Pictured above: (l-r)  Chris Else (Partner, Else Solicitors, who sponsored the event), Jerry Blackett (Executive, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group), Andrew Gentles (President, Burton and District Chamber of Commerce), Axel Wittenburg (Managing Director, Leoni Wiring) and Dave Bryon, (Burton Chamber Divisional Director)

Burton Chamber's merger with Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group (BCCG) is the beginning of the future, a re-launch breakfast was told at Branston Golf and Country Club. 

President Andrew Gentles said: "The merger is designed to create value for money for the membership and we saw a very natural bedfellow in Birmingham. 

"We have got to patch into the team of professionals at Birmingham - today is the beginning of the future. We are seeing this is a very positive move.

"By going in with Birmingham, we are going to serve local industry better but we will still have a Burton focus and identity. We are going to be the voice of the Burton and district business community - this is the start of the future."

Jerry Blackett, Chief Executive of the BCCG, told the 100-plus audience: "The A38 provides a natural link between Burton and Birmingham and it became obvious that the Chamber here should be part of the Group while retaining local identity. 

"We have ended up with a cracking business grouping if five Chambers of Commerce (Burton and District, Lichfield and Tamworth, Chase, Solihull and Birmingham) all drawing on Birmingham Chamber's central services. Also part of the Group are the Institute of Asian Businesses, the Chamber Executive Club and the British American Business Council. 

"The BCCG has an unrivalled position and we have pledged to create a great environment in which to so business. We are also proud that our Local Enterprise Partnership proposal mirrors the Chamber network in this area. It is a blueprint for delivering economic success and we hope the government will give us the nod.

"Burton and District Chamber is right at the forefront of our activities and we have sent a message to other business organisations in the region about getting together to promote business."

Andrew Griffiths, MP for Burton and Uttoxeter, told the gathering that LEPs will have a "great opportunity to be reactive to local needs. And they have to be business-driven."

Axel Wittenburg, Managing Director of Leoni Wiriing UK Ltd, based in Burton, outlined the benefits of Chamber membership to his business. He said: "Ten days after I started my job on April 1, 2005, MG Rover went bust and we immediately lost 20 per cent of our business.

"The very existence of our business in the UK was at stake but we received excellent support from the Chamber of Commerce in Birmingham. They helped us re-organised our engineering processes and set up close contacts with the universities in the region which proved invaluable."