13 Apr 2017

BVCA announces Yorkshire & North East Management Team Awards shortlist

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Companies shortlisted in the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Management Team Awards 2017 for Yorkshire & the North East have now been announced. 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 Yorkshire & North East dinner in Leeds, 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 Yorkshire & North East Management Team Awards 2017:

ZeroLight

backed by: Northstar Ventures


As a retail and online visualisation platform, ZeroLight provides customer solutions with virtual reality.

The judges were impressed with the success this team has achieved since starting the business in 2014, building a disruptive technology, which has broken through where others have tried, and then building a very high quality roster of large clients as a platform for rapid revenue growth.


Nationwide Window Cleaning

backed by: Business Growth Fund (BGF)


NWC is an industry leading window cleaning firm, directly employing professionals through a regional structure.

Thornton Tasker is successfully realising his vision of a national business built on blue chip customer partnerships. He has used growth funding from BGF to invest in management development, systems, and software platforms ahead of current needs, which are a testament to his commitment to management excellence.


All Good

backed by: NVM Private Equity LLP


All Good is a manufacturer of quality tortilla chips.

Calum Ryder and his team have used their previous experience to build a substantial manufacturing business at impressive speed. At the same time they have developed unique capability in formulation which sets them apart. The judges were impressed with this combination of commercial and technical achievement.


icelolly.com

backed by: Palatine Private Equity


icelolly.com is a holiday comparison site.

Andrew Latham and his team have fundamentally repositioned this business since 2014 and are now showing strong, profitable growth, whilst continuing to invest heavily in their platform. Their vision to become the UK’s number one holiday price comparison provider is very ambitious, but the judges felt they were on the way to achieving it.


Mandata (Holdings)

backed by: Synova


Mandata are specialist suppliers of transport management software for the road transport and haulage industry.

The judges applauded Mark Norcliffe’s achievement in taking on leadership of a business as an MBI, without prior sector knowledge, and then leading it through significant top line growth and transformed profitability. At the same time the team have made significant investments in technology and brought in new initiatives to transform the organisational culture.


Team 17 Digital

backed by: LDC


Team17 is a video games developer, best known for creating the Worms and Alien Breed video game series.

Debbie Bestwick and Paul Bray have built a globally successful business publishing games from small indie creators, combining astute selection with a strong reputation for fair dealing and impressive execution. Having successfully established a US presence, the outlook for the business is bright.


Nexus Vehicle Management

backed by: Bowmark Capital


Nexus Vehicle Management is a UK-wide vehicle rental service.

David Brennan has done an impressive job in driving growth in revenue and profits since becoming CEO in 2014. 2016 also saw significant investment in their unique and market-leading IT platform and recruitment of senior people to build out the management team.


Adler & Allan

backed by: LDC


Adler & Allan Group is a national oil industry and environmental service to British industry.

The judges were impressed with the achievements of Mark Calvert and his team in diversifying this longstanding business into new areas such as flood defence, where they have quickly built a leading reputation. At the same time, Mark is personally engaged in preserving the best of Adler & Allan’s family business culture.


Onyx Group

backed by: Livingbridge


Onyx Group is a provider of UK data centres, cloud security backup and IT infrastructure to companies around the world.

Neil Stephenson and his team have built an impressive business with a strong focus on reputation and staying close to the customer, whilst investing in technology and infrastructure to stay ahead of their competition. They have made good use of funding from Livingbridge to invest in geographical expansion and acquisition. The sale to Pulsant in May 2016 validated their achievements.


Ramsdens

backed by: NorthEdge Capital


Ramsdens is the UK’s largest independent pawnbroker.

The judges were impressed with the way Peter Kenyon and his team have developed this business against turbulent times for the sector, diversifying into foreign currency and using growth funding to expand their store network. The successful floatation in February 2017 shows the quality of every facet of the business as well as the durability of its income streams.


Fine Organics

backed by: NorthEdge Capital


Fine Organics is a manufacturer of fine chemicals.

The achievements of this business in the last three years are a great example of partnership between a disciplined, professional management team and a growth investor, embarking together on an ambitious investment programme, which is now paying off in new areas of growth.


Sumo Digital

backed by: NorthEdge Capital, and now Perwyn


Sumo Digital is a game development studio, based in Sheffield.

Sumo is led by a founding team who have built an impressive and globally recognised games development business. The judges were impressed with their ability to stay at the leading edge of a very competitive, fast-moving industry, evidenced by growing importance to clients such as Microsoft and Sony.


