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Manufacturing is still the most important part of the Forest of
Dean’s industrial heritage, but it has moved away from iron
and steel to advanced electronics and IT. 
The history of industry in the Dean goes back a long way. In the
13th Century the Forest of Dean was one of Europe’s technical
leaders, based upon mineral extraction and metal products as far
back as Roman times. Craftsmen in wood and iron produced ships,
weapons and home utensils, based upon the local iron ore and charcoal
from the Forest. When coal was mined the Forest quickly adapted
it to fuel the iron and steel industry in the 18th and 19th Centuries.
Today much of this industrial past is hidden in the woodland, but
the electronics, engineering, and local ceramics businesses provide
much of the employment. The food industry is also well represented,
with one of Britain’s major drinks businesses processing millions
of tons of blackcurrants. Others make fine food from local salmon,
pork and locally sourced fruit. Not to be forgotten are the local
wines produced in the north of the area around Newent.
Major national and international businesses located in the Forest
of Dean serve the automotive and  manufacturing
industry, making tyres, and transport components, while the largest
business site in the South is located in Mitcheldean, with more
than 2,000 people producing computers and photocopier components,
and providing many other industrial components and services.
Not only does the woodland landscape provide very attractive homes
and business locations, but it also provides a heritage of papermaking,
publishing and related craft skills. Virtually every tea drinker’s
teabag uses specialist ‘filter paper’ produced at Lydney.
Fencing, decking, gates and an impressive variety of indoor and
outdoor furniture items are produced at Cinderford.
At Mitcheldean a global organisation produces hundreds of tonnes
of reports and documents, and millions of copies for the UK and
Europe. Electronic text from all over the world arrives there to
be converted into books, manuals and educational information in
convenient and permanent hard copy form. This operation demands
substantial IT expertise, and Foresters built the first European
photocopier here in  the
late 1950s.
As the photocopier and electronic printer developed, this global
business bequeathed an impressive suite of skills now being exploited
by local innovators, who apply them to telecommunications, automotive
control systems, security systems and other IT-based services. These
include organisations helping Britain’s national telecommunications
businesses, introducing the next generation of wireless, cable and
‘ultra fast’ broadband to consumers and businesses worldwide.
Near Lydney visitors can see a community of craftsmen at work, as
well as many types of retail outlets with organic food products,
a café, and other fashion, home furnishing and gift items.
Outdoor activities based in the Wye Valley continue to develop,
while disused quarries are home to enterprising organisations offering
diving training and off-road vehicle experience. There are also
a number of developments on the business parks, offering logistics
services, and health & beauty products, including jewellery.
Traditional industry still has a substantial presence, with toolmakers,
bridge builders, and other precision engineers providing significant
employment. More recently there has been a real movement to diversify,
and today the Forest of Dean offers some real opportunities to the
entrepreneur. Nine substantial business parks provide a good choice
of location for manufacturing and service industries, including
modern facilities at Newent, Staunton, Mitcheldean, Cinderford,
Lydney and Chepstow.
Much of the economy is based upon the Estates, and it is still largely
dependent upon manufacturing. Agriculture and forestry make a substantial
contribution to the local economy and play an important support
role to tourism, which is fast becoming a very successful business
sector, with many innovative attractions.
There is a substantial regeneration programme throughout the Forest
of Dean, and the Forest of Dean District Council helps businesses
to benefit from funds. The Forest of Dean, as a former coalfield
area, is eligible for support from the Coalfield Programme, and
active consultation is under way.
Many incoming industries have grown to value the beautiful environment
and strong technical skills base within the Forest of Dean. This
has included one of the UK’s leading health, beauty and fitness
product manufacturers, which uses substantial volumes of moulded
plastic products, many produced by an in-house mould shop using
the precision skills of toolmakers to produce the moulds.
There is also a vibrant local craft economy. Fashionable, well designed
Forest ceramics and fabrics find customers in London, New York and
Paris, while fine original Forest beers and wines are equally valued
in discerning hostelries and homes throughout the UK. All these
developments have combined to provide a varied industrial and commercial
base.
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