Business people join celebration
Business people from across Uckfield gathered to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Abtec Communications.
The telecommunications company funded a networking event at Luna restaurant and opened their own High Street offices over two days for demonstrations of the latest communications technology.
Owners Anthony and Louise Beard, pictured above, were delighted that over 130 business owners attended the party where guests were encouraged to support a Buy Local B2B - business to business - campaign. ‘It was a great success. I think we should make it an annual event,' said Louise.
Her husband Anthony started Abtec Communications in 1999 with just a rusty van to his name. Now the business turns over nearly £2 million a year and employs 14 local people.
Anthony's father Dennis, who travelled from Spain for the anniversary, said he was proud to celebrate his son's achievement.
Uckfield Mayor Louise Eastwood was at the party, on Tuesday, March 10, 2009, and so were representatives of Sussex Enterprise, Business Link and Uckfield Chamber of Commerce.
Cllr Eastwood said it was a major event for the town and region and she was pleased to offer her support for the Buy Local campaign.
Louise, from Abtec, said: "This event has established huge interest in keeping business local, I am now in the process of launching a networking website to encourage growth and stability in our local economy.
She added "There are huge social, environmental and economic benefits in sourcing our goods and services from local suppliers, thus keeping our money in our region.
‘We try where we can to buy locally ourselves and encourage other businesses to do more to tell others about what goods and services they provide, so everyone is aware of just what can be bought from within the immediate area. This is exactly the information that will be on the new buylocalb2b website.'
(Added to site Tuesday, March 10th, 2009)
