FACTS AND FIGURES

YCF and Yorkshire Forward completed a cluster mapping study in the first half of 2005 to provide a base set of data about the industry and to help set the initial project agenda.

• The chemical industry in West Yorkshire generates over £2.2 billion of direct sales and employs almost 11,000 people
• The industry has been growing at a faster rate than GDP
• 55% of products produced by the West Yorkshire chemical industry are exported
• Around 80% of the 230 chemical companies in West Yorkshire employ fewer than 50 people

The Yorkshire chemical industry makes products that end up in a wide range of other products and end uses. Here are some examples:

• Cosmetics and toiletries
• Cleaning products
• Paint
• Agricultural products
• Lubricants
• Plastic – containers, bottles, doors etc
• Paper production
• Adhesives and sealants
• Water treatment
• Pharmaceutical ingredients
• Textile production