Companies in the North of England are growing at a faster rate than anywhere else in the country according to one of the country's leading business figures.
Ian Powell, the chairman of top-four accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) told The Telegraph that the firm’s regional offices in the North have experienced double-digit growth over the last year with a marked upswing in deals and a rise jobs. He said the manufacturing industry was a massive contributor to the strong performance in the region.
“We see significant potential right across the UK with businesses of all sizes showing signs of increased confidence,” Mr Powell told The Telegraph. “UK regions are growing, with the North performing particularly strongly, and from our experience, the retail and manufacturing sectors being most active.”
“Manufacturing and speciality engineering are undoubtedly enjoying a resurgence in Yorkshire and the North East. Onshoring processes which had previously been taken offshore, investing in capital and skills training – including apprenticeships – and a focus on exports are all features we are seeing,” said Mr Powell, who singled out Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle as cities where companies were experiencing rapid growth.
