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M40 A34 Bury St Edmunds Reading M4 v Heathrow Bury St Edmunds is the of the main strengths of the A14 and rail network. The arrival of A322 ’s economy is the sheer diversity fibre optic broadband has created largest town in West of businesses. Many companies are more opportunities. M3 still linked to agriculture and food M25 (population 41,000 and A34 production; opened its growing) and part of the factory in 1926 and Branston Pickle is made in Bury. IT, financial services prosperous Cambridge and retail have now joined these A31 sub-region which benefits traditional sectors. M3 A3 greatly from being on the The 12 business parks and industrial estates around the town, with more A14 corridor linking planned, provide premises of varying A272 Felixstowe with the . sizes, but all with easy access to the

Southampton Portsmouth Bury St Edmunds’ regional role will be enhanced over the next few years with the development Nine of the top 100 companies in and of Suffolk Business Park, one of Suffolk are based in Bury St Edmunds, with the newest commercial areas. In turnovers ranging from £50 million to £1.2 billion summer 2014, the government confirmed £5 million towards a (/ Top 100 companies in Norfolk and Suffolk, 2014) new £15m road linking the existing employment area with the A14.

This significant development £££ comes a few years after the council initiated a £100m investment in the town centre. As an historic market A 68-hectare extension to the business park town, Bury St Edmunds has is expected to create up to always attracted people for 15,000 jobs shopping and leisure, but the and estimated to attract opening of the Arc shopping £275m investment centre repositioned the town as to the local area. It will also pave the way for a regional destination. hundreds of new homes, a school and local services. Special events and regular marketing organised by Shop Footfall rate Ourburystedmunds, the town’s October 2014 Business Improvement District, vacancy rate (Compared to October 2013) have attracted many more October 2014 visitors, as have regular events like the Christmas Fayre which is now one of the biggest in the country and brings millions of pounds into the local economy Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds in just a few days. 6.5% 3.6%

Bury St Edmunds Chamber of Commerce (part of the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce) UK UK Message from Colin Knight, Chairman 0.8% 10.6% “One of the great things about running a business in Bury St Edmunds is being part of a thriving and exciting economy where firms large and small work together and support each other. It is one of the reasons why our local economy continues to thrive and grow. While many town centres have The shop vacancy rates in Bury We’re proud of our market-town heritage and even prouder struggled to adapt to changing St Edmunds are well within of the businesses which operate here. Bury St Edmunds is habits in retail, the arrival 5-10%, the rate considered home to a wide range of fantastic expertise, hard work and of more high street names, healthy by the Association of entrepreneurial spirit. together with an unusually large Town and City Management. number of independent shops, Bury is also bucking the It is an important time for the economy. We has seen Bury St Edmunds’ trend with increasing footfall are seeing consistent growth and more people in work. popularity grow. Footfall rates compared to the decreasing The chamber of commerce is working in partnership with are also rising, up 2.4% while national footfall rate. across Suffolk delivering new benefits and services the UK average was falling 1.4%. to members in Bury St Edmunds as well as a joined up voice on important -wide economic issues.” Distances from Bury St Edmunds

Hourly rail service to Cambridge and Ipswich Stansted Norwich Cambridge A11 M11 Cambridge Central London Felixstowe Port Cambridge Ipswich Airport Airport Airport 11 miles 35 miles 29 miles 82 miles 40 miles 125 miles 42 mins 30 mins 48 miles 44 miles 26 miles Connections to London King’s Cross & Street ‘Handsome town’ A wealthy heritage gets ever more Bury St Edmunds can trace its attractive prosperity back 1000 years. The town grew up around the The 18th Century novelist Benedictine built as part Daniel Defoe described Bury of the programme of cathedral St Edmunds as ‘a town famed and church building following for its pleasant situation and the . It was wholesome air’. A later visitor built on the site of earlier was and in churches protecting the shrine Pickwick Papers he calls Bury ‘a of the martyred St Edmund. handsome little town, of thriving and cleanly appearance’. International pilgrims to the shrine of St Edmund and The two novelists would still the businesses which grew recognise the town’s Georgian up around the abbey laid architecture, many of the brick the foundations for today’s and rendered facades covering commercial success. the original medieval timbered frames. The town centre is laid seat Apex, the cinemas, art out on a grid pattern created gallery, the annual music and BuryBury St StEdmunds Edmunds was by the monks at the abbey and arts festival and a growing café rankedwas ranked as the as 25th the many of the most expensive society and choice of places to 25thBest Best Place Place properties in the town are eat, all makes Bury St Edmunds to Live in Britain by marketed on the strength of a top visitor attraction and an being in ‘the grid’. interesting place to live. The Sunday Times. Visitors are coming in growing “ numbers as tourism becomes an increasingly important part of the local economy. Among ” the town’s attractions are the magnificent Abbey Gardens, created around the ruins of the 12th Century abbey; the restored Georgian Theatre Royal; – reputed to be the smallest in – and the cathedral. This, coupled with live music and entertainment at the 750- Case study

