VICE OC SER MER O T S U S AND C ALE IN S

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1 BUSINESS SERVICES Whether you re looking for a new headquarters, regional office or call centre location, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire has the perfect solution. No other location offers the opportunities of being on the doorstep of Manchester and Birmingham without the big city costs, congestion and competition for talent.

2 Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire is proving to be an effective and profitable location for office occupiers. From global, national and regional HEADQUARTERS to back-offices and specialist IT functions, businesses are discovering the many benefits of locating here. FINANCIAL SERVICES Along with an established financial services sector, there are a number of international firms and a growing number of outsourced operations in the area, such as RBS and Ageas Insurance Solutions. Plentiful new grade A office space provides excellent accommodation options for financial and professional services firms, such as Dains and Baker Tilly in Stoke-on-Trent. The Co-operative Bank has also moved its mortgage processing operations into premises in Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands. IT SERVICES There is a strong employee base with computer programming and related skills thanks to Staffordshire and Keele Universities, which have significant strengths in IT and Technology. This has attracted a number of computer facilities management companies and outsourcing services to the area. Synectics Solutions manages database and data centre services, whilst other IT solutions providers include Quiss Technology PLC and Comtact, companies at the forefront of cloud computing and IT outsourcing.

3 SHARED SERVICE CENTRES The growing number of multinational organisations basing their headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire has spurred the growth of shared service centres being established here including GE, Michelin and JCB. Incorporating functions such as HR, IT, Finance and Health & Safety, these shared service centres are able to draw from a large pool of people skilled in business administration and support services. CUSTOMER SERVICE OPERATIONS With more than 38,000 people employed in sales and customer service occupations, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire has a strong track record in customer service operations. Many customer service centres in the area support international clients and offer multilingual services. International brands including Michelin, Vodafone and Odeon base their customer service operations here. Vodafone has its state-of-the-art contact centre in Stoke-on-Trent, and employs over 1,200 staff, handling over 40,000 calls per week. HEADQUARTERS Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire is home to a number of start-ups that have grown into billion pound businesses. These include JCB and bet365 who have both invested in their headquarters operations in recent years. JCB is expanding its world headquarters to include new finance and insurance offices as well as a graduate training facility. bet365 is moving to a purpose built HQ in Stoke-on-Trent, and now employs over 2,300 staff in the area. MORE THAN 38,000 PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN SALES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE OCCUPATIONS

4 A SKILLED, AFFORDABLE LABOUR POOL A CONNECTED, COMPETITIVE LOCATION A CUSTOMER-SERVICE CULTURE 87,000 PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN CUSTOMER SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATIVE OCCUPATIONS 46,700 EMPLOYED IN MANAGEMENT OCCUPATIONS 4,200 EMPLOYED IN COMPUTER PROGRAMMING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES WAGES/RATES ARE UP TO 15% CHEAPER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE 4 INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS WITHIN AN HOUR S DRIVE 30,800 EMPLOYED IN BUSINESS SERVICE ACTIVITIES 38,500 EMPLOYED IN SALES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE OPERATIONS 49,300 EMPLOYED IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES TYPICAL OFFICE RENTALS COST AROUND 60% LESS THAN MANCHESTER AND BIRMINGHAM EXCELLENT TRANSPORT LINKS WITH MOST MAJOR UK CITIES WITHIN A 3 HOUR DRIVE 95% OF BUSINESSES WITH ACCESS TO SUPER-FAST BROADBAND BY 2017 THE PERFECT HQ LOCATION BROAD BASE OF OPERATIONS IN A GROWING SECTOR HOME TO GLOBAL BRANDS: RBS, bet365, GE, MICHELIN, VODAFONE BOTH LOCAL UNIVERSITIES HAVE HIGHLY REGARDED BUSINESS SCHOOLS, AND COLLEGES PROVIDE CUSTOMISED TRAINING TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES WIDE CHOICE OF BUSINESS PARKS IN THE AREA, PROVIDING A VARIETY OF PROPERTY OPTIONS SMITHFIELD, THE NEW BUSINESS DISTRICT, IN STOKE-ON-TRENT CITY CENTRE HAS 750,000 SQ. FT. OF GRADE A OFFICE SPACE 31,000 STUDENTS STUDYING IN THE AREA, AND AN ADDITIONAL 305,000 MORE WITHIN AN HOUR S DRIVE OTHERS WHO CALL STOKE-ON-TRENT AND STAFFORDSHIRE HOME SOURCE: COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL, ANNUAL POPULATION SURVEY (ONS) Michelin Vodafone bet365 LA International RBS Ageas Odeon Synetics Solutions Quiss Technology PLC Comtact Autonet Davis Group Mice and Dice iprospect Uniting Ambitions Wardell Armstrong GSH Baker Tilly Capital Dentsu Aegis Co-operative Bank Hanley Economic

5 WHAT THE LOCALS SAY LA International specialises in recruiting expert contract and permanent IT and engineering staff. Winners of the Queen s award for Enterprise: International Trade Paul Lukic, Chairman and CEO commented: Stoke-on-Trent is an excellent base from which to serve national and international markets. Our teams support a growing number of international clients in a number of countries including: Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and as far afield as Asia Pacific regions. Being consistently amongst the best in our professional game, with an enviable reputation for project delivery, this is wholly due to recruiting and developing in-house the high quality staff we need for our business. T (0) E enquiries@makeitstokestaffs.co.uk W makeitstokestaffs.co.uk