Bolton is 13 miles north west of Manchester and 30 minutes by road from Manchester Airport and its connections to 170 destinations worldwide. It is 35 miles east of Liverpool and its container port and less than an hour by road. It lies at the heart of the country's motorway network with the M61 linking the town with the M6, the M60 and the M62 .

Bolton has always been at the forefront of technological innovation. The town was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution and its inhabitants played a major part in the economic growth of the nation. Its prosperity was founded on its cotton industry and Boltonian Samuel Crompton revolutionised the spinning industry with his invention of the 'Mule'.

Engineering has long been established in Bolton as a major source of employment and wealth, originally to support the textile industry. Later, industry became more diversified, for example with the establishment of the Locomotive Works at Horwich and De Havilland aircraft at Lostock. Both these sites are now being redeveloped and are an integral part of Bolton WIDE.

Bolton continues to be a successful centre for manufacturing, but it is now also an important location for service industries. Massive investment and town centre development have already paid off, and with the help of a forward thinking Council, new industries have blossomed. The enormous brick built mills of yesteryear have been replaced by new industrial estates and technology parks.

Traditional crafts have been superseded by new skills and new technologies. Bolton is adapting itself to the challenge of the 21st century and this has generated the confidence for investment by the business community who recognise the benefits of working and living in Bolton.