Poundland wins Midlands business award
Poundland has won a business management award from the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA).
The discount retail chain, which recently underwent a very successful IPO on the London Stock Exchange, was named the leading large business in the Midlands as part of the BVCA Management Team Awards, produced in partnership with Grant Thornton, which is an annual celebration of the best and brightest UK businesses which are backed by private equity and venture capital.
Willenhall-headquartered Poundland is the largest single price discount retailer in Europe, with a network of over 500 stores and employing over 11,500 people. It was acquired by global private equity house Warburg Pincus in 2010 before going public in March 2014.
Poundland is one of seven winners in the Midlands final of the BVCA Management Team Awards. All now go on to contest the national finals, the results of which will be revealed at a ceremony in London on 18 June.
The full list of winners in the Midlands:
Category |
Winner |
Backed by |
Large Buyout Private Equity-backed Management Team of the Year | Poundland | Warburg Pincus |
Mid Market Private Equity-backed Management Team of the Year | Kee Safety | Dunedin |
Venture Capital-backed Management Team of the Year | Mirada Medical | Albion Ventures |
International Impact Management Team of the Year | DisplayLink | DFJ Esprit |
Exit Management Team of the Year | Cambridge Education Group | Palamon Capital Partners (sold to Bridgepoint in December 2013) |
Community & Environmental Action | Independent Community Care Management | ISIS Equity Partners |
Best for Innovation | Endomagnetics | New Wave Ventures |
CEO of the Year | Fergus Brownlee, Cambridge Education Group | Bridgepoint (acquired from Palamon Capital Partners in December 2013) |
Andrew Ferguson, chairman of the Midlands judging panel and a Partner at Maven Capital Partners, said:
“The Midlands is home to some of the UK’s leading businesses, and the winners of this year’s BVCA Management Team Awards are further evidence of what an important contribution the area makes to the health of the UK economy. Supported by private equity and venture capital, all of these winners are perfect demonstrations of what can be achieved with the right backing.”
Geoff Davies, head of Grant Thornton’s advisory business in the Midlands and a member of the Midlands judging panel, added:
“It has been a privilege to sponsor this year’s BVCA management team awards and to meet some of the region’s most innovative and successful businesses. The winners are all great examples of superbly managed private equity backed companies.”
Notes to editor
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- The BVCA Management Team Awards, produced in partnership with Grant Thornton, are the only awards to celebrate the achievements of UK private equity and venture capital-backed management teams. The awards consists of two rounds: regional and national. Each of the eight regions has a judging panel which decides on the winners following nominations from BVCA members and a comprehensive due diligence programme with in-depth interviews. The regional winners were announced in May and can be found here. All were automatically entered into the national final. For more information about the award categories please click here.
- 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 500 member firms, representing the vast majority of UK-based private equity and venture capital firms and their advisers.
- 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 </code=1>