Treatt Treatt, which supplies The company was founded in Bond Group Financial Director Richard Hope Street, London, in 1886 and moved its believes their West Suffolk base is an ingredient solutions to headquarters to Bury St Edmunds in important factor. “Around 90% of our the flavour, fragrance 1971. Their expertise in spotting market trade is overseas, buying and selling trends and successfully predicting products in over 90 countries, so efficient and consumer product demand has seen the company go from transport links are crucial for our industries, is a West strength to strength, with their share exports.” price nearly trebling since mid 2012. Suffolk success story. Although their horizons are global, With 175 staff, Treatt is among the top Treatt is also very much part of the 10 employers in Bury St Edmunds. It has local business community and has won manufacturing sites in the UK, USA and several awards for its innovation and Kenya and sales offices in France and success. Richard Hope believes the help China. and advice offered to businesses by the “Bury works for us; the high West Suffolk Economic Development calibre staff and excellent Daemmon Reeve became Group CEO team demonstrates the commitment to transport links to the port of in August 2012. In the last five years support local growth and prosperity. revenue has risen from £56m to £74m Felixstowe, as well as being on in 2013, thanks to a strategy to increase the periphery of the Cambridge margins and greater use of information hub, is a real advantage to us.” technology. Case study

Servest Servest provides many Through their 15,000 staff they “The recruitment aspect, particularly But above all, it’s the lower overheads supply services from security to waste the calibre and availability of staff, is which are attractive. “Without a doubt of the day-to-day management, from school meals to excellent. We have managed to build being in West Suffolk is a much more services businesses gourmet dining. up an incredibly loyal and enthusiastic cost-effective solution to being based in workforce,” says Andrew. a major city. In fact, we are saving up to need, with clients in the Their impressive client list includes five times as much by being here,” added McCain Foods, Barratt the developers, Being close to Stansted Airport and Andrew. retail, leisure, public, the House of Commons and the Hilton London helps the business maintain its commercial, transport Hotel on Park Lane. international standing, but there are Although Servest has experienced benefits closer to home. “Avoiding the outstanding growth recently, including and logistics sectors. From offices at , just London commute is something many winning a number of multi-million pound outside Bury St Edmunds, the group has of our employees comment on, another contracts, Andrew says there are no undergone rapid growth in recent years pleasant side effect of being in West plans to move. to become an internationally renowned Suffolk. In fact, being away from the industry leader. large cities gives a different, positive feel Andrew Sugars, Executive Director in to the business.” Corporate Development, sees West Suffolk as the ideal location for the headquarters of an international “Regardless of how big we go, we will always see West Suffolk operation. as home. It’s a truly great location.” Case study

Montage Communications The social media Co-founder and creative director Aime “Our InDigital Connect launch attracted and consumer public Southgate said: “With local clients more than 120 business leaders, local like Menta, Conservation Grade and businesses, agencies and students. relations agency The Gough Hotels group, as well as The network is an ideal way to share Montage Communications international clients like luxury brand best practice and promote talent and Brabantia and SACO apartments, this collaboration,” said Aime. relocated from to region is the perfect base from which Bury St Edmunds due to to operate, with excellent international transport links and easy access to our its growing south-east European markets.” client base. The agency celebrated its tenth anniversary with the appointment of an apprentice. This year the agency has “We wanted to grow our business and invest in local talent. co-founded and launched a new creative network, InDigital Connect, to support, Local education providers, from University College Suffolk inspire and develop relationships between to , provide this region with the next in-house and agency digital marketing generation of digital pioneers.” professionals in East . Case study

