2,096 active companies are registered in Retford with Companies House. Out of 2,439 companies ever registered here, 165 are no longer active — a 86% survival rate. Business formation remains steady, with 47.5% of current companies established since 2020. Over half (56%) of active companies were formed since 2020, making this one of the UK's fastest-growing business locations. The most common industry sector is other letting and operating of own or leased real estate, with 132 companies. Retford is home to 70 FCA-regulated firms and 21 registered charities. Companies here hold 95 government contracts worth £128.3M in total. The average company age is 10.1 years. The earliest company registration in Retford dates back to 1895.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, September 2026
A diverse local economy with no single sector accounting for more than 15% of businesses.
The average active company in Retford is 10.1 years old. There are 70 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 21 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Retford have been awarded 95 government contracts with a combined value of £128.3M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 2,096 active companies registered in Retford, out of 2,439 total. 165 (7%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Retford include Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (132 companies), Buying and selling of own real estate (82 companies), Management consultancy activities other than financial management (76 companies).
47.5% of currently active companies in Retford were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 14,377 data signals across 11 categories for active companies in Retford. The largest category is Governance with 6,487 signals from 6 sources.
The oldest company registration in Retford dates back to 1895, spanning over 131 years of business history.