Camira Group

backed by: Pricoa Capital


Camira Group is a global designer and manufacturer of textiles primarily for use in commercial office and mass transportation markets.

The judges applauded this long-standing team’s ability to show consistent profitable growth in the very competitive textiles sector. Five Queen’s Awards across Export, Innovation and Sustainable Development show their strength across all disciplines, in a business which has successfully integrated multiple acquisitions and now exports 60% of its production.


AFI Group

backed by: Rutland Partners


AFI Group is a leading specialist provider of powered access equipment.

This team has done an impressive job in driving diversification of a UK plant-hire company, which is now internationally spread - with other income streams reaching 50% of revenue, and the training division being a great example of adding value to the customer, reducing equipment downtime and new business development. The team has also embraced new technology - from live apps to QR codes - wherever they can find value.


P.A.W Structures

backed by: LDC


P.A.W Structures is a provider of light gauge frame and structural steelwork solutions.

Roger French and his team have built PAW into the market leader in steel framing structures. The journey has included multiple significant investments in technology, manufacturing and acquisitions, culminating in the relocation of the business last year. These investments are paying off in very rapid growth.


Zenith Vehicle Contracts

backed by: HgCapital and now Bridgepoint


Zenith Vehicle Contracts provides a range of leasing solutions to large corporate companies.

The judges applauded the team at Zenith for delivering consistent 30% growth through six MBO transactions, most recently the transfer from HG Capital to Bridgepoint. Behind the deals is consistent quality of execution in building the business, which aspires to become the Apple of the vehicle leasing industry.


Jemella Ltd (ghd)

backed by: Lion Capital

Jemella Ltd are the operators of ghd hair straighteners, products and accessories.

Anthony Davey and his team should be credited with taking this already very successful, international business to a new level of professionalism. The judges were impressed with the significant improvement in operating margins which were a result of re-engineering of key parts of the business, culminating in the successful exit to Coty.


Go Outdoors

backed by: YFM Equity Partners and 3i


As the UK’s biggest outdoor stores, the Go Outdoors chain is a provider of outdoor clothing, tents and equipment.

Go Outdoors has been a 19-year success, but Chris Matthews and his team are to be congratulated for taking the business to another level in the last 3 years. This has been done by extending its own brand offering to include a very successful bike range, moving the management and organisational culture forward (for example removing all zero hours contracts) and expanding through store openings.


Summit Media

backed by: Rcapital


Summit Media is a retail sector marketing firm, working to change the way retailers trade online.

Founder Hedley Aylott has built a high-reputation business advising large brands on how to make their online retailing more effective. His drive and commitment through bad times and good, the quality of his client base and his commitment to invest in new ideas such as his Forecaster platform all commended this team to the judges.


Notes to editor
  1. The BVCA Management Team Awards, produced in association with Grant Thornton UK LLP, are the only awards to celebrate the achievements of private equity and venture capital-backed management teams. There are eight regions in total, each with their own judging panel, and all winners are automatically forwarded to the national final, the results of which will be presented at the BVCA Annual Gala Dinner on 30 November in London. Please click here for more information..

  2. The Yorkshire & North East judging panel consists of: John Garner, LDC; Nigel Owens, YFM Equity Partners; James Titmuss, Living Bridge EP LLP; Peter Armitage, Key Capital Partners; Andrew Ross, Endless LLP; Andrew Cope, FMG; Andy Ducker, Chaucer Foods..

  3. The British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) is the industry body for the UK private equity and venture capital industry. The BVCA has over 600 member firms, representing the vast majority of UK-based private equity and venture capital firms and their advisers..

  4. Grant Thornton is one of the world’s leading organisations of independent assurance, tax and advisory firms. These firms help dynamic organisations unlock their potential for growth by providing meaningful, forward-thinking advice. Proactive teams, led by approachable partners in these firms, use insights, experience and instinct to understand complex issues for privately owned, publicly listed and public sector clients and help them to find solutions. More than 35,000 Grant Thornton people, across over 100 countries, are focused on making a difference to clients, colleagues and the communities in which we live and work. The UK Grant Thornton member firm provides services to over 40,000 privately held businesses, public interest entities and individuals. It is led by more than 185 partners and employs more than 4,200 of the profession's brightest minds. Find out more at www.grant-thornton.co.uk.


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