Dreaming big

Speculation that an almost unfathomably large gigafactory would be built in our region has been rife ever since I began my journey as editor of South West Business Insider. Sure, details were always opaque – but the hope was there. This multibillion-pound, multimillion sq ft plant had the potential to be a huge shot in the arm for the regional economy.

Now, with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) owner Tata Sons’ July confirmation that a £4bn electric car battery plant would indeed be coming to the UK, the dream has finally become a reality. What’s more, while not official (as Insider went to press), it’s almost certain that it will be built right here in region, at Bridgwater’s 616-acre Gravity smart campus.

It’s certainly an exciting prospect: one of the UK’s biggest industrial buildings and largest real estate deals. It’s a massive play for our region’s green energy and tech credentials. There’s even talk of some 9,000 jobs being created. That’s one heck of a project for the county of Somerset, if and when it gets confirmed. Add it to the current work at Hinkley Point C and you can see why there’s a lot of buzz around Somerset, as you’ll read in our regional review (see page 39).

Away from the anticipation of a gigafactory mega-project, I had the privilege of speaking with a senior leader at one of our region’s mega-companies – Fiona Eastwood, of Merlin Entertainments – for our cover story and Business Leader of the Month series (page 6). Global theme park operator Merlin is a jewel in the crown of Dorset business and has ridden the ups and downs of Covid and life thereafter, as you’ll discover.

There’s so much more to enjoy in this issue, too. Our ESG Champions feature profiles 20 businesses doing great things in environmental, social and governance (ESG) practice (page 20), while our Growth 100 list showcases that even in these tough economic times, businesses continue to find ways to expand (page 23).

Then there’s our Steps to Success interview with Paul Kilbride of Troy which highlights the making of a £300m business (page 32). We have some great advice on refinancing (page 12) and international tax (page 29), as well as an analysis of the leisure and tourism sectors in our region (page 37). A great summer holiday read all round.

Chris Ward, editor
@ChrisWinsider