A record number of jobs have been created across the county with help from an agency that waves the flag for Kent and Medway.

Locate in Kent shrugged off the credit crunch and other economic problems to reveal that it helped 75 companies create 2,356 jobs in the past 12 months, a 42 per cent increase on last year.

The agency, based in Kings Hill, West Malling, promotes the county as a great place for business to companies thinking of moving in or planning to grow.

A wide range of businesses moved to the county or expanded their operations, especially in financial services, ICT, food and agriculture.

In particular, LiK helped Fresca Group to embark on its Thanet Earth glasshouse project that promises to create more than 550 new jobs in East Kent.

Organic food delivery business Abel and Cole opened a new distribution centre for deliveries across Kent, East Sussex and South East London.

Cabot Financial, a rapidly-growing debt purchase business, stayed at Kings Hill by moving into new larger offices that will enable the firm to grow its work-force to 600.

LiK is also targeting enterprises in North West Europe and saw overseas investment rise from 14 per cent to 18 per cent. Around half of all jobs and 80 per cent of capital investment came from abroad.

LiK, which is funded by Kent County Council, Medway council, developers and other organisations, promoted the county at seminars in France.

It is using the opening of Ebbsfleet International Station and the county’s high-speed links with mainland Europe as another good reason for overseas firms to set up in the county.

More than 100 people attended a results event in Oakwood House, Maidstone, last night. (22)

KCC leader Paul Carter said it had been a successful year for a county which was recently named among the top 25 European Regions of the Future.

"We expect interest in our award-winning county to grow further given the launch of high speed rail connections to London from next year, new development projects and planned expansion and improvements to infrastructure and facilities."

Lik chief executive Paul Wookey added: "Our good pipeline of projects and inquiries indicates Kent is well-placed to cope with whatever the financial market may bring and the county offers an excellent cost effective solution to businesses feeling the credit squeeze.

"We have ambitious plans for the county and will develop and implement a targeted sector approach, in particular targeting the financial and business services sector; an area where we have identified significant growth potential for Kent."