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In a country steeped in history, it is no surprise
that even the youngest English new town is more than
30 years old. Milton Keynes, midway between London and
Birmingham, is also considered the most attractive,
by both businesses and families located there. Now a
town with a quarter-of-a-million inhabitants, it can
trace its roots to Saxon times, through the ancient
villages that still remain within its boundaries. But
its modern history is more significant – three
decades of economic growth and success.
New investors continue to arrive in Milton Keynes, where
existing companies are also expanding. New jobs have
grown at a rate of six per cent a year.
Recent arrivals in the area include Charles Schwab,
a major e-commerce stockbroking company likely to employ
more than 400 people over the next two years; Torch
Telecommunications; and global book e-tailer Amazon
which employs 1500 people. Blue chip companies which
have chosen to locate and grow in Milton Keynes include
BP Amoco, VW Audi and Daimler-Chrysler. Yet the town
is an ‘enterprise city’with 80 per cent of
the workforce employed in companies of 10 employees
or fewer.
Some twenty per cent of the companies investing in Milton
Keynes over the last 10 years have an overseas parent
and the success story looks set to continue. In the
past year, Invest in Milton Keynes, (IMK) an organisation
funded by the local chamber of commerce, government
agency English Partnerships, and local businesses, has
fielded an average of 60 enquiries per month for businesses
interested in coming to Milton Keynes. What is the reason
for its popularity?
"It has a tremendous geographic position,"
says Debra King, IMK’s Project Manager. "Companies
can service customers in the highly-populated South
East of England and the Midlands quickly and easily.
The town has excellent transport and communications
links and many companies are using it as a base to expand
their markets into mainland Europe. "
IMK itself plays a tremendous part in attracting new
companies. It acts as a partner and offers an integrated
service covering business and market information tailored
to an individual company’s needs. It also offers
property advice, recruitment links, networking and business
support services. IMK has just launched a new relocation
service to ease the stress of moving, including advice
on housing, education and partner employment. The service
does not stop once a company has relocated to Milton
Keynes, either. "We offer a local contact point,
a personal and confidential service designed to help
you achieve your business objectives, "says Allan
Banks, IMK’s Director of Inward Investment.
In the past year, IMK has helped establish 53 companies,
creating or safeguarding 602 jobs. As the high level
of interest continues, IMK’s strong links with
the existing business community plays a key role. "The
support from local businesses has been a major factor
in many of the decisions to come to Milton Keynes,"
says Debra King. "In the majority of cases we have
been able to draw together a support group of local
companies able to provide the services required to ensure
an easy and speedy establishment for the new arrival.
"
The leisure and lifestyle opportunities in Milton Keynes
are also attractive to companies and their employees.
The town is a national centre for sport, home to the
National Hockey Stadium and the National Badminton Association.
It has one of the UK’s most successful basketball
teams as well as a popular ice hockey team. It is a
haven for amateur sports enthusiasts, with facilities
such as Europe’s longest indoor real snow ski slope,
15 lakes for water sports plus golf courses, cycling
and horse riding trails and cricket facilities.
The town supports one of Europe’s largest shopping
centres, while a new theatre district houses a theatre
and gallery as well as many bars and restaurants.
Housing in Milton Keynes is of a high standard, with
further expansion planned and many individual development
schemes. The town is known for its energy-efficient
and low density housing, with very few buildings topping
the height of the trees.
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