12.09.03
Roofing company takes broadband Cornwall to new heights

A Cornish roofing company today marked a new high point for Cornwall's pioneering broadband project actnow.

Forrester Roofing, a firm of roofing contractors and suppliers based in St Austell, is the 2000th Cornish business to take delivery of high speed broadband.

The milestone has been achieved as actnow expands its operations to help even more businesses in Cornwall. Firms in Helston, Liskeard, Par, Wadebridge, Hayle and Devoran - towns which have all received broadband in the past few months - are now able to qualify for the full actnow accelerator programme. The programme offers a wide range of training and support, including substantial subsidies on broadband costs.

Forrester Roofing, established in 1980, is using high speed broadband at its offices in St Austell and Penzance and at three remote sites in Cornwall. The company used to rely on much slower dial-up internet access.

Ray Johnson, Forrester's managing director, said: "Although traditional values, such as skilled craftsmanship and competent market direction, remain at the core of the company's success, it is also vital we are at the forefront of technology - in particular to ensure a speedy and professional supply chain for our customers.

"Our express haulage system needs to deliver goods promptly to customers and sites throughout the south west and nationwide, even via ship to the Isles of Scilly, so it's of paramount importance that everything is communicated effectively with the best technology in place.

"With broadband it takes a fraction of the time to manage our system and we are always accessible to our customers. Downloading information is much faster. Supplier and research based information is available at our fingertips and so we are able to answer technical queries without delay.”

Forrester Roofing is a family firm with 60 employees, which has been involved in some of Cornwall's highest profile projects, such as the Tate Gallery in St Ives, the Lands End auditorium, Godolphin House, various National Trust properties as well as Tesco and Safeway supermarkets in many parts of the UK.

Nigel Ashcroft, actnow project director, said: "We would very much like to congratulate Forrester Roofing on helping us to achieve yet another important milestone in Cornwall's broadband revolution. The company is typical of the many forward-thinking firms in Cornwall, which are making such an important contribution to Cornwall's improving economy.

"actnow continues to go from strength to strength. A further important step forward has just been taken with the announcement that the actnow accelerator Programme is now available to businesses in six new areas of Cornwall, which only received broadband in the last few months. The programme offers rebates of up to 40 per cent on IT investment costs and intensive advice, training and support once a customer is signed up to broadband.”

BT, one of the actnow partners, today paid tribute to the 'determined and resourceful' manner in which the actnow project was being developed.
Pierre Danon, chief executive for BT Retail, said: "It is wonderful to see the way the actnow partnership is growing and making a big and lasting contribution to the prosperity of Cornwall. A tremendous amount of determination and resourcefulness has been shown by the partnership in turning this project into reality and then developing it beyond what anybody could have expected at the outset.”

Businesses wanting further information can contact actnow on 01209 722850 or go to the website www.actnowcornwall.co.uk

Editor's notes:

The actnow programme is a demand-led initiative to encourage businesses in Cornwall to gain the support they need to move into the new broadband economy.

Including about £5.25 million from Objective One, it is one of the largest private and public sector partnerships in Cornwall since Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly was granted Objective One status by the European Union in 2000.

Partners include BT, the Objective One Partnership Office, Cornwall Enterprise, the South West of England Regional Development Agency, Cornwall County Council, Business Link Devon & Cornwall and Cornwall College.

Kate Davies
Marketing Executive
Cornwall Enterprise
Pydar House, Pydar Street, Truro, TR1 1EA
Tel: 01872 322931
Fax: 01872 322919
Email: kate.davies@cornwallenterprise.co.uk

Jason Clark
Communications Adviser
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Tel: 01872 241379
Fax: 01872 241388
objectiveone@cornwall.gov.uk

back to top