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Companies in Colchester

Colchester is the 40th biggest place on the UK company register, with 17,064 live companies, or 0.3% of the UK total. 1,730 of those were formed in 2025. 1,070 (6.3%) have a proposal to strike off on file, below the UK figure of 7.3%. Compared with the UK as a whole, Colchester stands out for activities of insurance agents and brokers: 61 companies, 3.2 times the national share.

What Colchester has more of than the rest of the UK

Each trade's share of Colchester companies, compared with its share across the UK.

  • Activities of insurance agents and brokers (61 companies)3.2×
  • Residential nursing care facilities (59 companies)3.2×
  • Steam and air conditioning supply (16 companies)2.9×
  • Agents involved in the sale of fuels, ores, metals and industrial chemicals (16 companies)2.8×
  • Construction of railways and underground railways (24 companies)2.4×

Biggest trades in Colchester

Live Colchester companies, by year formed

Only companies still live are counted, so older years look smaller. 2026 stops on 1 November 2026.

20122026
See every year as a table
YearLive companies
2012398
2013462
2014495
2015605
2016594
2017705
2018782
2019905
2020841
2021828
2022908
20231,111
20241,289
20251,730
20261,664

Oldest active companies in Colchester

  1. The Tollesbury and Mersea Native Oyster Fishery CompanyFormed 1876
  2. The Colchester Masonic Hall CompanyFormed 1901
  3. Tiptree Jam CompanyFormed 1905
  4. Hotel YorkFormed 1906
  5. Davey and Company LondonFormed 1910

Funny company names registered in Colchester

Nearest in size

Town means the post town of the registered address, which isn't always where a company trades. Many companies use an accountant's or formation agent's address. Figures come from Companies House on 1 November 2026.

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