Mayor of Dudley visits Insurance Protector

Mayor of Dudley visits first businesses to launch at new DY5 Business and Innovation Enterprise Zone in Brierley Hill

THE Mayor of Dudley ‘cut the ribbon’ at a launch bash celebrating the first business to relocate to the borough’s new Enterprize Zone.

Councillor Mohammed Hanif visited the new premises of Insurance Protector Group as they launched their new office space in Quay House at The Waterfront, Brierley Hill, yesterday (Tuesday April 11).

IPG, one of the country’s leading insurance brokers, was the first business to move into the new DY5 Business and Innovation Enterprise Zone.

The firm, which has taken on an open plan 8,000sq ft open plan office at the waterside complex, employs 27 people but has ambitious plans to more than treble its workforce in the next five years.

Councillor Mohammed Hanif, the Mayor of Dudley, praised the work IPG is doing to “help get young people into work” by providing apprenticeships and he added: “I wish the business and all the staff the very best moving forward.”

Bhabinder Kumar, head of retail at IPG, said: “Being part of DY5 has given us the confidence and opportunity to expand and we’re very keen to drive forward our business and create new employment opportunities, including those for young people. “Providing apprenticeships is a big part of what we do.

“We believe it’s really important to give young people the opportunity to learn the business from the ground up and gain vast amounts of experience and knowledge that will give them a good grounding as they move forward in their career.”

Dudley Council, the Black Country LEP and West Midlands Combined Authority were given the green light earlier this year to launch DY5 – Dudley’s Business and Innovation Enterprise Zone – at The Waterfront.

As a DY5 tenant, IPG will benefit from up to £55,000 business rate relief for five years.