Doing business in Reading: case studies

Bayer Life Sciences

Global pharma giant, Bayer Life Sciences, has its UK and and Ireland HQ based in Reading.

Porterhouse Medical

Porterhouse Medical, scientific and medical communication agency based in Reading, providing services to pharma companies across the globe.

Nokia choose Reading

Following the consolidation of three satellite offices, Swindon, Newbury and Fleet, Nokia opened its new South East office in Arlington Business Park in 2018, employing 250 staff.

After three successful years at Pinewood Studios, Canadian video production application company Ross Video relocated to Reading (2017) to open a new, purpose-designed EMEA HQ and Customer Experience Centre.

Haslams

Reading’s number 1 estate agents. Haslams are the leading lettings estate agents for lettings, new homes and second hand homes.

Blandy & Blandy

Leading Thames Valley law firm Blandy & Blandy LLP is celebrating its 285th anniversary in 2018. Reading has been its home since 1733, making Blandy & Blandy one of the Thames Valley’s, and indeed the UK’s, longest established firms.

PwC Reading

A pre-eminent professional services organisation, PwC's Reading office is home to more than 400 staff and is set to expand further.

Recent arrivals

Huawei UK HQ in Reading

In April 2013, Chinese telecoms giant, Huawei, opened a new UK headquarters in Green Park, Reading. Huawei is mainland China’s largest investor into the UK. The company has 15 offices across the UK and 890 employees, planned to rise to 1,500 by 2017. Victor Zhang, chief executive of Huawei Technologies UK, said "Green Park is at the heart of the Britain's communications and technology industry, is well located for some of our major customers, has excellent transport links and is the right location for us as we continue our UK expansion."

Sunfor Lighting sets up European base in Reading

Chinese company, Sunfor Lighting Ltd has set up its UK base at Green Park. The parent company is Sichuan Sunfor Light Co and is based in Chengdu, the economically successful area of central China. Sunfor (China) is one of China’s largest and most successful manufacturers and distributors of commercial LED lighting and is now developing new markets in the UK and Europe. Its recent success and competitive advantage is being built on a new disruptive technology which creates a more uniform new generation AC LED lighting technology which is more efficient, has a longer product life and removes the ‘flicker to remove user experience. Its applications will be in street-lighting, car parks, shopping malls, terminals, offices as well as in the home. Mr TaoTao is leading the initial market research function for Sunfor assess the market opportunity and begin building a customer base.