CCTV firm tops UK best entrepreneurs list
The owner of a company involved in the development of products for the CCTV industry today topped a list of the UK’s 100 leading entrepreneurs.
Michael Newton was picked out by business magazine Management Today for the “extraordinary growth” seen at Anglo Design Holdings in the last five years.
The Warrington-based firm, which was formed in 1997 and is the holding company for a range of CCTV-based interests, achieved sales of £93m (€131.7m) this year, up from £930,000 (€1.3m) in 1998. Profits were £25.2m (€35.7m) in the year to June 2003.
That performance helped propel Mr Newton, who invented a multi-channel CCTV recorder in 1985, to 189th position in the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated wealth of £235m (€332.8m), up from £115m (€162.9m) in 2003.
The 44-year-old topped the Management Today list ahead of Simon Nixon, who co-founded moneysupermarket.com and is one of the few internet successes.
The study, which is in its second year, looks at the ability of entrepreneurs to take risks, identify gaps in the market and display perseverance in achieving their goals. How well each business has developed sales and employment over the past five years is measured instead of simply recording profits growth.
The youngest person on the list is 33-year-old Paul Harrison, who co-owns the North Yorkshire-based housebuilding company Harron Homes. The family run company is worth about £34m (€48.1m) and completes about 250 properties a year.
Penny Streeter, who is founder of recruitment company Ambition 24 Hours, is the highest placed woman on the list at number 13. This is the same place as last year, even though her wealth has increased by £20m (€28.3m) to £50m (€70.8m).
The entertainment industry features strongly for the first time in the list with pop manager Simon Fuller of 19 Entertainment in seventh place.
Those not in this year’s list include lastminute.com founders Martha Lane Fox and Brent Hoberman, and last year’s winner Dinesh Dhamija. He is no longer eligible following the sale of his ebookers business.
Matthew Gwyther, editor of Management Today, said: “There have been a number of changes to the list this year with some high profile additions and absences.
“The most telling reflection of UK business and society today is made by the fact that a company producing CCTV software tops the list.”
Other famous names on the list include Virgin tycoon Richard Branson at number 37 and former Scotland rugby international Bill Gammell.
His company Cairn Energy recently joined the FTSE 100 Index following a series of oil and gas discoveries in Rajasthan, India. He was named Ernst & Young’s entrepreneur of the year in October, but found 87th spot in today’s list.
Duncan Bannatyne, who it is thought could be about to raise up to £100m (€141.6m) from the sale of his 32-strong chain of fitness clubs, was placed ninth.
