A group of top businesspeople have launched a campaign to promote Wrexham as the commercial capital of North Wales.
Wrexham Business Professionals are aiming to persuade public and private sector organisations to look closer to home when awarding contracts and commissioning services.
They say firms in Wrexham have the skills, talent and abilities to provide top professional services without having go outside North East Wales.
The campaign has the backing of local AM Lesley Griffiths, who said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to support this important campaign to emphasise Wrexham’s credentials as the commercial capital of North Wales.
“As the largest town in North Wales, Wrexham is the region’s economic powerhouse and has a key strategic role in generating future prosperity and business opportunities.”
Ralph Robson, of Chartered Accountants T.A. Gittins and Co, is one of the organisers of the campaign.
He explained: “Wrexham Business Professionals is a group of professional firms of solicitors and accountants who collaborate on a non-competitive basis to promote the development of businesses, skills and employment opportunities for young professional people.
“We want to make it clear that Wrexham is the major commercial centre for North Wales and that we have and abundance of skills and expertise at the disposal of businesses, large and small.”
It was a point echoed by Simon Griffiths, a senior partner of Chartered Accountants Guy Walmsley and Co.
Mr Griffiths said: “We are one of the foremost accountancy firms in Wrexham and I feel that we should certainly be joining in with anything that is taking us forward as a professional group.
“There is a very good pool of expertise in Wrexham and we’re trying to focus the town as being where businesses can find first class expertise to help them develop and grow.”
Solicitor Peter Blakemore, from GHP Legal, added: “The group is trying to promote local professional businesses and encourage people to think locally and to promote the services available here for the greater good.
“Local knowledge a lot of the time can, not only help in smoothing things over, but saves money in the long run. You don’t have to go to Manchester or Liverpool for a good quality service.
“If you use a local professional you get the same level of expertise but at a more reasonable price with the added bonus of local knowledge.”
Gill Atkinson, a Director of Coxeys Chartered Accountants in Wrexham, is a founder member of the Group which started in 2009.
She said: “Together as a group, Wrexham Business Professionals represent thousands of businesses from North East Wales.
“We have a critical mass of accountancy and legal expertise and our aim is to promote Wrexham as the commercial capital of the region.
“We are harnessing our professional synergy so that we can provide the foundation for the development of skills to create a prosperous and sustainable future.”
