About business in Stroud District
The Stroud district is in the Cotswolds in south Gloucestershire, and covers far more than Stroud town. Its western boundary is formed by the Severn estuary; to the north lies Gloucester, whilst Cotswold district (Cirencester) lies to the east. Bristol is 15 miles from the southern boundary of the district and Birmingham, Swindon, Cardiff and Oxford are all commutable.
Stroud town was the hub of the mid Gloucestershire cloth producing industry, transforming it from a traditional Cotswold town to a vigorous Victorian business and social centre. This is evident now in the plethora of historic mills lining the valleys.
Today, the district hosts a wide range of businesses: many SMEs have set up shop in the old mills. Over 20% of Gloucestershire’s GDP is in engineering, and Stroud district has many specialist engineering firms, reflecting the long-standing industrial economy of the district.
Overall the business sector is thriving (the unemployment rate is around half the national average).
The district has acres of outstanding scenery well worth turning off for at junction 13 of the M5. If your business is in Birmingham, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Oxford, Swindon, Bristol, Bath, Cardiff or anywhere in the area defined by those places, you will find clients in Stroud district.