A group of Suffolk business leaders who have accepted the challenge of encouraging more inward investement in the county have been given a behind-the-scenes tour of the Port of Ipswich.

Their visit marked the second in a series of Showcasting Suffolk’s Assets events being held for supporters of the Suffolk Business Ambassadors programme, launched by Suffolk County Council two years ago.

The initiative has attracted more than 100 high-profile business leaders and professionals, with more than a dozen of them accepting the invitation to explore Associated British Ports’ operations in Ipswich.

The idea behind the Showcasing Suffolk’s assets events is to give the ambassadors in-depth insight into the county’s key industries, to allow them to represent Suffolk more effectively to outside companies thinking of locating or re-locating here.

John Dugmore, chief executive of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce and a Suffolk Business Ambassador himself, said: “Thanks to Associated British Ports we had a first-hand opportunity to better appreciate the sheer scale and complexity of the operations here at the Port of Ipswich.

“I’m sure that like me everyone who took the time to join the tour will be both impressed by the Port’s contribution to the Suffolk and the country’s economy and will be well-placed to talk about this key part of the Suffolk success story.”

Andrew Harston, ABP Short Sea Ports director, said “In the week that the Port of Ipswich was confirmed by the Department for Transport as the UK number one port for agricultural exports once again, we were delighted to showcase Ipswich and explain the complimentary role our port plays to the Port of Felixstowe.

“Whilst Felixstowe is the UK’s leading container port, Ipswich provides a vital role for the agricultural, construction, forest products and recycling business sectors in Suffolk with Associated British Ports investing £12m in the last three years on new warehouses, equipment and sustainable electricity generation at Ipswich.”