Investment Opportunities for UK Companies with US Offices

Trade and investment between the United Kingdom and the United States are at the heart of the economic prosperity for companies in US and UK

As the world’s first and fifth largest economies in the world, the U.S. and the U.K. currently trade more than $250 billion worth of goods and services each year. Each country is a major source of foreign direct investment for the other, with the two-way direct investment totaling more than $1.5 trillion. 

And with a diverse and qualified talent pool and access to some of the United States’ top research universities, Fairfax County is the competitive choice for U.K. businesses and startups investing in the North American market. With a strategic location on the East Coast, the 5-hour time difference and direct flights to London make working across the ocean convenient. With a favorable cost of living and proximity to a major metropolitan hub, it’s a sensible and attractive choice for British companies to have companies in US and UK. 

More than 60 U.K. companies are already part of the dynamic and diverse business community in Fairfax County, located just west of Washington, D.C. A concentration of government and national security institutions like the FBI and CIA couldn’t be closer. As a result, Fairfax County boasts the nation’s largest pool of full-time security cleared staff. 

With 10 Fortune 500 headquarters, leading government contractors, a mix of more than 10,000 technology businesses, American companies and global headquarters calling the region home, Fairfax County caters to a variety of fields.  

With so many universities and research centers paired with a tech sector that rivals competitors, Fairfax County provides powerful regional innovation pulls in cybersecurity and cloud, aerospace and defense, AI, pharmaceuticals, financial services, healthcare, telecommunications and life sciences. British innovators have made trending headlines in recent years in life sciences, emerging as leaders with their groundbreaking vaccine technology in 2020 during the pandemic. 

While international corporations such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google have invested in Fairfax County, those in the U.K. can also join fellow British companies, PLCs and private equity firms in choosing Fairfax County. The quality of life, walkable urban areas and cultural offerings are also a draw that has attracted Brits to this region of the USA.  

While the region is attractive to startups and entrepreneurs, many established British companies have already selected Fairfax County as their U.S. home of choice, including BAE Systems, automotive giant Rolls-Royce, Serco, Inmarsat, Deloitte, HSBC and Sophos. These are just a few UK companies with US offices in Fairfax. 

The FCEDA has maintained an office in the U.K. since 1998 and serves as a go-to resource for companies interested in expanding into the U.S. market.

The ideal setting for international business success in the U.S.

Exploring a new region for office expansion? Let us help.

Melanie Redding

Director

FairfaxUK@fceda.org
+44 7802 550444
LinkedIn

Rankings & Facts

25%

of jobs are in the tech sector

65.5%

of adults hold a bachelor’s or higher education degree

15

of the Forbes “Best Employers for Diversity 2021” call Fairfax County home

45

different countries represented in the region’s employers

#4

top tech talent market according to CBRE

Top companies driving business investment and innovation in Fairfax County