“BACK in the summer of 1984, myself and 14 local men came together with a shared vision of improving the Larne area through job creation and supporting business enterprise and just one year later, what we now know as LEDCOM was officially established. I’m exceptionally proud to say that 40 years on from our initial goal, LEDCOM has not only achieved this but has had a profound impact on the local economy in Larne and further afield.”
These are the words of Arthur Henderson, a member of LEDCOM’s first voluntary Board of Directors, speaking about the local business enterprise centre’s 40thanniversary celebrations hosted last week (Friday 30th May).
With a drive to become a centre of excellence, LEDCOM’s Board of Directors officially opened the Bank Road premises in Larne in September 1987, with a view of providing a home for small and start-up businesses backed by on site business support services. Shortly after opening, Bank Road housed a total of 14 businesses employing 38 people, which grew to 27 businesses in 1988.
Over the next 20 years, LEDCOM, with a blend of managed workspace and a suite of business support services, played a key role in creating 500 businesses spanning almost all sectors of the economy and delivered approximately 5,000 individual mentoring sessions, acting as a catalyst for local economic development, something which has greatly evolved up until presently.
“We achieved a great deal in the early days, and it has been a privilege to see it grow to become the supportive centre that it is today – helping to promote and encourage local businesses, bolstering the economy in turn – which is exactly what we set out to achieve 40 years ago,” Arthur added.
Fast forward to more recent times, LEDCOM’s momentum has not wavered. The enterprise expanded its footprint in the South and East Antrim area by offering 100,000 square feet of lettable space across four properties – Bank Road Business Park and Willowbank Business Park in Larne, alongside Foundry House and the Work Cube in Ballyclare – providing additional trading spaces and mentoring opportunities for businesses in the vicinity via a number of programmes.
Furthermore, according to recent research from Queen’s University, Belfast, LEDCOM has helped to establish in excess of 2,400 new businesses and social enterprises since its inception, resulting in the creation of approximately 3,650 new jobs with a financial impact of around £119 million over the last four decades. Almost 17,000 business mentoring and planning sessions have also been delivered by LEDCOM’s dedicated team of staff and associates.
LEDCOM’s ongoing success is reflective of the ambitions set out in the Northern Ireland Programme for Government, agreed by the Executive earlier this year, which places a firm emphasis on building a globally competitive and sustainable economy, supporting local entrepreneurship and creating more regional prosperity.
With 40 years proven track record as a local enterprise agency and as a sustainable social enterprise, LEDCOM is ideally placed to deliver on the Economy Minister’s Sub-Regional Economic Plan for the Larne and Ballyclare areas. As a key member of the Larne Community Wealth Building Partnership, LEDCOM is at the forefront of community wealth building planning.
One local business that demonstrates the value of LEDCOM’s support is Raptor Photonics, which having started at the Bank Road site in 2006, expanded to Willowbank Business Park in2010, providing low light level camera solutions to industrial, research and governmental organisations around the globe.
“Over the last 19 years, our company has grown from employing four people to a thriving business with 30 members of staff, servicing global clients. LEDCOM has played a key role in our success through offering a state-of-the-art office space, alongside training and support throughout all phases of our business expansion,” explained Liam Mulholland, COO.
“Perhaps equally important is that we have been able to scale at pace whilst remaining in Larne, which proves that you don’t necessarily need to be located in a city in order to grow a successful global business – we’ve found the talent, support and infrastructure right here on our doorstep, which is essential to ensure that a rural economy can prosper.”
Occupancy levels at all four of LEDCOM’s premises continue to perform well with 81 tenants employing 350 staff and according to Ken Nelson MBE, LEDCOM Chief Executive, the enterprise aims to remain a steadfast support for the local business community well into the future.
“It’s very clear to see the valuable impact that LEDCOM has made on the locality – both in Larne and in Ballyclare. Our passion is to inspire and to provide a launchpad for entrepreneurs in the area, and we are very pleased to have created a business community where our tenants and those who complete our training programmes, are supported at every stage of their journey.
“LEDCOM will remain a champion of business and the rural economy well into the future. I’m looking forward to seeing what the team and our local entrepreneurs can achieve over the next 40 years!”
For more information on LEDCOM’s services, visit the website: www.ledcom.org.