~rising stars~ 43. Aspen Pumps
Turnover: £12.5m (361%) Pre-tax profits: £543,000 (loss in previous year) Sector: Pump manufacturing Based: East Sussex Three engineers who were installing air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment established Aspen Pumps in 1992. They found that, during the installation of air-conditioning equipment, it was sometimes difficult to find a route for the condensation water. As a result, they developed the peristaltic condensate pump and from this they discovered ready-made markets for an easy-to-install, reliable condensate removal pump. Aspen Pumps has developed a vast range of pumps, designed for all conditions and installations. The turnaround from a loss of £111,000 to a profit of £543,000 last year is most impressive.
And five to watch...
46) Markco Media Sector: Marketing Based: Croydon Markco Media is a web-based marketing and advertising company that operates a voucher and deals network. Founded by Mark Pearson in 2006, the business reports revenue of about £10 million and looks set for significant future growth with plans to launch in more European markets and in China.
47) Mind Candy Sector: Gaming Based: London As one of the world’s fastest-growing social online gaming companies and developer of Moshi Monsters, Shoreditch-based Mind Candy is building strongly. In less than three years, Moshi Monsters, a social networking
website for children, has signed up more than 50 million children, including 13 million British six- to 12-year-olds.
48)
BuyMobilePhones.net Sector: Retail Based: Derby Founded in 1997 by Paul Sisson, the business was originally a chain of 14 high street shops in Derby. In 2003, Sisson launched an online arm,
BuyMobilePhones.net, which was so successful that he sold the shops in 2006 to concentrate on the online business. The company’s sales turnover is more than £40 million a year.
49) AnyJunk Sector: Collection Based: London Current-year sales are expected to be
around £5 million, up from £4 million last year, for the junk collection business that was founded by managing director Jason Mohr in November 2004. The business has released an iPhone app and has gained new clients, particularly in the social housing and home renovation sectors.
50) Global Personals Sector: IT Based: Berkshire Global Personals owns and operates its own online dating portfolio, including
Singles365.com and
DatingAgency.com, and also partners with brands and individuals to power their own dating sites. Revenue stood at £19.4 million last year, up from £13.7 million, but profits dipped in the same period because of the fast-paced growth.
44. TranslateMedia
Turnover: £3m (+25%) Pre-tax profits: £20,000 (+43%) Sector: Communications Based: London From its five offices on three continents, TranslateMedia provides professional language services to clients in a wide range of industries. The company has built its own translation management technology to ensure that online programs and documents can be produced in a number of languages. Led by managing director Rupert Evans, TranslateMedia recently secured a contract to supply translations for all the e-commerce websites belonging to a major clothes retailer. Its services are supplied to customers including Sporting Bet, RSM Tenon and online hotel booking webste
LateRooms.com
45. Knomo
Turnover: £3.3m (+45%) Pre-tax profits: £105,000 (loss in previous year) Sector: Retail/Manufacturing Based: London A designer and manufacturer of handbags made from the highest quality materials, Knomo has reported an increase in revenue of 45 per cent in the past year and a jump in pre-tax profit from a loss of £16,000 to a profit of £105,000. The company describes itself as a ‘techcessory’ brand that ‘fuses style with function’ in the design of its laptop-compatible work bags. Brand manager Caroline Mackay says, ‘We are still a young company and everything, from developing our branding to finessing our product offering, takes time to perfect. While it is an ever-evolving process, we are closer [to our vision] with our current collection and brand appeal than ever before.’
Methodology
The Business XL Top 50 Rising Stars is an annual ranking of UK-based fast-growing companies reporting turnover of between £2.5 million and £100 million and profits of at least £300,000. Sectors not eligible for the Enterprise Investment Scheme, such as property investment and financial services, are excluded, with the exception of nursing homes. All financials used are from the most recent year-end unless otherwise stated, though efforts have been made to assess the strength of the company’s performance following its latest annual report. The Top 50 Rising Stars is an independent ranking and no company has paid to be included. Data has been drawn from Companies House and the following sources:
Fame, a bureau van dijk product
www.fame.bvdep.com Fame contains detailed information on companies in the UK and Ireland, with software for searching and analysis
The AIM Guide
www.aimguide.co.uk A comprehensive publication with details of all public companies listed on AIM*
Growth Company Inves tor
www.growthcompany.co.uk An online investor resource for news and tips on
small-cap public companies*
*For more information or to order copies of the AIM Guide or Growth Company Investor call Anna Mulholland on 020 7250 7056 or email
anna.mulholland@
vitessemedia.co.uk
Contributors: Todd Cardy, Ellie Duncan, Ben Lobel, Hunter Ruthven
38 business xl
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