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Thames Valley Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 league table
A Guildford firm founded in 2002, and still with a small staff of around 30, has led the way among Thames Valley based private companies in the Profit Track 100 league table.
Solventis, founded by managing director David Lubbock, imports petrochemical solvents from around the world and stores them in its Antwerp facility for delivery worldwide. It also makes aircraft de-icing fluids at its Antwerp base through subsidiary Kilfrost Europe.
Buying the automotive solvents division of German firm Haltermann Carless helped profits hit £12.5m in 2017, giving an average annual rise of 83%. This put the company in 26th place in the latest table.
The Reading catering business CH & Co Group made 31st place – the only company in the region to feature in the table for the second consecutive year. The group provides catering for workplaces, venues and events.
Chief executive Bill Toner, who took over the reins after the firm merged with his former employer HCM in 2015, now has 18 years’ experience in the top job at three different caterers.
The company has pressed on with acquisitive growth, merging with Harbour & Jones and Concerto in 2017 and taking staff numbers to over 6,000. Profits were up an average 79%, totalling £8.6m that year.
The region’s third most successful company when it comes to fast growth was Xtrac Group in 40th place – a Thatcham business that featured in the very first Profit Track table in 2000.
Motorsport champions from Monte Carlo to Le Mans have relied on world-class transmission systems built by Xtrac, whose new product launches and strong international growth helped profits reach £9.5m in 2017 (average rise 76%).
In October that year chief executive Adrian Moore led a buyout backed by private equity house Inflexion, which acquired a 55% stake for an undisclosed sum.
Now employing some 300 people, its investment is being used to create innovative products and to further expand into hybridisation and electric vehicles.
Invenio Business Solutions (52nd in the UK table) is a Reading business that specialises in the sale and integration of SAP business management software, and has built its own systems to run on the SAP platform.
It was founded by finance director Manish Goyal in 2006. Under the leadership of chief executive Arun Bala the group has expanded to Fiji and the Middle East by targeting contracts with federal tax authorities.
With a staff of over 450, profit rose to £7.1m in 2018 (average growth 70%). Growth equity firm BGF recently acquired a 19% stake, valuing the group at £68m.
Another Reading company, Lee Marley Brickwork, gained 56th place. This business specialises in brickwork, stonework and scaffolding, with a particular focus on large or complex projects.
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Chief executive Marley founded the business in 1997, and three years ago opened an office in East Kilbride to serve Glasgow and Edinburgh. Now employing 100 people, the firm has benefited from the growing market for large- scale construction projects, with profits of £3.4m in 2017 (average growth 69%).
The Guildford company Supermassive Games, founded in 2008 by Joe and Pete Samuels, made 76th place. This gaming company is known for its cinematic narratives and virtual reality gameplay.
Video game tax relief introduced in 2014 has made a strong contribution to income, enabling the group – with a staff of 125 – to invest in people and technical capabilities. Profits rose to £6.6m in 2017 (average growth 63%).
Canagan, a high-end pet food supplier based at Wooburn Green, made the table in 88th place. Its products are sold in independent retailers and are now popular in more than 35 countries. Profits hit £5.7m in 2018 (average 59%) under founder and managing director Eddie Milbourne, who has a small staff of about 20.
The Profit Track 100 table is compiled annually by Oxford- based Fast Track.
Julian Carr
Brian Phillips
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2019
businessmag.co.uk
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