Jenny Stockman – Framlingham Business Association

Jenny was born and raised in Suffolk and is a considered fan of the county, enjoying not only the beautiful countryside, but also the encouraging progress being made by people equally passionate about the place who have an understanding that behind quiet rural life has to be a sustainable business community.

Education was geared towards art and craft as the subjects came easily to someone brought up making and doing all the time. But a year into a college general art and design foundation course brought about the realization that it was much more rewarding learning skills in actual employment where criticism is objectively based on needs rather than subjective opinion. Hence the current interest in promoting the plethora of apprenticeships becoming available.

A Saturday job making industrial and architectural models turned into fulltime employment for 18 years which saw the job change from hands on craft based skills to using machinery to acheive the accuracy required, CNC and rapid prototyping such as Stereolithography.

Then a change in direction with a research project for Business Link on the “virtual” support of entrepreneurs followed by an opportunity to take on a PR/marketing/ambassador role for Framlingham Technology Centre. The Centre was conceived and brought to fruition by husband, Tony Stockman, in 2001 so it was only natural that Jenny should be a part of its life once more.

Jenny is currently co-ordinator of Suffolk Business Hub and Business Development manager/ ambassador for The Technology Centre in Framlingham. Also a director of NGA Connect Ltd, a new company built from a consortium of individuals who all work within the Technology Centre committed to delivering solutions that bring superfast broadband, mainly over fibre, to rural communities. That’s the story so far but by no means the end of the journey.

Possibly the aceivement I am most proud of is playing an instrumental part in getting a small Suffolk modelmaking company up to a £1million turn-over which made it possible to create

Framlingham Technology Centre.