Bob Baggalley, chief executive of the Colchester Business Enterprise Agency (Colbea), is to retire this month after 18 years in the role.
Mr Baggalley has overseen Colbea during a period of sustained growth, from a turnover of £83,000 and a staff of three to current annual revenue totalling £590,000 and a workforce of 11.
Developments have also included the introduction of several innovative new business support services and the construction of the purpose-built North Colchester Business Centre which provides homes for 27 businesses.
Mr Baggalley joined Colbea in 1999 after leaving Anglia Crown, a catering company of which he was a founding director in 1993.
Before that, he spend 20 years working in the NHS, rising to the position of senior manager with a multimillion pound budget and a directorate staff of more than 200.
During the years of competitive tendering for NHS ancillary services he was a leading member of the in-house team that won a £10m five-year catering contract from the North East Essex NHS Trusts, in competition with three major national catering companies.
The new business soon became recognised as one of the foremost providers of meal solutions within the UK hospital sector, eventually leading to the creation of Anglia Crown.
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