Why the Midlands is Built for Bus...
Why the Midlands is Built for Business
Summed Up by PKF Smith Cooper
S1 · E2
Jul 13, 2026
41:18
Episode notes

In this episode of Summed Up podcast, we sat down with two leading voices from the Midlands business community, Gavin West, VAT & Indirect Taxes Partner at PKF Smith Cooper, and Rick Blackmore, Director of Policy and Insight at East Midlands Chamber, for a candid conversation about the realities, challenges and opportunities of doing business in the region today.

Timings:

  • [00:00:00] Introduction and overview of the Midlands
  • [00:00:24] Guest introductions and how they support Midlands businesses
  • [00:02:35] What makes the Midlands unique as a business region
  • [00:05:43] Key strengths and competitive advantages of Midlands businesses
  • [00:08:39] Biggest challenges facing organisations in the current economy
  • [00:11:25] Impact of rising costs, employment trends and AI adoption
  • [ ... 
Keywords
leadership
business
accounting
culture
professional services
Midlands
Tax
What place this episode is about