Eddie Stobart announced as 100th Northern Powerhouse partner

Eddie Stobart has become the 100th partner of the Northern Powerhouse, which will see it work to boost skills, innovation and business in the North of England.

The haulier has a special livery to mark its partnership with the Northern Powerhouse, making it the first partner business to carry the campaign's new branding.

Eddie Stobart's HQ in Appleton, Warrington, was visited by minister for the Northern Powerhouse Jake Berry to mark the occasion.

Berry was given a tour of the site, including Stobart's training academy, which recently opened its doors to the whole haulage sector.

He said: "As a big employer in the Warrington area, I was deeply impressed with their focus on skills training for their next generation of employees and the way they share best practice standards across their industry.

“They are the first of our partners to carry our new Northern Powerhouse campaign branding and I look forward to seeing the message of the government’s commitment to moving the Northern Powerhouse from a vision into reality driven forward on one of Eddie Stobart’s iconic lorries.”

Eddie Stobart CEO Alex Laffey added the haulier was "extremely proud of its Northern roots".

He said: "We're honoured to be supporting diverse business growth right across the North. As we head into 2018, we will be continuing to support the local economy through investing in skills and bringing new people into our industry.”

Pictured: L to R: Alex Laffey, CEO at Eddie Stobart; Nathan Blake, IT apprentice at Eddie Stobart; Ryan Brown, IT apprentice at Eddie Stobart; Jake Berry, minister for the Northern Powerhouse.