Ask About Business

Trafford, part of the Greater Manchester conurbation, is bordered by Salford to the north, Manchester to the east and the Cheshire plains to the south. Spread over a diverse landscape that includes urban, rural and industrial areas Trafford Council was created in 1974 and is made up of four main towns; Altrincham, Sale, Stretford and Urmston.

The area has a long history of industry and commerce, fuelled in the 1700's and 1800's by the building of the canal and railway networks. Trafford's first factory was opened in Partington in 1755 while in 1896 Trafford Park became the world's first industrial park. Towards the end of the 20th Century the Trafford Park Development Corporation regenerated the area so that today it remains Europe's largest, with over 1,400 businesses employing 35,000 people.
In modern times the 10,000 businesses in Trafford cover a broad spectrum including manufacturing, retail, transport and the service sector. International brands such as Kelloggs, Adidas and L'Oreal have chosen to make Trafford their base while a rising number of SME's are taking advantage of the skilled local workforce and excellent transport links.

Altrincham library, situated in the south of Trafford, is home to the main reference library. Here there is also a small business section with a range of information in both electronic and traditional formats. Resources include:

FAME (Financial Analysis Made Easy)
D&B Business Registrar
Key British Enterprises
Who Owns Whom
Directory of Directors
Kelly's Industrial Directory
Kompass
The Retail Directory

Journals include:

Business
Moneyfacts
Caterer and Hotelkeeper
The Economist
The Grocer
Management Today

There is a recently updated careers and employment section and a dedicated PC should you wish to write a CV. The library also provides public internet access, back copies of newspapers, including The Financial Times, and faxing and photocopying facilities. Staff are on hand should you require any assistance.

The library is located in the center of Altrincham opposite the main bus, tram and rail interchange and is easily accessed from the motorway network.

For more information visit us at www.trafford.gov.uk/libraries or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it