Yorkshire attracts record number of investment projects

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YORKSHIRE has attracted the highest number of investment projects recorded in 11 years, according to today’s European Attractiveness Survey by Ernst&Young.

Forty-two foreign direct investment projects were located in Yorkshire in 2009 – the highest number recorded since 1998. The number of projects almost doubled from 22 in 2008.

Twenty-one were in West Yorkshire, 12 in South Yorkshire, six in Humberside and three in North Yorkshire.

By city or town, Leeds attracted the most projects with eight, followed by six in Sheffield, five in Bradford, three in Scunthorpe and two recorded in Hull.

A third of projects originated from US investors, including a new distribution centre in Bradford for greeting cards manufacturer Hallmark, which is headquartered in Kansas City.

Other projects came from France, The Netherlands and Germany.
 
In 2009, after London, Yorkshire was the second most popular place for foreign manufacturers to locate to, the report reveals.

Seventy-one per cent of investment attracted to the region was from the manufacturing industry, particularly in the machinery and equipment, food, and plastics and rubber sector.

Projects included a new factory for Polish company Can-Pack, an aluminium beverage can manufacturer in Scunthorpe, and the expansion of headquarters at German-owned food manufacturer Dr Oetker in Leeds.
 
Twenty-four per cent of foreign investment in Yorkshire was from the finance and business services industry, such as the call centre expansion at Swinton Group in Halifax and the new office for SG Hambros Bank in Leeds.

Published with permsission of TheBusinessDesk.com

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