Cornwall Marine Network (CMN) says it has created 3,000 new jobs since 2005.

The not-for-profit Cornish marine trade organisation is celebrating reaching the milestone as its latest marine-specific business support programme, Propel Cornwall, nears completion, with beneficiary businesses creating 90 new jobs.

CMN chief executive, Paul Wickes, said: “Since 2005 our specialist business support team has attracted more than £30 million of investment into Cornwall’s marine sector and as a direct result we’re very proud and delighted to announce that we have supported businesses to create 3,000 new jobs through our funded-projects and our ground breaking apprenticeship scheme.

“There is no other privately-owned marine network in the UK or Europe that operates on the scale of success that the team at CMN achieves. The added value to Cornwall’s economy that results from the 3,000 new jobs has added more than £300 million of value to the local economy in 14 years and this figure grows by more than £30 million every year CMN exists.”

Cornwall Council leader, Julian German, paid tribute to the achievement and said CMN was an “excellent example” of how business support should work.

“I would like to congratulate Paul Wickes and his team on this important milestone and for their overall contribution to supporting business growth and employment in Cornwall,” he said.