THAMES VALLEY 250
®
Growth is the winning formula for 250 companies
Sales growth is still the key dominating factor powering the success of Thames Valley 250 companies – our multi-billion-pound listing of the top private businesses in the region
Many of the 250 companies have enjoyed turnover increases in the past year – and for some the growth has been headline-grabbing.
The £23 billion-plus listing – now in its sixth year – includes significant growth at Enrichment Technology (number 3), the joint-venture company owned by Urenco and Areva, which has exclusive responsibility for the development and manufacture of world-leading centrifuge enrichment technology.
With its head office in Beaconsfield, ETC operates as an independent company, delivering enrichment plants so that uranium can be used as fuel – part of the process that provides electricity to homes and factories in a number of countries.
Another success story is Westcoast, (4) the Reading-based IT products supplier, where sales have jumped from just over £1 billion to nearly £1.5b. Westcoast distributes everything from software to storage media, from mobile phone accessories to monitors and works with HP, Toshiba, Samsung and many more.
Ridgeway Garages (8) has seen a £100 million increase in sales, growing on the back of growth in demand for “executive” cars such as Jaguar, BMW, Audi and Mercedes, but also opening new dealerships such as Maserati at Oxford.
Softcat’s (10) year-on-year sales rise almost reached £200m. The leading provider of IT infrastructure to the corporate and public sectors, Marlow-based Softcat, under CEO Martin Hellawell, recently achieved second place in the UK’s Great Place to Work competition.
Blue Sky Intermodal (34), also Marlow-based, has seen sales jump from £68m to £115m. The company is an international marine container leasing specialist, and also provides new containers, built in China, for sale throughout many worldwide locations.
Peter Brett Associates (77) is an example of a fast-growing firm in the services sector. The Reading-based consultancy, celebrating its 50th birthday, specialises in development and infrastructure, and has seen sales grow from £32m to £47.4m.
Focusrite Audio Engineering (89), a High Wycombe headquartered audio equipment manufacturer, counts heavy metal band Motorhead as one of its customers. The company was founded in 1985 and grew under chairman Phil Dudderidge, once a soundman for Led Zeppelin.
Fascinating stories emerge from many of the companies in our 250 – now established as the key ranking of privately-owned businesses that have their headquarters in the Thames Valley. Together these companies employ nearly 120,000.
Based on accounts at Companies House, plus financial data sources such as Experian and FAME, the TV 250 is compiled by The Business Magazine and sponsored by HSBC, business advisers Grant Thornton and law firm Blake Morgan.
This year’s list is unveiled at a private dinner at Coworth Park, the five-star hotel near Ascot, and the list in full appears in the pages that follow. The 250 can also be viewed online on our website from this month.
The dinner includes special presentations to award-winning companies that had performed exceptionally during the past year.
• In next month’s issue: profiles of winning companies and more from the launch of the 2015 Thames Valley 250.
Rules of engagement
• Thames Valley 250 companies are private, independent businesses
• Listed companies (either LSE or foreign stockmarkets) are excluded
• Companies must be trading in the Thames Valley region, with their main headquarters located in the region
• Companies that have their registered office in the region, but don’t trade from that address, are excluded
• Foreign-owned companies are excluded
• Businesses in last year’s 250 were asked to submit their latest results; some of these are included as they are more current than our other sources
• Otherwise, Companies House records are used, provided by FAME
• In some cases, last year’s turnover, published in the 2014 250, has been updated
• The Thames Valley region is defined as Berkshire, Hampshire (north of Basingstoke), south Bucks, Oxon (south of Banbury) and parts of Surrey.
For further details about the Thames Valley 250, contact events manager Linda Morse
Details:
linda@elcot.co.uk
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JULY/AUGUST 2015
www.businessmag.co.uk
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