Rock Group Plc Ranked One of the UK's Fastest Growing Businesses
23.06.03

Survey proves local firm means business -
Rock Group Plc ranked one of the UK’s fastest growing

Warwick based notebook computer manufacturer Rock Group Plc has been ranked one of the fastest growing privately owned firms, according to a recent survey published in Real Business magazine. The survey called the Vantis Hot 100, ranks the UK’s 100 fastest growing private firms by sales-turnover growth over a four-year period and is sponsored by national accounting and business advisory firm, Vantis.

Rock Group Plc, founded in 1992, achieved an annual sales growth of 44.2%, with turnover of £8.75m and was ranked 84th in the survey created from data supplied by business analysts Dun & Bradsheet from a database of more than 2 million companies.

The 2003 Vantis Hot 100 shows the UK’s fastest-growing private firm is Welsh-based Sofas UK, founded in 1997 by Charles and Josephine Pugh. The Sofa giants achieved an average sales growth of 148.7 percent, with turnover of £4.211m and profits of £201k.

Andy Scott, client partner at business advisory group Vantis, (sponsors of this year’s Hot 100) says: “The Hot 100 common themes for success: focusing upon customers, hiring the right people and communicating effectively, prove that it is possible to achieve sustainable growth and profit margins, even in the current economic climate.”

Nick Boardman, Managing Director of Rock Group Plc says: “I would like to thank all our customers for the continued month on month growth of Rock Group Plc. Building a growing and profitable business is always a challenge. Happily, our business has gone from strength to strength and we are delighted that our achievements have been recognised in this prestigious survey.”

Editors note: Rock Group Plc is a notebook specialist manufacturer now in its 11th year of trading. For further information, please contact Sarah Chard (Marketing & PR Manager) at Rock Group Plc on 08702 203 608, fax 08709 90 90 91, email [email protected] or for a complete listing of this year’s Hot 100 is available from www.vantisplc.com

The Hot 100 is sponsored by Vantis. Vantis pls is the AIM listed accounting and business advisory group that specialises in helping people improve the performance of their businesses.

Hot 100 companies must be profitable. Firms have to show a consistent sales growth and are ranked by average sales growth over a four-year period. Ranking is based on the past four years turnover, with the winner being the firm that secures the highest average percentage growth in turnover over that period. All company financials are taken from the D&B database. The data for this project was exported from the D&B database on October 23, 2002 and ranked by D&B.

The Hot 100 rules are:

• Firms must show profits in the latest accounts
• Firms must start our four-year qualifying period with a minimum turnover of £250,000. That’s to make sure the ranking isn’t skewed by the mega-growth that start-ups are bound to see when they start from zero.
• Firms can’t be quoted company. Companies that have listed on the main market since their latest figures are included.
• Firms can’t be a subsidiary. However, firms that are technically subsidiaries but which are, in reality, trading separately are included.
• Any company to which D&B couldn’t assign a credit rating or could not assess its net worth was omitted.
• Firms most recently filed accounts have to be within the past two years
• Firms can’t have a turnover rise of more that 600 per cent in any one year to prevent skewing from restructuring.

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