Why is Warrington the best place for businesses to locate?

Top Reasons to Locate Your Business in Warrington and why Purely Energy

When Purely Energy was first established as a business in 2021, our business plan was to provide competitive energy prices for businesses. In 2021, with energy prices soaring, we saw an opportunity to create a business that helped other companies secure the lowest possible energy rates.

In order to achieve this, we must keep our fixed costs as low as possible. We have now helped hundreds of businesses save £100s or even £1000s.

Warrington was the best candidate after looking around for the perfect place to locate our new business. With plenty of transport links and easy access via multiple motorways, cheaper rent, and a platitude of support for new companies, basing Purely Energy in Warrington was a no-brainer.

Warrington is in the centre of two major cities, Manchester and Liverpool. Due to its fantastic road links, including the M62, M6, and M56, Warrington is exceptionally easy to commute to. Approximately 3.5 million people are within a 30-minute drive and 6.2 million people are within a 45-minute drive.

So, Warrington has a large labour pool, which is massively important to new businesses.

Since Purely Energy was founded in 2021, as of August 2024, we have grown to a team of 8. We are now hiring a finance manager, and over the past 12 days, 56 people have applied for the role. Something in many counties and even cities would be extremely difficult to achieve.

It is a testament to the Town that Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, chose Warrington in 1987 to open his very first store in the United Kingdom.

We found that the price of renting an office space in Liverpool or Manchester city centre could be double or even triple what it is here in Warrington. It is also cheaper for staff to park, with plenty of affordable parking spaces which can be as inexpensive as £2 per day. Purely Energy staff also have access to a free car park area. Affordable parking in other city centres can be a nightmare and many people turn down jobs without parking being avaliable.

Warrington also has excellent resources for new businesses. Firstly, 98% of Warrington has superfast broadband coverage.

In terms of recruitment, Purely Energy is committed to a sustained programme of growth, drawing on the deep pool of talent available across Warrington and the surrounding region. The company benefits from its proximity to major cities such as Liverpool and Manchester. Both of which offer access to experienced professionals as well as opportunities to recruit recent graduates. This regional advantage allows Purely to attract capable people as the business scales. Since starting in 2021, the company has grown year on year and currently stands at 24 team members. It is now looking to double its headcount to 50 by the end of the year, a significant and ambitious goal that the business is actively working towards. Continued investment in recruitment across Warrington, Liverpool and Manchester remains central to this plan, ensuring the company has the people it needs to support its long-term expansion.

Warrington has an impressive working-age population. A large percentage of candidates hold higher education degrees and skilled accreditations. This is owing to the high standard of education that the town's schools and colleges provide. Warrington Borough Council oversees 76 primary schools and 22 secondary schools. The town has also gained a recent addition in the form of University Centre Warrington, further strengthening the local pipeline of qualified candidates.

Warrington & Co. also offer grants to help businesses expand. Purely Energy has been offered one such grant. It assists with the costs of training staff and I.T. expenditure. This is an amazing opportunity, and it is well worth any new business considering it when choosing to locate in Warrington. Support of this kind can make a real difference in the early stages of growth. Warrington also performs strongly on employment. It has been ranked as the 4th best town in the UK for job growth, which further underlines its appeal as a place to build a business.

Leisure within Warrington is also impressive. Constant redevelopment across the town means it is not just an ideal place for the company to be based. But it also offers a wide range of social and leisure activities. There are plenty of coffee shops and restaurants to visit on a break, as well as shops that stay open until 6pm, and until 8pm on Thursdays. The town centre continues to grow, with new venues, green spaces and independent businesses adding to its appeal. This makes Warrington a genuinely enjoyable place to work, offering staff a good balance between their working day and their free time.

At Purely Energy we are extremely proud to call Warrington our base and look forward to our future here, hopefully as a major employer in the area.