Top 100 Reasons for Doing Business in the Inner City - First Annual Inner City 100

30 November 2001

London …A £7.6 million international exhibition services and contracting firm, a £6.5 million Internet publisher, and a £3.1 million high-quality clothing manufacturer. Each of them growing rapidly over the past five years. Do they sound like businesses you would expect to find in the UK’s most distressed urban areas?

Would you be surprised to learn that a significant number of these companies have experienced over 500% turnover growth during the past five years?

The New Economics Foundation (NEF), a leading think-tank on neighbourhood renewal and enterprise led regeneration, celebrated this display of urban entrepreneurship with the announcement of the first annual
Inner City 100, a national listing of 100 fast-growing companies located exclusively in the UK’s inner cities. The winners were announced at an Awards Ceremony held at the Science Museum in London. Presenting the awards were the Rt. Honourable Gordon Brown, Executive Director of the New Economics Foundation Ed Mayo and Group Chief Executive of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group Fred Goodwin.

"More than merely a list, the Inner City 100 is the most ambitious project to uncover business successes in the UK’s inner cities. Located in some of the most economically and socially distressed urban areas, the Inner City 100 entrepreneurs demonstrate that the inner city offers a compelling opportunity to build and grow businesses," stated Mayo. "They are creating thousands of jobs for inner city residents. Many of their employees live in the inner city. They are paying decent wages and are providing an enormous engine of positive energy to their communities."

Launched by the Chancellor in February 2001, the Inner City 100 is an important part of the government’s drive to open up enterprise to all through celebrating and showcasing the top 100 business successes in our most challenged inner cities. The programme is backed by The Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest.

Right Honourable Gordon Brown Chancellor of the Exchequer said. "We must do away with the old urban myth that our inner cities are areas characterised by social problems and economic blight for businesses to shun, but instead see these areas as places of untapped potential, where there are young people with dynamism looking for work and markets waiting to develop and grow.

"Inner City 100, which I was delighted to launch earlier this year, shows that even the most disadvantaged inner cites are not the enterprise ‘no-go’ areas of the past, but the investment opportunities of the future.

"I want to send a message to every business and every would-be business man or woman in our inner city areas: if you are starting up, hiring for the first time, growing and looking for capital – we are on your side, whatever your trade, whatever your region, whatever your ambitions."

The Inner City 100 companies are an especially impressive group. The companies defy stereotypes of unsophisticated inner-city operations:, average five-year sales growth rate from 1996 to 2000 is 274 percent, and average annual turnover for 2000 is £ 5 million. The Inner City 100 are responsible for creating close to 3,500 jobs and more than doubling their employment over the past five years.

Fred Goodwin, Group Chief Executive of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, the lead sponsor of the Inner City 100, said, " The Inner City 100 Index provides concrete evidence to contradict anyone who doubts the entrepreneurial spirit and business opportunities in our inner cities. We have been greatly encouraged by the quality, size and ambition of the companies in the Index and the contribution they are making to employment, their local economy and the inner city environment.

"We congratulate this year’s winners and trust that their achievements will inspire many others and we can look forward to many more nominations next year."

Alongside the launch of the Index, the New Economics Foundation is publishing the Competitive Inner City, an in-depth research and policy review. This will assess the opportunities for enterprise-led renewal in inner city areas and how to nurture a culture of enterprise supporting young, innovative, independent companies.

The Inner City 100 received over 300 nominations. To qualify, the company had to operate inside eligible postcodes in the fifteen cities (see 3 below) and:

• be independent (no other company holds a major share except venture capital).
• have a turnover of more than £25,000 in 1996 and £300,000 in 2000.
• have created jobs between these years and employed at least five people in 2000.
• act in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

Businesses could either nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else such as non-governmental organisations, business associations, banks, local authorities, voluntary organisations, Regional Development Agencies and the Small Business Service.

Apart from The Royal Bank of Scotland and Natwest, other partners for the Inner City 100 index include HM Treasury, the Small Business Service, the London Business School, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, the Bank of England, the seven regional development agencies, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, Merseyside Special Investment Fund, The Prince’s Trust, Apax Partners Ltd and Business in the Community.

About the Inner City 100

The Inner City 100 is modeled on the ICIC-Inc. Magazine Inner City 100, which was established by Michael Porter, a Harvard Business Professor in Boston, USA. The project is administered by Inc. magazine and the Initiative for the Competitive Inner City with whom the New Economics Foundation are now twinned.

For more information visit the Inner City 100 website.

About New Economics Foundation

The New Economics Foundation (NEF) works for a new model of wealth creation, which is inclusive, human scale and sustainable. Founded in 1986, NEF has been working to change the rules, developing new economic ideas to shift the balance so that people count. New forms of investment, new kinds of currency, new ways of measuring success, new ideas that put ethics and ecology at the heart of economics.

