Rock Group PLC wins Deloitte Indy 100 award for fast growing businesses

Rock Group PLC was ranked 54th in the Deloitte Indy 100 awards for the UK’s fastest growing companies. Managing Director, Nick Boardman collected the award at a ceremony held at The Park Lane Hotel, London on Wednesday 21 April 2004.

The competition, run jointly by Big 4 professional services firm Deloitte and the Independent on Sunday, examines the growth rates of over 6,100 middle market companies with sales of between £5-100 million.

The winners, identified through Deloitte research carried out in conjunction with Professor David Storey at the University of Warwick Business School, demonstrated extraordinary and sustained growth over the last four years and were profitable in their most recent accounts.

David Wenborn, Deloitte partner commented, “Market conditions have presented many challenges to fast growing businesses in recent years, yet Rock Group PLC continues to prosper and develop. The resilience of the Deloitte Indy 100 winners brings great strength to the UK economy.”

Nick Boardman added; “Rock Group PLC is delighted to receive a Deloitte Indy 100 award. The awards are a showcase for fast growing businesses, recognising our ability to provide a unique service to customers as well as our flexibility in a constantly changing and demanding market place.”

Notes to Editors
Qualifying companies were those with a current turnover of £5-10m that showed a 25 per cent increase in sales in each of the last 4 years, and companies with a current turnover of £10-100m which showed a 15 per cent increase in sales for each of the last 4 years. The companies were then ranked by compound annual growth over the last five years, with the top 100 ranking companies being identified as winners. All companies had to show profit in their most recent accounts.

About Deloitte:
In this press release references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte & Touche LLP.
Deloitte & Touche LLP is the UK's fastest growing major professional services firm based in 21 UK locations, with over 10,000 staff nationwide and fee income of £1,228 million in 2002/2003. It is a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a leading professional services organisation, delivering world class audit, tax, consulting and corporate finance services, with around 120,000 people in over 140 countries. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is a Swiss Verein, and each of its national practices is a separate and independent legal entity.

Deloitte & Touche LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.

For further information, visit our website at www.deloitte.co.uk

About Rock Group PLC:
Founded in 1992, Warwick based specialist notebook manufacturer, Rock Group Plc is the UK’s leading and most respected manufacturer of cutting edge mobile technology. rockdirect sells notebooks direct to the public sector, corporate sector and to consumers via its national advertising in the main monthly computer magazines.

Rock Group Plc are founder members of the Personal Computer Association and adhere to a professional code of practice, which ensures a quality of service that is second to none. Apart from rock solid service and support, we have always had a reputation for being industry firsts in technological breakthroughs. If you were to look at the history of the notebook computer, it would look very much like a list of our achievements.

For further information, visit our website at www.rockdirect.com