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Solent 250 ’Ones to Watch’ Awards 2012
Mid-sized businesses (MSBs), typically employing 50-500 people, are the hidden success story of the UK economy, said Grant Thornton assurance partner Norman Armstrong, as he presented an International Business Growth Award, as part of the Solent 250 dinner
“Mid-sized businesses in Britain in the past 12 months have outstripped all other sectors in terms of growth, employment and economic success. Those are the companies that you people in this room and the Solent 250 listings represent.
“That success is down to the leadership of those companies taking bold and brave decisions over the past few years since the recession, taking the long-term view, investing when required, seeking new markets both in the UK and internationally.
“Our research* suggests that the MSB sector is actually the area where the focus, support and attention should go in order to really make a difference.
“Companies in this MSB space are expected to grow by at least 4% and create over 60,000 jobs.“
Noting recent headlines made by Ford’s proposed closure of its Ford Transit production site at Swaythling, he added: “I would bet that Solent 250 companies have created more new jobs in the past 12 months than that factory will lose.
“You are the unsung heroes of British business in this region and it’s one of the reasons that Grant Thornton, Paris Smith, Santander and The Business Magazine collaborated three years ago to create the Solent 250 in order to raise the profile of what we see as the leading businesses in our economic region.“
David Murray, managing director and publisher of The Business Magazine, said this year’s Solent 250 listings showed that the 250 companies together employed 83,500 people and had a combined turnover of £11.1billion – up from £10.9b last year.
“These companies make a significant contribution to the economy of the south,“ he said.
He announced more feature page profiles of successful businesses, plans for a roundtable discussion in the New Year, and a business breakfast briefing. A special Solent 250 portal will be created on The Business Magazine website, and a refreshed Solent 250 LinkedIn group will also be launched.
* Agents of Growth – ’How mid-sized businesses are beating the market’ is a research report published by Grant Thornton and the Centre for Economics and Business Research.
“The Solent 250 is not a pecking order. It is a grouping of talented and successful companies, many involved on a global stage, and all helping to put the Solent region firmly on the business map.“
David Murray And the winners are ...
Family Owned & Managed Company of the Year: Churchill Retirement Group (Sponsored by Paris Smith)
Based in Ringwood, Churchill Retirement (Solent 250 No 67) is the second-largest developer in the retirement sector and specialises in developing attractive, purpose-built retirement properties in the UK. “They have maintained their position as one of the fastest growing privately-owned companies in the retirement sector and significantly increased their turnover, in what can only be described as ’challenging times’ for developers,“ said Paris Smith partner James McNeil.
www.businessmag.co.uk
Paris Smith partner James McNeil (left) and Dean Marlow of Churchill Retirement Group
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – DECEMBER 12/JANUARY 13
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