Our economy is driven by knowledge - hi-tech, traditional,
business and creative. Warwick, Coventry, Oxford Said and Oxford
Brookes  business
schools are all within half an hour, making world-class business
and management skills readily available.
If your business is in Banbury you are in good company, as many
have already taken advantage of the town’s combination of
excellent location, quality of life and business-friendly environment.
Banbury is ideally situated immediately off junction eleven of the
M40 motorway, and sits astride the London to Birmingham mainline.
The town is the gateway between the key markets of the West Midlands,
and London and the South-East. With Birmingham, Luton and Heathrow
airports within easy reach, and Oxford Airport (actually in Kidlington)
right on our doorstep, communication links from the area are now
truly global, and this is reflected by the international nature
of many locally-based companies.
As a town at the centre of the world-famous Motor-sport Valley,
and only 20 minutes from Silverstone circuit, we are hosts to sports
and racing car developers Ascari and leading motor-sport specialists
Prodrive, as well as a number of smaller specialist firms operating
in the sport. But it isn’t just racing cars around here. Businesses
from a wide variety of sectors have chosen Banbury as their home,
as it combines a high quality of life with the entire infrastructure
that a modern business needs. Kraft Foods, iSoft, Karcher and Callebaut
are all based in the area,  which
has notably high levels of business profitability. Fine Lady Bakeries,
Witwood Food Products, Vodafone, Faurecia… many businesses
have recognised the advantages offered by the area.
The Oxford University and its science park at Begbroke is a continuing
source of innovation, research and development. The Colin Sanders
Innovation Centre is one of four set up within the Cherwell District
by a partnership between Oxford Innovation (academic spin-out and
innovation specialist advisers) and Cherwell District Council. The
Colin Sanders Innovation Centre provides managed incubation space
for high-technology start-ups, and has enabled many new businesses
to grow and thrive, a fitting tribute to the local entrepreneur
after whom the centre was named.
Making life easy for companies wishing to locate to Banbury is the
core function of the Cherwell-M40 investment partnership (CHIP).
The CHIP partnership brings together key public and private agencies
including Oxford Innovation, Barclays and the majority of the commercial
estate agents operating in the area to provide key information and
support to businesses seeking to locate in North Oxfordshire. Its
website contains a wealth of useful information and CHIP has a dedicated
team to assist companies looking at coming to the area, and the
partnership is proud to have helped many of the major employers
in Banbury set up in the town.
Overall, businesses in Banbury value the central location alongside
the high quality of life which helps with the retention and recruitment
of staff. There’s commercial property available to suit a
range of purposes and tastes. The choice is yours - from period
urban  space
to innovative modern business parks. What’s more, average
rental rates are substantially lower than in many areas in the South-East.
Nestled between the Northamptonshire uplands and the Cotswolds,
Banbury sits in the attractive rolling countryside of North Oxfordshire.
Around Banbury are a network of villages with delightful honey-stoned
cottages and inns at their centres, offering the very best of country
living, with vibrant, welcoming communities and an attractive tourism
offer. For those who fancy a bit more bustle, Banbury has a lively
town centre and the housing within the town is amongst the most
affordable in Oxfordshire, making relocation feasible for key staff
coming from a wide variety of areas across the UK and further afield.
Banbury offers up a regional retail centre with a good balance between
famous high street names and high quality independents as well as
a wide variety of dining experiences. Banbury certainly has to rank
highly on any list of towns considered by a company looking to be
in the south-east of England.
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