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news 5 In the words of Han Solo – “Everything’s under control”


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Pick & Pack Contact SOLO to see how we can ‘cut through’ the time and cost of communicating with your customers Topping the Fast Track 100 listing


While most people are happy to cast aside old or damaged mobile phones, these have proved to be gold dust to one company which makes money by unlocking their residual value.


The mission of GreenTech Distribution has been so successful that it has taken it to top spot in the latest Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 table, which ranks Britain's 100 private companies with the fastest-growing sales over the past three years.


The High Wycombe-based firm buys unwanted phones from insurance companies, service providers and retailers. Then it either resells them — usually back into Europe’s open marketplace for mobile devices — or salvages components to repair other handsets.


Co-founder and chief executive Richard Crawley honed his skills while working as sales director at Data Select, the mobile phone distributor founded by Peter Jones, one of the stars of TV’s Dragons’ Den.


Crawley set up GreenTech Distribution – originally GreenTech Recycling – in 2010 after the telecoms distribution business he owned (RP Europe) began receiving requests to recycle handsets. He was joined at the helm of the new venture by Lucky Anand, a serial tech entrepreneur, as chief operating officer.


With a staff of just 20 the company has grown its sales by an average of 248% a year to £48.9 million last year. It has also grown by buying stakes in businesses in Poland and the Netherlands, an international presence that has helped it to win a deal to provide an in-house repair service in more than 40 Samsung stores across Europe.


Middle Phones Direct, the Thatcham online phone retailer founded in 2011 by chairman Karl Borges, was the second-highest placed Thames Valley company at number 16 nationally.


Led by chief executive Ben Branson, the company sells mobile phone accessories, handsets – from manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung and Sony – and contracts from providers EE, Vodafone and Talkmobile.


With over 50 staff, it has focused on improving its search engine rankings and online marketing, helping to lift revenues to £63.6m last year and averaging 101% growth a year.


Anesco, the Reading company which headed THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – FEBRUARY 2016


the table for the past two years, still maintained a top 20 spot. It installs and maintains renewable energy equipment such as solar panels and heat pumps for homeowners, local authorities and businesses.


The company was spun out of Scottish & Southern Energy in 2010 by co-founders Adrian Pike and Tim Payne. Diversification into new products such as biomass boilers, battery storage and street lighting helped sales grow to £160.2m last year, averaging over 95% increases.


Now with a staff of over 100, and claiming to have helped to take more than 275,000 people out of fuel poverty, it is forecasting sales of £200m next year despite cuts in subsidies for renewables.


Guildford-based Giggling Squid, a restaurant chain set up by husband and wife Andy and Pranee Laurillard in 2008, gained 42nd place after sales hit £7.7m last year, averaging growth of 68%.


It now has 14 restaurants employing 300 people across southern England and the Midlands, and plans to open between eight and 10 new ones a year. It recently secured £6.4m from Business Growth Fund for a minority stake, and Simon Kossoff – former chief executive of Carluccio’s – joined as non-executive chairman.


Thames Valley companies in the lower half of the table were:


56 Pacific Produce of Thame, founded in 2010


by Rob Cullum and Estuardo Malaga to sell citrus fruit and avocados from Malaga’s farm in Peru. Employing just 10 staff, the company now trades food grown across Latin America and further afield. Sales last year were £31m, averaging 60%.


59 Cennox at Camberley, a firm offering installation, repair and security services for cash machine operators. It also makes signs and surrounds for cash machines. Founded by former Travelex director Clive Nation, it grew sales to £24.2m last year, averaging 59%.


84 Huntswood, a Reading business that handles customer complaints and regulatory issues for UK banks, pension firms and insurers. Sales totalled £250.1m last year, averaging 48.6% a year. It is owned by founder David Brownlow and the management, and now employs some 1,400 staff.


92 Mint Velvet at High Wycombe, whose range of women’s clothing, accessories and footwear is available online, in its 28 shops and in 90 concessions in department store chains. Sales tripled over the past three years to £63.1m last year (average 45%).


98 Nurture Landscapes of Windlesham, a landscape gardening business that serves customers that include the Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate Modern and the Wellcome Trust. Sales last year were £16.7m (average 43%).


The table is compiled by Oxford-based Fast Track.


NEXT EDITION NEXT EDITION In the March issue of The Business Magazine


• Legal Spotlight New firms, mergers and a changed environment


• Focus on Slough £7.5 billion turnover centre for business


• Technology Hosting and the cloud


• Marketing The only constant is change


To participate in these features email


Peter Laurie at peter@elcot.co.uk


or


Tamsin Napier-Munn at tamsin@elcot.co.uk


www.businessmag.co.uk


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