We were very proud to see our own Anthony Chaffey featured in Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet as part of a wider piece about the future of Longbridge to mark 10 years since the demise of MG Rover.
Svenska Dagbladet, described to us as “the equivalent of The Guardian in Sweden”, recently ran an in-depth piece on Longbridge to outline how the area is recovering since major manufacturer and local employer, Rover, closed its doors.
Reporter Charlotta Buxton came to Longbridge to interview Anthony and see how we, as a relatively young, progressive, technology-based company, are thriving here.
You can see the full piece on the Svenska Dagbladet website or read a rough translation of the published Ballyhoo interview as follows (courtesy of Google Translate, so please forgive the disjointed English!):
Bright future for technology industry
Opposite the Polytechnic in Longbridge stands two anonymous brick buildings. When you step into the dark hall in Longbridge Innovation Centre, it is difficult to miss the video that plays in a loop above the reception desk, a colorful animation of how the city will look like when construction is finished.
This works web design firm Ballyhoo opened one of the UK’s first so-called Device Labs. Here tested apps and programs in various electronic devices. In a cheery yellow room is a series of old mobile phones and tablets that can be used by developers who want to make sure that their program also works in older models.
Ballyhoo was founded by 32-year-old Anthony Chaffey and his wife Alison. They started at home in his home six years ago and has grown rapidly. Now employs six people and has moved to a larger office in Longbridge. Chaffey grew up near the city and remember when the old plant was shut down.
– Several of my classmates have fathers who worked at Longbridge. I remember that many of them came to the school and were worried because their parents would lose their jobs.
Anthony Chaffey have chosen one of the industries in the UK that looks to have a bright future. The technology industry has grown fastest of all sectors in the UK over the last ten years. There are now 250 000 technology companies in the country and the UK exports more IT services than any other G7 countries.
– They promised us even faster access in the coming months, which means we can start competing with Birmingham’s city center when it comes to connection speed, says Anthony Chaffey.
Right now Ballyhoo on hiring a programmer to. It has proven to be something of a headache. According to Chaffey, there are not enough people with the right kind of knowledge.
– We are looking for someone with good programming skills, unfortunately, I think probably not, we can find that person in Longbridge. At the Polytechnic, they may not have the knowledge we need.
