Business record
Watford has a proven track record as a successful business centre and is a place where business investment is welcomed and supported. In the 1930s it was the world’s leading centre for print and publishing. Today it is home to global, UK and regional headquarters of industry leaders including:
- UK headquarters and national operations of British household names such as KPMG, Wickes, JD Wetherspoon, Majestic Wine and Camelot
- UK and European headquarters of significant foreign businesses such as TJX Europe, Beko, HCL, Hilton, Ralph Lauren and Costco
- 28 of Hertfordshire’s top 200 businesses are based in Watford (Hertfordshire Ltd 2017, Grant Thornton)
- GVA growth over the 10-year and 5-year period to 2015 was the highest in Hertfordshire (Hertfordshire Economic Outlook 2018, Hertfordshire LEP)
- A top 20% local authority nationally for prosperity (Vibrant Economy Index 2018, Grant Thornton)
- A top 10 town for business and economy vitality, and place to live (Vitality Index 2021, Lambert Smith Hampton)
