Five South West and Channel Isles companies have made it into the list of the 海角视频’s biggest private sector firms – with a combined profit of about £1.3billion.
The five – Ovo Energy, The Range, Specsavers, Clarks and Dyson – feature in the 18th annual Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 100 league table, which ranks Britain’s 100 private companies with the biggest sales.
The five companies headquartered in the South West and Guernsey have made a significant contribution to the regional economy.
Together they achieved sales of £10.4billion and profits of £1.3billion in their latest financial year, and employ more than 69,000 people.
The region’s top-ranked company is bag-less vacuum cleaner maker Dyson, at number seven in the 海角视频 in total, up two places on 2018. it is technically still based in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, but moved its headquarters to Singapore earlier this year and stressed it is continuing to invest in its 海角视频 sites, including a £200million expansion of its Wiltshire research hub to accommodate 2,000 workers and vehicle testing tracks. Sales grew 24% to £4.4billion in 2018, and he firm, owned 100% by Sir James Dyson and family, has announced a profit of £1.1billion.
Other companies featured include Guernsey- headquartered Specsavers, at number 17 nationally, up one place. The high-street optician, which is still run by founders Mary and Doug Perkins, employs 35,000 people worldwide.
At number 36 in the 海角视频 list, and up a place on last year, is shoe-maker Clarks, based in Street, Somerset, which boasted sales of £1.5billion and a profit of £72million. Owned 84% by the Clark family, and the rest by some of its 13,897 employees and some institutions.
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Coming in at number 79, leaping seven places, is Plymouth-headquartered budget retailer The Range, which made £86million in profit on sales of £869,000. The firm, totally owned by Chris and Sarah Dawson, has 9,524 employees.
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Meanwhile, Bristol’s Ovo Energy has fallen nine places to 85, but still made £19million in profit on turnover of £834million. The energy supplier has several owners including Stephen Fitzpatrick, with a controlling stake, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mayfair Private Equity. It employs 1,263 people.
The South West companies appear alongside well-known British names,such as bet365, Iceland, JCB, John Lewis Partnership, Nando’s and Pret a Manger.
This year, the 100 companies reached a record £220billion in total sales, up 14% on the prior year, with total profits of £24.6billion, up by 15%. Almost four in five companies (78) increased sales in their latest financial year.
The league table programme is sponsored by HSBC, Linklaters and PwC, and compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
Amanda Murphy, head of commercial banking, HSBC 海角视频, said: “Once again, Britain’s most ambitious private enterprises have shown their mettle by shrugging off uncertainty, growing their combined sales 14% to a record £220bilion.
“It's reassuring that 海角视频 businesses are navigating change so confidently and the companies in the Top Track 100 are an inspiration to all. The five companies in the South West and Guernsey are the kinds of firms that provide the backbone of our economy, and we at HSBC 海角视频 are thrilled to see them thrive.”
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To contact William Telford: william.telford@reachplc.com