Ceremony Celebrates Official Naming of CPI’s Coxon Building
09 Aug 2018
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) has officially named a building that will drive forward cutting-edge work across the consumer and healthcare sectors.
The Coxon Building, based at NETPark, in Sedgefield, County Durham, was unveiled by former CPI board chairman Bob Coxon OBE in a special ceremony.
Already home to state-of-the-art formulation facilities, used to create multi-component and multi-phase products across the healthcare, food and drink and personal care markets, the building will soon feature a healthcare photonics base, due to open in the Autumn of 2018, which will strengthen CPI’s position in the Med-Tech sector.
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Mr Coxon played a crucial role in CPI’s inception, overseeing the creation of a process centre of excellence during his time at regional development agency One NorthEast as pre-incorporation board chairman.
He then became chairman of CPI’s board and, alongside CEO Nigel Perry MBE FREng and PA and Office Manager Val Briggs, was present for the organisation’s first day of trading on April 1 2004.
Describing the plaque unveiling as an “honour”, Mr Coxon, whose CPI board tenure ran until 2017, spoke with pride about the organisation’s many industry successes.
Joined on the day by wife Gillian and his children and grandchildren, Mr Coxon said: “What a journey we have had.
![Bob Coxon unveils the wall plaque during CPI's naming ceremony Bob Coxon unveils the wall plaque during CPI's naming ceremony](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-bob-plaque.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218681&s=c8ec1853afce9873532ee984ea7a3b39 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-bob-plaque.jpg?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218681&s=cb01c66785ea3d01d0acc641349c1884 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-bob-plaque.jpg?w=2240&h=1260&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218681&s=da397050f3f10bd17e2e81a1764c668b 2240w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-bob-plaque.jpg?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218681&s=940506f760385c1674f0076e860bf2a1 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-bob-plaque.jpg?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218681&s=153f209be0f8a91df498af127c835894 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-bob-plaque.jpg?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218681&s=f6f10479f8f8109c74f621d796732d87 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-bob-plaque.jpg?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218681&s=77d201d43d578ba35d37a070654eabd7 960w)
“When I look back and see what we have today, I see the North-East has been transformed.
“That is thanks to the people who had the vision to make it happen.
![Bob Coxon, right, with CPI CEO Nigel Perry, and PA and Office Manager Val Briggs Bob Coxon, right, with CPI CEO Nigel Perry, and PA and Office Manager Val Briggs](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-nigel-val-bob.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218646&s=99ba3415f3df3b159af8349e32ab9e41 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-nigel-val-bob.jpg?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218646&s=eb87955813f80bf9c92c489d6a46a62a 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-nigel-val-bob.jpg?w=2240&h=1260&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218646&s=2408e711345bcd870cb18a695acba78a 2240w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-nigel-val-bob.jpg?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218646&s=d6eea635670fbdb82befb6da5dbae562 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-nigel-val-bob.jpg?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218646&s=25a19d549b7d6a9dbdea6085146f0549 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-nigel-val-bob.jpg?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218646&s=344dc93963d8a279d0904c49d3c5e86e 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/coxon-nigel-val-bob.jpg?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559218646&s=0b4c33d3bad144ed28dc55c7af330784 960w)
“A lot of people can take enormous credit for the name on the wall in this building, and I want to pay particular credit to Nigel and Val.
“I remember the first day we walked into the office, when it was just the three of us, and saying at the time ‘let’s give it a go’.
“Look at CPI now,” added Mr Coxon, who took part in a tour of CPI’s facilities alongside other guests.
Addressing staff and invited dignitaries, which included former One NorthEast senior figures and representatives from the North-East England Chamber of Commerce and North-East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC), Mr Perry praised Mr Coxon’s strong influence on CPI’s progress.
He said: “From a starting grant of £800,000 from One NorthEast in 2004, four Prime Ministers, five Business Secretaries, two Labour Governments, a Coalition, two Conservative Governments, and six General Elections, CPI has gone from strength-to-strength.
“And Bob has been at the tiller all the while.”
Mr Perry also reflected on CPI’s achievements since its foundation, which include delivering almost 1,100 projects, totalling more than £415m, and almost 4,000 SME engagements across the UK, Europe and the world.
CPI has also conducted in excess of 800 national and international academic engagements, and, since 2012, delivered more than 1,800 business support activities with private sector clients, helping to generate £2bn of additional GDP.
The Coxon Building’s healthcare photonics centre will help companies turn light-based technologies into commercially-viable Med-Tech products, supporting about 50 highly-skilled jobs in the process.
Using light to diagnose and treat medical conditions and illnesses, healthcare photonics is a rapidly growing area globally as demand for non-invasive, cost-effective and personalised treatments rises. Applications include non-contact cancer diagnostics, endoscopic imaging and a variety of laser-based treatments.
The facility is supported by an £8.3m grant from the Local Growth Fund, through the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership, and is being built by Newcastle-based Surgo Construction, with support from Durham City architect Howarth Litchfield.
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