“When looking at numbers such as labour, transport and facility costs, it is much more cost-effective being here in West Suffolk, especially when Direct Table Foods compared to London rates.” Direct Table Foods (DTF), Finance Director Colin Perry has seen the Once it was fully operational the rewards of being an international firm location of the new facility underlined Colin also praised West Suffolk’s a subsidiary of the based in West Suffolk. “Having originally the decision to remain in West Suffolk. transport connections. “We’re adjacent Danish Tican Group, is moved to West Suffolk following an Colin continued: “We realised very to the A14, which gives us fantastic acquisition, we sadly lost our original quickly that we needed more space to links to the rest of the country and one of the leading bacon Bury St Edmunds factory following a expand the business, so having initially streamlines the whole distribution and gammon processors serious fire in 2004. One of the very first bought additional land at Saxham, we process, both from a customer and decisions we made following that disaster built an extension to the original building, supplier perspective. Stansted, being in the UK, providing high was to remain in the same area, enabling meaning we then needed to recruit more less than an hour away, is very useful, quality produce to the us to retain our highly skilled and loyal staff to further support this growth.” particularly as we have a Danish parent workforce. company, and the close proximity of the retail, food service and DTF also received support and assistance, East coast ports, especially Felixstowe, wholesale markets. “We added a night shift to our facility both pre and post-fire, from local labour is critical, not least since we have close in Cuffley near London while we quickly providers. “We have excellent, long links with the continental market. found a site on the Saxham Business Park standing relationships with a number of and began the process of building a new organisations in West Suffolk. Our industry In 2011, as the business continued to factory. Assisted by a local council who sector can be very cyclical and often expand, DTF acquired a 61,000 sq ft unit were most helpful, DTF was able to open requires flexible, supportive suppliers. I’m adjacent to its premises. “This highlighted a brand new, purpose-built bacon factory delighted to say that we can rely on our our further commitment to the region,” early in 2006.” key, local suppliers in this regard.” added Colin. Case study

CLAAS UK CLAAS, a family-owned “As an international company, location is a key factor in our success,” said Chief German international Executive Trevor Tyrell, “since we import business founded in over 3,500 agricultural machines worth 1913, is a market- £250 million each year.” leading manufacturer “Based just off the A14 we have great Trevor is pleased that CLAAS is also In summer 2014 CLAAS UK further access to the Midlands, the North and playing a part in a growth area in consolidated its presence in West Suffolk of advanced agricultural Scotland. Meanwhile, the A11 provides us the region. “We supply a number of with the opening of a £1 million centre machinery. with access to the south of England and customers who support the biogas sector to sell pre-owned machinery which have further afield.” in , which shows there are been fully reconditioned. Being in the heart of one of the UK’s forward-thinking businesses prepared to most important agricultural areas has invest in the latest ideas.” also helped CLAAS to grow. “We have Like any business planning for future built up a strong customer base, many success CLAAS invests in its next “Here in West Suffolk, of whom supply fellow West Suffolk generation of employees. “We have a businesses such as Greene King and our strong apprenticeship programme, with being close to the neighbour Direct Table Foods. Being part over 200 apprentices trained in the last international ports of of a thriving and inclusive food, drink 10 years. Many of the young recruits Felixstowe and Harwich is and agriculture industry certainly has its come from the excellent schools and imperative to our operations.” benefits.” colleges in West Suffolk,” said Trevor. Case study

Greene King If there is one business Today the company is much more than a million acquisition has firmly established that has put Bury St brewer – although it still wins awards for Greene King as a market leader, and as the quality of its ales; it operates 1,900 one of West Suffolk’s most successful Edmunds on the map it managed, tenanted, leased and franchised companies. is Greene King, which has , many located in the local area, as been producing beer in well as national restaurants and hotels. the town since 1799 and Greene King beers are transported nationwide, making excellent use of the is now an internationally major road links in the region. It has also recognised brand. tapped into West Suffolk’s skilled labour market, with over 1,000 employees at its Bury St Edmunds headquarters. Nationally, it employs over 23,000 people, and it has also pledged to recruit 2,000 apprentices this year.

Still based in its Georgian brewery in the historic quarter of Bury St Edmunds, the company has recorded outstanding growth in recent years. A recent £774 Case study

Shelbourne Reynolds An agricultural Shelbourne Reynolds has developed its “We opened our Kansas office in 1996 engineering company business based on the philosophy of using and from then on export sales became a the best available technology to become massive part of our market strategy,” said founded in 1972 to serve a market leader producing sophisticated Neil. “With Felixstowe less than an hour customers in East Anglia and innovative machinery. away, we can conveniently transport our goods from Stanton to customers across now exports to over 30 The company designs and builds the globe.” countries. advanced machinery at a 90,000 square importantly it retains our historical links foot factory on a five-acre site at Stanton, Being based in one of the country’s most with a region which has helped us to north of Bury St Edmunds. important food and farming areas has become the company we are today.” also played a significant factor in the Neil , Sales and Marketing company’s growth. “We are fortunate to Director, says Shelbourne Reynolds’ aim be able to employ hardworking and highly is to ensure its products continue to skilled people locally which has enabled “We run a large facility but revolutionise the agricultural market. The us to build a dedicated and enthusiastic being in West Suffolk is company is run from West Suffolk with a workforce,” said Neil. “Being at the heart second base in Kansas serving the north of an agricultural region means we can cost effective and enables American wheat belt. build up excellent customer relations to us to keep our overheads support business development, and most comparatively low.”