Maidstone Borough Council
Key Competitive Attractions
Invest in Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, situated on the main transport routes between London and the continent, making it ideally placed to access major markets in the UK and mainland Europe.
Key Sectors:
- Creative Industries
- Financial and Insurance Services
- Business and Professional Services
- Construction
- Logistics, Warehousing and Distribution
- Business Services
- Tourism, Retail, Leisure and Culture
- Rural diversification
- Public Sector/Health and Education
- Healthcare and Medical Devices
Maidstone’s economy is diverse and strong, comprising a mixture of small, medium and large sized businesses in a variety of sectors, enabling Maidstone to be flexible and responsive to new economic opportunities.
Key Advantages:
- Ideal location for logistical and export activities, just 35 miles from London and the Channel Tunnel
- Successful recent investments totaling £400m in town centre regeneration projects already delivered, with a further £320m future investment programme
- Highly skilled and productive workforce, generating £3 billion annual GVA
- Leading UK grammar schools and a centre for post-16 education and training
- Commercial premises up to 60% cheaper than London
- Up to 34 hectares of available business development land
- Balance of town and country living
- Excellent cultural offer, including the Hazlitt Theatre, Leeds Castle, the new Maidstone Museum, and River Medway
- Maidstone ranked 2nd in the UK for “affordable affluence”
- 84% of Locate in Kent customers named Maidstone their preferred choice in Kent and a good business location
More reasons to invest in Maidstone...
Assistance and Support For New Business Investors
Maidstone Borough Council is dedicated to actively supporting local businesses, so, whether you’re starting up a new enterprise, relocating or expanding operations, or are an existing company, you will find a wealth of support offered to you in Maidstone. The council also actively attracts businesses and investment from other areas of the UK and overseas.
For more information about the Council or its partners, and the support available to you, see Funding and Support or contact the council’s Economic Development Team directly: 01622 602394.
Existing Business Base
- Maidstone is the administrative and commercial capital of Kent, with a population of 145,000 people.
- Maidstone generates £3billion annual Gross Value Added (GVA) - 50% more than Ashford.
- In the last decade, Maidstone’s output per head and employment rate have risen steadily, currently standing at 72,000 people employed in over 7,000 businesses. This makes Maidstone by far the largest commercial centre in Kent.
- Maidstone has a large public and professional services sector, which comprises businesses in insurance, accountancy, medical services and growing technology sectors.
- Maidstone town centre is also the county’s principal retail and leisure destination, projected to overtake Guildford by 2017 in terms of retail spend, according to Experian. Other important centres in Maidstone include the rural Staplehurst, Lenham and Marden. Maidstone is also an agricultural centre, with increasing activity in rural diversification and land-based industries.
- Maidstone’s unemployment has remained relatively low throughout the recession, reflecting the borough’s strong culture of entrepreneurship.
- Maidstone Borough Council is investing heavily in the town centre’s business and cultural infrastructure, with new start up units at the Parkwood Estate under construction, and a £4m transformation of Maidstone High Street also underway.
Please see Development Projects for more.
