A millionaire businessman is planning to create an alternative consortium to
bid for Rover, it emerged today.
John Hemming, a West Midlands-based e-commerce and computing entrepreneur,
wants to compete with venture capital firm Alchemy Partners.
Mr Hemming acknowledged that securing an alternative package would be
difficult, but SAID creating the new consortium would give a better deal for
the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands.
"We are going through what figures we can and I am very interested in
creating an alternative bid," he said.
"But we recognise that Alchemy has such a lead that it will be extremely
difficult to get anything together. I don't want to raise expectations.
"It's early days. Normally, you wouldn't do any publicity at this stage but
I'm hoping for other people to come in on this. We've only got six weeks.
"At the very least we need a nucleus of people in touch with each other able
to move fast should the Alchemy thing fall to pieces."
Mr Hemming, who is also a Liberal Democrat member of Birmingham City Council,
said the region had the relevant technical, managerial and entrepreneurial
expertise to create a viable bid.
He said he planned to register his interest with BMW in the next few days.
He had also spoken to Birmingham Northfield MP Richard Burden and development
agency Advantage West Midlands about a possible package, he added.
Léon
Triumph Sports Six Club
International Liaison Secretary
1963 Triumph Vitesse 2-Litre Convertible
Wimbledon, London, England.
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