BVCA announces Scotland Management Team Awards shortlist

Leading companies in Scotland have been shortlisted in the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Management Team Awards 2017.

Produced in association with Grant Thornton UK LLP, the awards recognise and reward brilliant businesses up and down the country that have been backed by private equity and venture capital investors, as part of our annual celebration of UK companies.

The regional awards will be announced at the Scotland dinner in Edinburgh, as part of the BVCA National Dinner Series. They will then go forward into the national final to compete against our other regions, before the winners are announced at the BVCA Gala Dinner on 30 November in London.

The shortlist for the Scotland Management Team Awards 2017:

Mallzee
Backed by: Par Equity

Mallzee lets you shop from over 150 top fashion brands quickly and easily in one place.

The judges were impressed with the rapid growth in retail partnerships and in user activity in the past year. The deployment of Product Intelligence and Product Intelligence Futures should see the business generate significant value add for retailers.

Vert Rotors
Backed by: Par Equity

Vert Rotors is a technology pioneer that designs and manufactures the world’s most compact high pressure, low-vibration screw compressors.

Olly Dmitriev and his team have built a new engineering product with disruptive performance and are manufacturing in Scotland for customers globally. The judges were impressed with the rapid integration of engineering breakthrough and commercial traction.

Keenan Recycling
Backed by: Business Growth Fund

Keenan Recycling is an award winning food waste recycling company which provides reliable and regular collections across the whole of Scotland.

Grant Keenan has grown this business from start-up to become market leader in Scotland for organic waste recycling. The investment and partnership with BGF has supported further growth and brought in some experienced advisers. The business is now set to expand across additional regions.

Cyberhawk Innovations
Backed by: SEP

Cyberhawk is the world’s leading engineering company using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for aerial inspection and surveying, and a pioneer in the development of innovative visual asset management and maintenance software.

The judges commented on Cyberhawk’s high quality reputation in the market and the investment it has made in its user interface software. The business has also started to internationalise and this creates multiple opportunities for the future.

McGavigan Ltd
Backed by: Maven Capital Partners

McGavian Ltd is a provider of technical plastic components and assemblies to the automotive, industrial, medical and consumer products sectors.

The judges applauded the management team for the skill with which they have reconfigured this business around manufacturing in China, serving Asian as well as European customers. Growth in the past year has been impressive, and the commitment both to R&D and to further international expansion should create further growth opportunities.

Crawford Scientific
Backed by: Maven Capital Partners

Suppliers of chromatography columns and consumables, spe products, instrument supplies, mass spectrometry training and analytical services.

The successful integration of a key acquisition followed Maven’s investment in 2014 and this has taken the business to a new level. The judges were impressed with the management team’s skill in building for growth and in using the acquired company to drive international expansion.

RAMCO
Backed by: LDC

RAMCO is one of the largest independent organisations specialising in the care and maintenance of Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) used in the international upstream oil and gas industry.

The judges were impressed with the resilience of this business through the difficult oil & gas market of the last few years. Derek Smith and his team have invested through the downturn, growing the business at a time when others were cutting back. Their determination to push ahead has paid off in terms of growth, market share and profitability.

Intelligent Office
Backed by: YFM

The UK’s leading provider of support services to the legal sector, with more than 850 people based in 49 client sites and two shared services centres.

Rachel McCorry and her team have built an impressive business providing outsourced services to the legal profession. They have steadily expanded the client base and the service offering, leading on change consultancy to help their clients improve productivity. The legal sector continues to provide room to grow, with international expansion on the agenda.

Lomond Capital
Backed by: MML

Lomond targets the most attractive private rental markets in the UK, builds scale in those markets and then broadens the business model.

Stuart Pender and his team are pursuing a buy and build strategy in residential property management. The judges were impressed with the execution of their acquisition strategy and alignment of interest through a partnership with local management. The strategy is delivering good top line and earnings growth.

Skyscanner
Backed by: Scottish Equity Partners

Skyscanner compare cheap flights, hotels & car hire from more providers than anyone else.

This business continued to make significant progress in 2016, in the scale of its operations and in investing in its team and capabilities. The culmination of the year was the $1.75bn acquisition by CTrip. Skyscanner will continue to operate independently and remains a global success for the Scottish tech sector.

Forth Ports
Backed by: Arcus Infrastructure Partners

Forth Ports Limited is one of the largest port operators in the United Kingdom.

The judges applauded Charles Hammond and his team for delivering consistent growth in capacity and earnings, whilst at the same time focusing on service levels and employee safety. This is a very well managed business delivering great returns for its shareholders and wider stakeholders.

Miller Homes
Backed by: Caird Capital

Miller Homes is a housebuilder based in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1934 and has built over 100,000 homes.

Chris Endsor, Ian Murdoch and the rest of the Miller management team have led this UK housebuilder through a period of growth while maintaining tight disciplines, improving margins and continuing to generate positive cash flows. They have also invested in their loyal workforce and developed a strong company culture.

Edinburgh Airport
Backed by: Global Infrastructure Partners

Scotland’s busiest airport in 2016.

The judges noted the strong financial performance of this business and saw behind it the management team’s investment in data analytics and engaging staff in innovation as a way of finding new ways to optimize their offering. This has also given them a compelling offer on new routes, which will drive further growth.

Notes to editor