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Mayor signals first Olympics business relocation

July 28, 2006

Newham's Mayor Sir Robin Wales yesterday (July 27) signalled the move of one of the first businesses being relocated as part of plans to deliver the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games
Exactly six years to the day until the start of the 2012 Games, the Mayor used a spanner to turn a special gold bolt on one of the main steel sections of the new Sortex premises being built at Gallions Reach in Beckton.

Sortex, who are world leaders in optical sorting machinery for the food processing industry, will relocate from Pudding Mill Lane, Stratford, where they have been since 1985, to the new site four miles away. The move is planned to be completed by June next year.

Sir Robin, a Board member of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, said: "Six years from now - to the day - we will be celebrating the opening of the London Games. One of the key tasks between now and then is the construction of the Olympic Park and the relocating of the businesses within it.

"Moving premises is one of the most complicated and risky operations that any business faces and as Mayor of Newham, I want to ensure this is done properly because the prosperity of local firms and the jobs they provide are crucial to the prosperity of the borough.

"Officers from the council have been actively engaged in helping the London Development Agency and businesses reach agreement about relocation. Sortex are the first to begin the process of moving and many more are in the pipeline.

"I am delighted Sortex are staying within Newham. They have once again shown to be ahead of the field and it is a great privilege to help get construction of their state-of-the-art facilities and modern headquarters officially under way."

The ceremony was attended by officials from Sortex, parent company Buhler, the LDA and contractors involved in the project.

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