Inner City 100 Final List

Rank City Short Description Growth (%) Contact           1 Sheffield Provider of Internet technology, design, consultancy and solutions 2202.2 Amelia Thorne Co-director 2 Manchester Property development for residential sales and commercial rental 1588.7 Tom Bloxham Chairman 3 Nottingham Manufacturers of PVC fascia, soffit and guttering 1238.6 Clyde Scothern Managing Director 4 Glasgow Electrical and security contractor and CCTV electronic security specialist 981.2 Alan Watt Managing Director 5 Liverpool Construction training, building contractors and urban regeneration specialists 927.0 Christopher Shekoya-Eleshin Chief Executive Officer 6 Liverpool Bespoke software developers 911.6 Steve Bramwell Managing Director 7 Birmingham Gas and civil engineering 894.2 Barry Reynolds Senior Partner 8 Leeds IT training 815.4 Edwin Smith Chairman 9 Manchester Specialist IT Recruitment 708.6 Nick Paul Managing Director 10 Manchester Exhibition Build & Design Contractors 587.9 Stephen Barratt Chief Executive 11 Birmingham Business consultancy and Training 571.3 Mark Harris Managing Director 12 Liverpool Provision of furniture 512.7 Liam Black Chief Executive 13 Birmingham IT dealer 485.0 Mark Paget Managing Director 14 Birmingham Suppliers of commercial cleaning, security and building care services 466.1 Lee Williams Managing Director 15 Manchester Provision of business information and executive research services 463.7 Sue Craven Managing Director 16 Nottingham Developers of mobile test solutions to the wireless industry 450.4 Anthony Gardiner Managing Director 17 London Magazine Publishers and Exhibition Organizers 415.1 Derek Smith Chief Executive 18 Birmingham Manufacturing & distribution of plastic building products 401.7 Steve Pollard Group General Manager 19 London Circus training centre 380.5 Teo Greenstreet Chief Executive 20 Leicester Gas servicing, maintenance and installation 367.0 Mick Buxton General Manager 21 Glasgow Provision of men & material access to construction 366.4 Andrew Reid Joint Managing Director 22 Glasgow civil engineering (piling) 354.3 Jamie McGrattan Managing Director 23 Salford engineering components/sheet metal 351.7 Pat Hall   24 Newcastle Supplier and installer of point of sale materials. Print & Display Company 336.4 Will Skelchy Managing Director 25 Birmingham Commercial and Industrial Electrical Installations 326.8 Harry Evans Director 26 Bristol IT, telecommunications and software specialists 321.3 Robert Clarke Managing Director 27 London Web Design Agency 303.7 Jon Bains Chairman 28 Newcastle design consultancy. Graphic and new media design consultancy 282.3 Simon Douglas   29 London Fashion clothing retailer 278.3 Gabrielle Parker   30 Sheffield Design and sell posters to UK chain stores and wholesale export 260.1 Charlie Chester   31 Birmingham fire protection service engineers 256.8 Gary Quirke Co-founder 32 Liverpool Community business manufacturing and training 250.7 Dave Nelson General Manager 33 Birmingham Manufacturer of savory food products 248.9 Wade Lyn   34 Newcastle Ford main dealer and contract hire operator 212.4 Ashley Winter Chairman & Managing Director 35 Glasgow Engineering restoration and conservation 204.0 David Mitchell Managing Director 36 Nottingham coach and bus operator 196.9 Bob Dunn   37 Birmingham Repair and maintenance of property 190.4 Barry Desmond Managing Director 38 Manchester designers and manufacturers of clothes wholesale and retail of designer fashion clothes 188.6 B. Suddons Joint Managing Director 39 Glasgow Professional photographic processing laboratory 188.4 Ian Loxley Managing Director 40 London Transport/Environment/Training 188.0 Dai Powell Director 41 Sheffield Reclamation of waste materials 187.7 Mark Powell Chief Executive 42 Liverpool Supply of skin care products 187.0 Sharon Hilditch Company Director 43 Liverpool Design and manufacturer of filtration and containment equipment for the pharmaceutical industrial 185.2 Maurice Pitcher Chairman 44 Sunderland Travel Agents 184.2 John Hays Managing Director 45 Sunderland Provider of training, education and development. 