01 — Local economy
Business in Stoke-on-Trent
Six pottery towns merged in 1910 to form the city, and makers such as Steelite, Churchill China, Portmeirion and Emma Bridgewater still produce tableware here, with Wedgwood at nearby Barlaston. Online betting firm bet365 is headquartered in Stoke and is a major employer, and the city's position on the M6 and A50 has drawn large distribution centres for retailers.
Also known as Stoke and The Potteries.
Where software helps: Stoke's ceramics makers manage kiln-batch production, glaze and shade grading, seconds and breakage, and export orders to hotel and restaurant buyers worldwide, which basic stock and invoicing tools rarely model well.