Editing Slough (section)

==Economy==
[[File:Red White Blue Slough.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Slough Trading Estate]] played a major part in making Slough an important business centre in South East England.]]
{{Multiple image
|align=right
|direction=vertical
|image1=Tesco Extra slough, Wellington Street.jpg
|caption1=The [[Tesco]] Extra store, one of the largest in Europe
|image2=Scottish & Southern Slough Power Station.jpg
|caption2=The private power station for Slough Trading Estate. This has been supplying heat and power to the estate since 1920. In 2007 it was taken over by energy supplier [[Scottish and Southern Energy]].
|image3=Slough Retail Park.jpg
|caption3=Slough Retail Park, one of many large outlets in the town
}}

Before the 19th century, the main businesses of Slough were brickfields and agriculture. The bricks for the building of [[Eton College]] were made in Slough. Later, as the [[A4 road (England)|Great West Road]] traffic increased, inns and pubs sprang up along the road to service the passing trade. Until the town developed as an industrial area, [[Nursery (horticulture)|nurseries]] were prominent in the local economy; the [[Cox's Orange Pippin]] apple was first raised in Colnbrook (not then within Slough) around 1825, and the [[dianthus]] "Mrs Sinkins Pink" was first raised at some point between 1868<ref>p20, ''The Changing Face of Slough'', Slough Museum, Breedon Books, Derby, 2003</ref> and 1883<ref>Fraser (1973), p. 100.</ref> by John Sinkins, the master of the [[Eton, Berkshire|Eton]] [[Poor Law Union|Union]] [[Workhouse]],<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plantprofile_pinks.shtml Plant profiles: Pinks, dianthus]. BBC Gardening. Retrieved 24 February 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205203050/http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plantprofile_pinks.shtml |date=5 February 2009 }}</ref> which lay in Slough.

In the mid-19th century, the only major employer apart from the brickfields was [[James Elliman]], who started as a draper in Chandos Street. In 1847, he changed business and manufactured his Elliman's Embrocation and Royal Embrocation horse [[liniment]] at factories in Wellington Street and Chandos Street. Elliman became a major benefactor to the town, and is remembered today in the names of local roads and schools.

In September 1851, [[William Thomas Buckland]], an [[auctioneer]] and [[surveying|surveyor]] from nearby [[Wraysbury]], began livestock sales in a field near the Great Western Road Railway Station belonging to the North Star Inn. Originally held on the first Tuesday of every month, the Cattle Market's popularity soon saw this increased to every Tuesday. A move to Wexham Street was necessitated by the postwar redevelopment of the town. The Slough Cattle Market was run by Messrs Buckland and Sons until its final closure in 1988.<ref>''The History of Buckland & Sons'' by Edward Barry Bowyer FRICS (1973).</ref>

In 1906, [[Horlicks|James Horlick]], one of the founders of the eponymous [[Horlicks|malted milk]] company, opened a purpose-built red-brick factory near Slough Railway Station to manufacture his malted milk product. In 2015, the business was sold by [[Glaxo Smith Kline]] and in 2017, manufacturing at the site ceased altogether. The site is currently proposed to become residential making use of the original buildings as much as possible.

Starting in the 1920s, [[Slough Estates Ltd]], the operator of the original [[Slough Trading Estate]], created and operated many more estates in the UK and abroad. The Slough Trading Estate meant that the town was largely insulated from many of the effects of [[recession]]. For many years, Slough's economy was mainly manufacturing-based. The company Zwicky Limited, a manufacturer of liquid pumps, filters, compression valves and aircraft refuelling units, runway sweepers were based in Slough.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Zwicky | title=Zwicky - Graces Guide }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=Bloxsomes, Slough - Builders' Merchants and Ironmongers | url=https://irp.cdn-website.com/3740d787/files/uploaded/Slough%20Estate%20Journal%201933.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240802033840/https://irp.cdn-website.com/3740d787/files/uploaded/Slough%20Estate%20Journal%201933.pdf | archive-date=2024-08-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.postcards-from-slough.co.uk/home/slough-at-war/industry-at-war-part-1/ | title=Postcards from Slough - Industry at War }}</ref>

In the last 20 or so years,{{when|date=April 2025}} there has been a major shift from a manufacturing to an information-based economy, with the closure of many factories (some of which had been in Slough for many decades). The factories are rapidly being replaced by office buildings. Hundreds of major companies have sited in Slough Trading Estate over the years, with its proximity to London [[Heathrow Airport]] and good motorway connections being attractive. In the 1960s, [[Gerry Anderson]]'s film company was based in Slough, and his [[Supermarionation]] series, including ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'', were filmed there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/news/15008144.Thunderbirds_return_to_their_Slough_home/|title=Thunderbirds return to their Slough home|date=7 January 2017 }}</ref>

The UK headquarters of [[Mars, Incorporated]] is in Slough, the main factory having been established in 1932 by [[Forrest Mars Sr.]] and [[Frank C. Mars]]. It produced the [[Mars Bar]] in Slough over 70 years ago. One of the Mars factories has been demolished and some production has moved to the Czech Republic. The European head offices of major IT companies such as [[BlackBerry (company)|BlackBerry]], [[McAfee]], [[CA Technologies|Computer Associates]], [[PictureTel]] and Compusys (among others) are all in the town. [[O2 plc|O<sub>2</sub>]] is headquartered in the town across four buildings. The town is also home to the business support organisation [[Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group]] and [[National Foundation for Educational Research]], which is housed in the Mere.

Recent new offices include those of [[Nintendo]], [[Black and Decker]] and [[Abbey business centres]].<ref>[https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=502584 Location of registered office of Amazon.co.uk Ltd]. Retrieved 27 December 2008.</ref> The registered office of [[Furniture Village]] lies in the town.<ref>[http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/f33d3433015f53f3d573116a7a132479/compdetails "Furniture Village Limited"], [[Companies House]]. Retrieved 5 March 2011.</ref>

The motor trade has long been represented in Slough. Until 1966, [[Citroën]] assembled cars in a Liverpool Road factory (later used by Mars Confectionery), and it retains its UK headquarters in the town. [[Ford of Britain|Ford]] built [[Ford D series|D Series]] and [[Ford Cargo|Cargo]] lorries at its factory in Langley (a former [[Hawker Aircraft]] site) from 1936 to the 1950s<ref>p120, ''The Changing Face of Slough'', Slough Museum, Breedon Books, Derby, 2003</ref> until the site was redeveloped for housing in the 1990s. [[Ferrari]], [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]], [[Fiat]] and [[Maserati]] now have offices in the town.