180.2 Dick Ellison Managing Director 46 Glasgow Provision of Services to Homeless People 174.4 Stephen Ebbitt Chief Executive 47 Birmingham Suppliers of print, design and copy 173.1 Andy Duncombe Director 48 Leicester Independent Financial Advisors 170.5 Kevin William Managing Director 49 Manchester Developer & Supplier of Computer software services 167.3 Shirko Abid Chief Executive 50 London Internet training and new business development 165.0 Neil Barklem Chief Executive 51 Manchester Power engineering consultancy & product development 164.3 Dr Lee Renforth   52 Bristol Manufacturers of free blown glass products 158.2 James Adlington Managing Director 53 Liverpool charitable/economic regeneration 152.4 Malcolm Pearson Chief Executive 54 London Fairtrade coffee and tea. Marketing and sales for fairtrade hot beverages 148.0 Penny Newman Managing Director 55 Manchester Manufacturer of exclusive executive corporate furniture 147.6 Edward Viner Managing Director 56 Manchester Provider of computer services and products 147.1 Zach Ali Managing Director 57 Newcastle Software Developers 145.4 Will Dracup Managing Director 58 Liverpool Sell, repair and sell parts for Volkswagen cars and vans 140.6 Adrian Kermode Managing Director 59 Birmingham Manufacturer of frozen ready meals 140.6 Mohan Chauhan Managing Director 60 Newcastle Hire and sale of two-way radios & communications equipment 138.1 Jim Curry Managing Director 61 Birmingham All forms of Interior/exterior signage vehicle liveries, exhibition graphics, banners 136.8 David Foxall Managing Director 62 Glasgow wholesale ironmongers 133.2 Michael Gregan Managing Director 63 Leeds Computer resale & distribution 133.0 Jarnail S Sihra Managing Director 64 Manchester Solicitors Specialising in Personal Injury 131.5 Raymond Donn Senior Partner 65 Glasgow Building repairs for insurance companies 128.1 Jim McCann Managing Director 66 London IT training 122.4 Henry Stewart   67 Manchester Sign Makers & Exhibition Contractor 120.9 David Derbyshire Managing Director 68 Coventry Development of software for scientific imaging 116.2 Andrew Waterfall   69 Sunderland Waste, Recycling Logistics 115.4 Alex Smiles Managing Director 70 Manchester Distributor of cellular, radio and C.B. Equipment 114.5 Igal Farshi CEO 71 London Design, installation, commissioning and management of communications systems 112.5 Peter M Patsalides Managing Director 72 Birmingham brush manufacturers and allied products 97.1 Paul Townley   73 Birmingham Manufacturer & surface coater of zinc and aluminium diecast components 96.8 Brendan Martin Delaney   74 Birmingham Manufacturer of 9ct gold jewellery 95.0 Paul Marcus Managing Director 75 Manchester Full colour digital offset printers and graphic designers 92.9 Farris Mousa Managing Director 76 Liverpool Suppliers of materials to the medical manufacturing market 92.5 Alan Sheridan Managing Director 77 Liverpool Powder coating and architectural product manufacturer 91.9 Paul Adam Clark Director 78 Birmingham Manufacturer of frozen foods 91.5 Roger Allen Muncey Managing Director 79 Birmingham Linen Rental 91.4 Jeffrey Yap   80 Birmingham manufacturers of cappuccino machines, coffee grinders, and coffee roasters. 87.6 Angela Maxwell   81 Newcastle Rewinds & repairs electric motors, generators and transformers. 82.9 Ron Mitten Chief Executive 82 Manchester Internet service provider 81.5 Sean Fensom   83 Liverpool Provision of business enterprise advice, training and consultancy 80.8 Maggy O'Carroll Executive Director 84 Manchester Employment law and health and safety consultancy 77.6 Peter Done Managing Director 85 Glasgow Soft furnishings manufacturer to hospitality industry 74.6 William Wylie Gallabher Managing Director 86 Birmingham manufacturer of hoses and pipework systems 67.6 A. Woodfield Chairman 87 Leeds illuminated point of sale displays 67.0 David Dyke Managing Director 88 Liverpool Call centre 66.4 Mike Coyle   89 Birmingham Electro-mechanical assys-automotive 64.9 AB Greenfield Managing Director 90 Newcastle Manufacturer of printed packaging 61.1 Gordon Scorer Joint Managing Director 91 Newcastle Manufacture of glassblowing and ceramic equipment 60.4 Ron Jackman Managing Director 92 Nottingham Computer sales and services 59.6 Neville Hunter   93 London Interior Design Consultancy 59.6 Hazel Marsh Managing Director 94 Bristol Business units and advice 59.4 Mike Heming Manager 95 Birmingham Special coatings manufacturing 58.4 Brian Norton Managing Director 96 Manchester Design, Installation, Maintenance of fire protection systems 54.0 David Robinson   97 Salford supply of IT related products & services 52.9 Paul Tobin Managing Director 98 London mutually common ownership worker co-operative of designers and printers. Graphic Design and Printing 52.8 Nicola Palmer Finance Director 99 Newcastle Catering contractors 48.8 John Phillips Managing Director 100 Birmingham Magazine publishing, software development & online communication application specialists 36.0 Howard Sharron CEO