Food Manufacture’s publisher in Profit Track listing

13-Apr-2015 - Last updated on 14-Apr-2015 at 09:55 GMT

Food Manufacture's publisher WRBM featured on the influential Ones to recognise list

William Reed Business Media (WRBM) – the publisher responsible for Food Manufacture Group titles and events – has had its business potential recognised by the Profit Track 100 list of top performing businesses.

The list – prepared by Fast Track and published by The Sunday Times – ranks Britain’s private companies by those with the fastest growing profits. WRBM was one of 10 companies featured on an associated listing: The Sunday Times Profit Track Ones to Recognise list.

Published on Sunday April 12, WRBM was highlighted for its profit growth over the past three years. The listing contained a company profile and quoted the “smoothed” operating profit for 2013/14 – which was adjusted to account for the timing of the firm’s biennial exhibitions, such as Foodex.

Online retailer

Meanwhile, topping the list of 100 private companies with the fastest growing profits was online retailer The Hut Group. Located in Northwich, Cheshire, the business achieved 216.58% annual profit growth in its financial year ended December 2014.

The business achieved profits of £15.96M on sales of £248M. Private equity firm KKR paid £100M last year for a 20% stake in the group, which employs 1,049 staff.

Five food firms appeared on the hot 100 list: Krispy Kreme ranked 19^th, Tunnock’s in 26^th place, Lovering Foods in 56^th position, Universal Meats placed 74^th and Reynolds in 100^th position.

Donut retailer and wholesaler Krispy Kreme posted annual profit growth of 84.49% in the year to February 2014.

Food firms on hot 100 list

Krispy Kreme, placed 19^th
Tunnock’s, placed 26^th
Lovering Foods, placed 56^th
Universal Meats, placed 74^th
Reynolds, placed 100^th

Donut retailer and wholesaler

The business, which employs 1,037 staff, achieved profits of £6.24M on sales of £52.39M.

Featuring a range of 16 types of donut – including Chocolate Dreamcake and Caramel Crunch – the firm is based in Surrey.

Food distributor Lovering Foods, also based in Surrey delivered annual profit growth of 55.55% in the year to March 2014. Profits reached £3.03M on sales of £54.63M.

Employing 22 staff the business imports tuna from Indonesia and water chestnuts from China.

Tunnock’s, the Glasgow based biscuit and cake maker, achieved 78.14% growth in annual profits in the year to February 2014. Its latest profits were £6.19M, achieved from sales of £47.85M.

Founded by Thomas Tunnock in 1890, after the £80 purchase of a shop near Glasgow, the business has grown to employ 489 people.

Food distributor Reynolds was placed in 100^th position, with 42.54% growth in annual profits during its 2013 financial year. Profit reached £3.01M from sales of £178.51M.

Its workforce of 694 delivers more than 3,000 orders each day to restaurants, pubs and hotels across Britain.