Birmingham

:This article is about the city in England. For other uses, please see Birmingham, Alabama or other places named Birmingham.

Economy

:Main articles: Economy of Birmingham, Birmingham transport history

Related Topics:
Economy of Birmingham - Birmingham transport history

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Birmingham is an important manufacturing and engineering centre, employing over 100,000 people in industry and contributing billions of pounds to the national economy. Over a quarter of the UK's exports originate in the greater Birmingham area.

Related Topics:
Manufacturing - Engineering - Pounds

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Birmingham's industrial heritage predates the Industrial Revolution, and up until the 20th Century the city maintained a tradition of individual craftsmen, sometimes working independently in their own back yards or on piecework rates in rented workshops, alongside larger factories. During the Industrial Revolution many factories, foundries and businesses prospered in the city, including the areas known as the Gun Quarter and the Jewellery Quarter. The Jewellery Quarter is still the largest concentration of dedicated jewellers in Europe, and one third of the jewellery manufactured in the UK is made within one mile of Birmingham city centre. Until 2003, coins for circulation were manufactured in the Jewellery Quarter at the Birmingham Mint, the oldest independent mint in the world, which continues to produce commemorative coins and medals.

Related Topics:
Industrial Revolution - 20th Century - Gun Quarter - Jewellery Quarter - 2003 - Coin - Birmingham Mint - Mint - Commemorative coin - Medal

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James Watt improved the Steam Engine while working in the city, and historically the largest manufacturers in the city have been associated with the steam, electric and petrol transport and power industries. The city's workers designed and constructed railway carriages, steam engines, bicycles, automobiles and even – unusually for somewhere so far from the sea – ships, which were made as pre-fabricated sections, then assembled at the coast. Birmingham was home to two major car factories: MG Rover in Longbridge and Jaguar in Castle Bromwich. However, the future for the former looks bleak, as MG Rover went into administration in 2005, resulting in the plant being mothballed and the loss of 6,000 jobs at the site, plus more in the supply chain.

Related Topics:
James Watt - Steam Engine - Steam - Electric - Petrol - Railway - Carriage - Steam engines - Bicycles - Automobiles - Ships - MG Rover - Longbridge - Jaguar - Castle Bromwich - 2005 - Supply chain

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The city's present day products include motor vehicles, vehicle components and accessories, weapons, electrical equipment, plastics, machine tools, chemicals, food, jewellery and glass. Scientific research (including research into nanotechnology at the University of Birmingham) is expanding in the city. Other famous brands from the "city of a thousand trades" include Bakelite, Bird's Custard, Brylcreem, BSA, Cadbury's chocolate, Chad Valley toys, Halfords, HP Sauce, Typhoo Tea and Valor.

Related Topics:
Weapon - Plastic - Machine tool - Chemical - Jewellery - Glass - Nanotechnology - University of Birmingham - Brand - City of a thousand trades - Bakelite - Bird's Custard - Brylcreem - BSA - Cadbury's chocolate - Chad Valley toys - Halfords - HP Sauce - Typhoo Tea - Valor

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Birmingham has over 500 law firms, and is Europe's second largest insurance market. The city attracts over 40% of the UK's total conference trade. Two of Britain's "big four" banks were founded there. Lloyds Bank (now Lloyds TSB) began in 1765 and the Midland Bank (now part of HSBC) opened in Union Street in August 1836.

Related Topics:
Law firm - Europe - Insurance - Conference - Big four - Lloyds TSB - 1765 - Midland Bank - HSBC - 1836

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In recent years Birmingham's economy has diversified into service industries, retailing, tourism and conference hosting, which are now the main employers in the city. Millions of people visit Birmingham every year, and in 2004 the city was named the second best place to shop in England after the West End of London http://www.guardian.co.uk/northsouth/article/0,2763,1160740,00.html. Attractions for visitors include Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Millennium Point, Bull Ring, Selfridges Building, Cadbury World, Tolkien Trail http://www.virtualbrum.co.uk/tolkien.htm, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the National Sea Life Centre.

Related Topics:
Service industries - Retailing - Tourism - Conference - West End of London - Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Millennium Point - Bull Ring - Selfridges - Cadbury World - Tolkien - Birmingham Royal Ballet - National Sea Life Centre

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