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Companies in Preston

Preston is the 27th biggest place on the UK company register, with 21,667 live companies, or 0.4% of the UK total. 2,657 of those were formed in 2025. 1,516 (7.0%) have a proposal to strike off on file, close to the UK figure of 7.3%. Compared with the UK as a whole, Preston stands out for construction of utility projects for fluids: 20 companies, 5.4 times the national share.

What Preston has more of than the rest of the UK

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

• Construction of utility projects for fluids (20 companies)5.4×
• Growing of vegetables and melons, roots and tubers (22 companies)3.7×
• Postal activities under universal service obligation (20 companies)3.3×
• Raising of dairy cattle (18 companies)2.9×
• Licensed carriers (29 companies)2.5×

Biggest trades in Preston

• Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate1,203
• Buying and selling of own real estate865
• Management consultancy activities other than financial management767
• Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet693
• Development of building projects425
• Other human health activities381
• Take-away food shops and mobile food stands358
• Information technology consultancy activities349

Live Preston companies, by year formed

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

See every year as a table

Year	Live companies
2012	464
2013	539
2014	574
2015	635
2016	683
2017	801
2018	883
2019	1,096
2020	1,074
2021	1,093
2022	1,215
2023	1,484
2024	1,797
2025	2,657
2026	2,517

Oldest active companies in Preston

Funny company names registered in Preston

Nearest in size

• Newcastle upon Tyne
• Derby
• Cambridge
• Luton
• Croydon
• Stockport

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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