Winners Great Britain

The winners of the British awards are:

Ineos
Growth (Large Companies)

The manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals has grown by acquiring and turning around units not regarded as strategic by other groups. Ineos started in 1999 by acquiring the acrylics division of ICI. It has achieved an 83% compound annual sales growth rate over the past five years – compared with a 0.5% FTSE 350 average for chemicals – while maintaining margins.

Capita
Growth (Mid-sized companies)

The UK market leader in business process outsourcing, was founded in 1987 through the management buyout of a government division. Their principal activities are financial services, payroll, insurance, health solutions, IT services and contact centres. Judges applauded the company for a compound annual sales growth rate of 29% over the past five years in a tough, political market where many others fail.

Inchcape
Value creation (Large companies)

The automotive distribution, retail and financing group performed well in a difficult market, according to the judges. With 80 auto dealerships and 9,844 employees, it operates in over 15 countries. The management had sorted out the conglomerate, moved successfully into Asia and delivered focus with an impressive record of value creation. Its compound annual growth rate of total shareholder return was 59% over five years.

Signet
Value creation (Mid-sized companies)

The UK’s largest middle market specialty retail jeweler, was heralded as a fabulous recovery story that redefined the market by the judges. It was seen as a rare example of a UK company that had moved successfully into retailing in the US. Signet has 15,145 employees and operates 1,769 stores, 1,170 of which in the US. Its compound annual growth rate of total shareholder return was 117% over five years.

British Sky Broadcasting
Innovation (Large companies)

BSkyB, one of Europe’s leading satellite television broadcasters, has provided consistent innovation and ability to take ideas to market. It has changed the way television operates in the UK. The company offers it over 7.7 million subscribers 400 TV channels, interactive services such as video on demand, shop on screen digital recording etc..

EasyJet
Innovation (Mid-sized companies)

The low-cost airline was set up in 1995 and credited with challenging established practices in the airline industry thereby changing the UK sector. With 4000 employees and a fleet of 103 aircraft, easyJet flies 27 million passengers per year to 45 destinations.

Tesco
Strategies for the New Europe (Large companies)

The supermarket chain started its expansion in 1994 by acquiring K-Mart’s hypermarkets in Hungary. With 367,000 employees, Tesco is the market leader in the UK, selling food and non-food products as well as services in the telecom, media, finance and insurance areas. It now operates 208 stores in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Turkey, with 48 planned openings in the next 12 months.

Provident Financial
Strategies for the New Europe (Mid-sized companies)

The personal finance company offers home credit (small loans with weekly repayments), credit cards, car finance and motor insurance in countries of central and eastern Europe. Today, the group employs 38% of its workforce of 8,100 in this region. Its growth there, with 130 home credit branches across Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, was seen as a largely organic development by the judges.