packing and storing tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, providing local employment and creating opportunities for other local businesses through its supply chains.  

With a focus in the aerospace and defence markets, Aerotron Composites engineers, manufactures and repairs composite and metallic components. It serves aircraft, helicopters and drones, providing everything from bespoke tooling to the manufacturing of single piece parts. It’s relocation to Chatteris was supported with funding from the Combined Authority, supporting the company’s growth.  

Founded by an F1 engineer, Advanced Precision Technologies specialises in manufacturing precision components for a wide range of industries such as space exploration, medical, aerospace and motorsport.  

The Mayor’s visit to these companies highlighted how innovation-led enterprise and growth is happening everywhere across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, which in turn are creating local jobs and strengthening the region’s status as a place to invest and do business.  

With an appetite for growth and a network of distinctive, historic market towns supporting a variety of industries, Fenland has a lot to offer as a place to invest.  

In the Combined Authority’s recently published LGP, The Fens Growth Triangle Opportunity Zone has been identified as a way to boost promising sectors such as agri-food and tech, advanced manufacturing and materials and life sciences. With strong foundations already in these sectors, further investment would create fresh opportunities to bring in more business investment, boost productivity and open up new job opportunities for local people. 

However, realising this potential requires tackling low skill levels and better connecting the Fens to the wider region. 

The Combined Authority is investing in and making the case for the transport links that will unlock that potential, while working closely with local employers and education and training providers to drive better education and job opportunity. 

The Combined Authority’s Growth Hub has also been praised for the support it has offered these and other businesses in the area. 

Paul Bristow said: “It’s always great to get out and meet with the businesses driving growth in our region. I have seen first-hand during my visit to Chatteris just how much opportunity there is in this area. It’s my job to help attract more businesses, create jobs and deliver economic growth that benefits local people.”