Local businessmen Robert Ford has recently been appointed as the new Chairman for Barnstaple & District Chamber of Commerce. Telecommunications supplier Rob has said to be delighted to have been asked to fill the position and accepted the offer with great intensions. Managing Director of Zero 7 based in Roundswell, Rob said “I am keen to promote better trade for better traders and to develop a forum for the relationships of the traders and companies, as well as creating a single voice of representation” referring to his own business Rob said “Zero 7 was established to assist all businesses with their communication requirements, with an emphasis on cellular technology.  The name Zero 7 comes from the 07 prefix to all mobile phones in the UK.  The company is based in the South West, with clients stretching across the mainland and overseas, so there are no constraints or limitations upon our potential clients. Zero 7 prides itself on being completely independent, offering you the choice from all the major five networks; 02, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange and Three for your cellular communication” 

North Devon’s Operations Manager for Stagecoach, Tony Simmons accepted the position of Vice-president to support Rob Ford with many projects and events the committee are involved with; Tony has resided in Barnstaple for nearly 2 years after accepting an offer from Stagecoach. Referring to the objectives within the stagecoach group Tony said “Stagecoach is one of the largest bus operators in the UK and is playing a leading role in driving passenger growth on public transport across the country. Stagecoach in Devon carries over 21 million passengers a year and operates over 13 million miles, with nearly 800 employees and an operating fleet of 300 vehicles.  Stagecoach Devon started operating services in North Devon in September 2006. At that time we employed 15 members of staff and operated 6 vehicles. Since then we have been successful in being awarded several tenders to operate services on behalf of Devon County Council. Along with these services we have introduced several commercial services to operate in and around the Barnstaple area. We currently employ nearly 100 members of staff and operate 30 + vehicles, on routes to Barnstaple from Bideford, Georgeham, Hartland, Bude, and Shebbear. We also operate the Barnstaple local town services. We feel it is important for a large company such as Stagecoach to become part of the local community and work in conjunction with various local groups and organisations. We are very proud to be able to be associated with The North Devon Theatres and the North Devon Festival and are currently one of their main sponsors for the festival. We also work closely with Barnstaple Town Centre Management on various events including being the Main Sponsor for Christmas in Barnstaple”

Local Business owner Sam Richards has stood on the Chamber Committee for a considerable length of time, helping to encourage thriving relationships between consumer and businessmen,  referring to his own business Sam said “ Based in the heart of Barnstaple, Juice was formed in 2003 to fill a niche in the marketplace. We deliver creative marketing solutions to clients in a cost effective way. We listen to clients, establishing both theirs and their customers' needs before pro-actively addressing objectives. Juice makes your budget go further. No retainer or media buying fees, a free marketing appraisal and consultation service, we even create free 'pitch' visuals. Above all else, we offer an exceptionally high degree of creativity.

Juice probably work with more North Devon businesses than any other agency, clients include; Atlantic Village, Edgehill College, Banburys, Barnstaple Town Centre Management, Padfields, Slee Blackwell Solicitors, Smallridge Florists, Pearce Homes, J Cowling Estate Agents and Zero 7 to name a few"

Local businessman Philip Byers stands with others on the Executive Chamber Committee, to show his support for the effects made to improve the relationship between the retailers and businesses of the town. Philip is a partner at RGP Architects and recognizes the importance of the Chamber.

Steve has been a dependable member of the executive committee for some time now, continually supporting the chambers and encouraging better relationships between local businesses.  

Marion stands on the Executive members Committee to voice hers and other businesses objectives within Barnstaple.

Local businessman Mark Roome continues to support Barnstaple's growing population of local businessman and woman and stand on the committee to ensure the relationships between these businesses continues to strengthen.

Craig maintains his position within the committee to provide local traders with a great deal of support, while encouraging relationships that promote the region.

Julie, the most recent member to stand up to the committee continues to encourage better working relationship for the region and increase prosperity for the Chamber's members

Atlas Packaging is a British Standard ISO9001:2000 registered business operating out of the South West of England and 2008 is our 25th year in business. Based in Barnstaple we occupy one of the most modern production facilities in the UK.  Atlas Packaging also has offices in Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset and field a very experienced sales team who can assist with all types of packaging enquiries. We specialise in creative design and were proud winners of two Starpack awards in 2007. The design team always endeavour to incorporate recycled materials wherever and whenever appropriate, they also possess a large portfolio of designs that include Point-Of-Sale, SRP and other innovative creations, with the aid of our talented graphic design team we can also provide our clients with full colour mock-up cartons. The Atlas production facility contains a vast array of modern machinery and can manufacture regular containers, die-cut cartons, multi-point glued cartons and Retail Ready Packaging cost effectively. Our professional Customer Care Team is on hand to provide competitive quotations or to assist with any packaging related enquiries you may have. We operate our own fleet of delivery vehicles and can deliver anywhere in the UK or Europe; our client list is extensive and covers most industries including Furniture, Food, Pharmaceutical, Horticultural, Design Agencies, Engineering and even On-Line  traders.

We would welcome your enquiry and look forward to your call"

Richard has stood the committee with the simple objective - to promote better trade for better traders, to help encourage businesses to work together and to support better relationships better local businesses.

when talking about his own business commitments Richard said "Obsidian is a nationally accredited Business to Business training company based in North Devon.We specialise in providing training and development solutions that meet the requirements of our customers in the areas of Team Leading, Management, Leadership, Equal opportunities and Diversity, Talent Development and Customer Service. Through our partnership with Academy of Training we are able to access Train to Gain and other funding opportunities.Training can be delivered as recognised qualifications (e.g. NVQ); in-house qualifications (accredited by an awarding body e.g. ILM); customised, i.e. an existing programme tailored to the business needs; bespoke, i.e.  a programme wholly designed for the business. In addition to training we offer management coaching, mentoring, 360 feedback and development of performance management systems.

We recognise that training is an investment in the business and as such needs to be carefully planned, delivered and evaluated against set objectives."