Focus: West Midlands
Located in the heart of the UK, the West Midlands region provides a perfect cost-effective location solution for companies looking to do business with the UK and Europe
The region
The West Midlands is a diverse and vibrant
region that is located right at the heart of
the UK. The region comprises the counties
of Herefordshire, Worcestershire,
Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire
and the boroughs of Birmingham,
Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall
and Wolverhampton.
Each area has its own distinctive landmarks and personality and each offers something different, from the vibrancy of Birmingham, the UK’s second largest city, to historic market towns and picturesque rural areas such as the Cotswolds. The population of the West Midlands region is 5,366,700 – nine per cent of the total UK population. Birmingham has a population of over one million people.
The place to live
An excellent quality of life is one of the many advantages of living and working within the West Midlands region. From contemporary canal-side apartments in exciting city locations, elegant period housing in laid back suburbs, historic market towns or thatched cottages in picturesque villages, there’s remarkable choice. Add to this the excellent in-region transport network and typically short commute times, so even in the city, you are only minutes away from open countryside, and small towns and villages.
But how do you spend your free time in a region so packed full of opportunity? From Michelin-starred restaurants in Shropshire, to original balti houses in Birmingham’s Balti Triangle, delicious food is always around the corner. We have an arts and entertainment scene that’s as exciting as you’ll find anywhere in the world, whether your preference is a visit to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford- Upon-Avon, an evening at the Birmingham Royal Ballet, or a round of golf at the worldrenowned Belfry Golf Course.
The place to connect
The West Midlands is at the heart of England’s roads and rail network. In addition, Birmingham International Airport is routinely selected as the best airport for business travellers in the UK. There are direct flights between Birmingham and New Jersey and a service is starting to Philadelphia. Airport links with other European business cities is first class, making the West Midlands an ideal springboard to doing business with the rest of Europe.
Birmingham is the second largest city in the UK, but is located near enough to London to conduct frequent business and just far enough away to offer a cost-effective business office location solution. Moreover, the West Midlands is located in the population center of England and is situated between London and northern cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle. Besides the million-plus people in Birmingham and five million-plus in the West Midlands, the region is ideally located to serve all the major population centers in the UK.
The place to invest
According to Experian, 680 US companies and 40 Canadian companies have invested in the West Midlands. They have done so for a variety of reasons. The West Midlands is often chosen as a manufacturing, sales and distribution center, a headquarter location or back office location. The West Midlands is traditionally seen as the center of the UK’s transport industry, with expertise in automotive, aerospace, and rail technologies. Other key sectors include business and professional services, information and communications technology (ICT), food and drink, medical and healthcare technologies, and environmental technologies.
Manufacturing is vital to the West Midlands economy and many US and Canadian firms are based here, and prospering:
- High-tech aerospace firm Goodrich, which is a major supplier to Rolls Royce, Airbus and Boeing. Goodrich is researching green aircraft fuel systems with commercial and university partners and has opened a state-of-the-art engine control systems test facility in Birmingham.
- Examples of sales and distribution centers include Gap, located near Rugby, and UPS, which has based its new and expanded UK ground freight hub in the West Midlands.
- An example of headquarter location includes Lafarge’s recent decision to locate its UK HQ in Solihull near Birmingham International Airport.
- A recent example of back office locations is Deutsche Bank’s decision to trial placing critical back office functions in the center of Birmingham, resulting in the employment of 600 professional staff.
In each case, the talent, location advantages in the West Midlands, and associated cost savings have been a winning combination.
The place to innovate
The West Midlands Region is associated with innovation ranging from Shakespeare in the arts, to inventing and applying the technologies that led to the Industrial Revolution.
In addition to the Royal Shakespeare Company, which carries on the live arts tradition on the stage at Stratford-upon-Avon, more modern forms of the expressive arts are gaining a global following. The region is strong in digital media and entertainment, including film, gaming, serious games, and web 2.0 applications. Twenty-five per cent of the flourishing games software development in the UK is actually developed in the region. Overall, the digital media industry is growing fast in the West Midlands. In areas such as Serious Games, which is all about the practical use of games software for serious learning and educational activities, the West Midlands Region has a leading global position.
The Serious Games Institute located at Coventry University Technology Park uses advanced computer games technology to drive innovation and training in fields such as e-learning, simulation, collaboration and social networking. The University of Warwick’s Warwick Manufacturing Group is now home to a major investment in a Warwick Digital Laboratory offering digital manufacturing and 3D visualisation techniques for multidisciplinary research.
Design, Research and Development is a vital and growing feature of the West Midlands economy. The region’s leading research universities include University of Birmingham, University of Warwick, Aston University and Coventry University:
- The University of Birmingham is recognized for its basic research expertise in science, technology, engineering and math, as well as advanced research in a number of areas, including materials and hydrogen fuel cell development and application.
- The University of Warwick is well known for its advanced design and manufacturing expertise, as well as its extensive global links.
- Amongst Aston University’s strengths is modeling of complex systems.
- Coventry University has supplied the global automotive industry with a number of famous designers.
The Birmingham Science City initiative works on projects across five key technology themes of advanced materials, digital media and ICT, energy, medical technology and healthcare and transport technology. Just as the West Midlands played a vital role in the Industrial Revolution, it is now at the forefront of the development and application of vitally important low-carbon technologies that will power the global economy forward.
The place to grow
With its wealth of support and opportunities, the West Midlands region is the perfect place to grow business opportunities in the UK and beyond to Europe.
For more information, contact the
Inward Investment team
at Advantage West Midlands:
Tel: +44 121 380 3500
Website: www.thewestmidlandsregion.co.uk
Case study: Cables to Go
This US firm connected to success in the West Midlands
Cables to Go, a leading manufacturer of computer and audiovideo cables in the US, is expanding its multi-million dollar operation into Europe by opening a sales, marketing and warehouse base at Telford in Shropshire. The company currently employs seven people at the 15,000 sq ft facility at Hortonwood, selling complete connectivity solutions to corporate users and consumers via technology resellers and IT distributors.
Headquartered in Moraine, Ohio, Cables to Go is a privately owned company with revenues in excess of $100m, with more than 1,000 employees in five countries worldwide. The company’s decision to move to Telford is a major success for regional development agency Advantage West Midlands, which is responsible for working overseas to promote the region and generate inward investment, and Transforming Telford. Bill Diederich, President of Cables to Go, says: “We have a fledgling team in the market right now, and our goal is to expand that team significantly over the years, as we gain market share in England and the rest of Europe.”
Cables To Go selected the West Midlands region because of its great location and transport links, right at the heart of the UK – and the expert advice and support available from Advantage West Midlands. Doug Sear, Cable to Go’s UK Sales Manager, says: “We have established a great team in Telford to market, sell and install world class products and services, which are tailored to precise customer requirements, and includes a lifetime guarantee. “The width and depth of our product range and enthusiasm and knowledge of our staff enables us to offer an extraordinary customer experience – which is exactly what separates us from the competition.”
Advantage West Midlands provided intensive advice and support to Cables to Go senior managers in the US, providing information ranging from local property options and staff recruitment to trading marks and European import regulations. Dr Richard Hutchins, Corporate Director for Economic Development at Advantage West Midlands, says: “The West Midlands is the hub of ICT activity in the UK, with 51,000 people employed in 8,600 ICT firms in the region.
“The approach taken by Cables to Go in its expansion into the
UK is one of the most professional and well-organised we have
come across – resulting in a brand new business in the West
Midlands region, and creating skilled local jobs for Telford.
“Attracting overseas investment such as this to the region sends
a clear message that the West Midlands is a global centre where
people and businesses choose to connect.” 
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