Almelo is Preston’s oldest twin town and is situated in eastern Holland in the region known as Twente. The link was established in 1948 and was largely based on a shared heritage in textile manufacturing. Almelo’s cotton industry has now largely disappeared but it retains a number of similarities with Preston as a market town with a large agricultural hinterland. Like Preston the 1970’s saw industry dwindling and factories were relocating to cheaper labour countries. Some factories remain in the city centre and have been converted into apartments and offices. But the regeneration goes much further than this. The design of the library‘ the water board building and the law courts give the town an image of quality. On the outskirts of the town is Almelo Centraal where the district courts are now situated and an impressive factory complex originally dating from 1915 called Twente Centrum serves managed workspaces.
Population - 72,103 (1 January 2007)
Date Updated: 08/09/09