A business-to-business website is generating nearly half of all enquiries and attracting relocating and expanding companies to Telford, according to the agency responsible for promoting the Shropshire new town as a top business location.
Following an intensive marketing campaign to get Telford recognised as a great place to live work and invest, some 500 enquiries have been received.
An impressive 48 per cent of all enquiries originate from the website www.cometotelford.co.uk - which includes an online property and land database.
The website was launched in March 2003 and within a year the number of unique visitors tripled.
In 2004 an average of some 5,000 visitors per month were recorded, but a fresh new look with added features generated an all-time high of over 7,000 visits by the end of the year.
The average time a user spends on the website has also steadily risen during 2004 and following the revamp doubled to over ten minutes per visit.
Kim Gilmour, inward investment manager of the Telford Development Agency (TDA), said: "Our end of year figures show that there were over 60 new investments, expansions or relocations within the town, creating around 1,000 new jobs and safeguarding some 800 more."
The TDA said the majority of these investments were from small to medium sized enterprises (SME's), and in line with national trends many of the projects are expansions of existing companies or mergers and acquisitions with the jobs being retained in the town.
However, there were some 35 new companies, including Folegate Risk Solutions at EustonPark, an insurance brokers which could create up to 150 jobs, the new International Hotel and Roaries, a family activity centre.
The agency also said there had been an increase in enquiries and successes from sectors like financial services, software and IT companies - but there was also a corresponding decline in traditional sectors like automotive, polymers and electronics.
The majority of enquiries and investments come from the West Midlands, where marketing expenditure is concentrated - but the town still receives 25 per cent of its enquiries from the rest of the UK or overseas, predominately the US, Germany and France.
Kim Gilmour added: " Telford is still an attractive place for business - it has quality land and property, lower operating costs and a tremendous business support network. Property agents report a big increase in demand for freehold properties including offices and interest in some of the larger vacant buildings in the town.
"So I am confident that 2005 will build on our efforts this year. English Partnerships is also talking to a number of companies about investing in land and developing buildings for owner occupation and will be releasing a site soon for speculative development.
"TDA will maintain investment in The Come to Telford campaign including continual development of the website, promoting our new CD and using recent research to enhance our service. We will also be supporting two important exhibitions in Telford; Plastics and Design Moulding and Manufacturer Live."
