Member Article

Halifax business named in prestigious Sunday Times list

Door and window hardware specialist Arran Isle will this weekend be named as one of the UK’s fastest growing companies in a prestigious Sunday Times list.

The recovering housing market in both the UK and North America has helped the Halifax business to be placed at number 142 on the 10th annual Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250. The league table ranks Britain’s 250 leading private mid-market growth companies with the biggest sales.

Arran Isle reported sales of £206m in the year to December 2013, up from £192m in 2012. Overseas sales account for £130m.

Operating profit rose from £0.7m in 2012 to £3.5m in 2013. The company now employs more than 940 people.

Arran Isle designs, sources and distributes products to housebuilders, builders’ merchants and manufacturers. It has a number of market leading brands including Carlisle Brass, Eurospec, Mila and Window Ware. More than half of its sales are in the US, where it operates under the LaSalle Bristol brand

Chief executive Robert Barr said Arran Isle had benefitted from a recovering housing market – and he is confident of further growth this year.

“Our growth comes from our complete focus on service and innovation. Over 98 per cent of order lines are delivered on time. We have launched 17 major product ranges in the last three years.

“New products have included high security handles and locks in the UK, Ireland and the Nordic countries together with a range of lighting products in the US.

“We have seen a significant pick-up in the UK and US housing markets.”

Barr joined the business in 2004. He led a successful buyout in 2013 supported by Burdale Financial and Wells Fargo bank.

Prior to Arran Isle, Barr was chief operating officer at building materials company Kingspan Group. He is chairman of the University of Leeds spin-out Quantum Imaging Ltd, which aims to commercialise innovative medical imaging technologies. He is also a senior non-executive director of project management and technical consultancy WYG plc.

The full Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250 league table will be published this Sunday within the Sunday Times business section, the Sunday Times digital edition, and on its website.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .