D R Collin top ranked food firm in Profit track 100
The company, which exports shellfish worldwide, placed 83rd this year, with profits of £3.6m on sales of £43.9m – up 57.6% compared with the previous year.
D R Collin beat malt manufacturer Muntons, beverage producer Randor Hills and artisan sausage manufacturer Finnebrogue, who had all dropped off this year’s list. Finnebrogue had previously featured on the table two years in a row.
Established in 1952, Berwickshire-based D R Collins started out trading whitefish caught off Eyemouth by local boats. The company employs 160 people.
Investment in new facilities
It has since expanded to support a larger fleet and now operates eight factories, three shops and a cooking plant. Managing director James Cook said the company had plans for further investment in new facilities.
The Sunday Times also published a list of Ones to Watch, businesses whose profit growth fell just short of the main league table, but had been strong in the past and which are likely to grow rapidly in the future.
Bottled water producer Harrogate Water Brands was the only food or drink firm to make the list, with profits of £2.2m.
‘Difference between success and failure’
Commenting on the league table, Stuart Lisle, partner at the table’s sponsor BDO, said: “These high-growth, high-energy and highly-entrepreneurial companies will be the difference between success and failure in our post-Brexit economic future.
“These businesses are playing their part by recording strong levels of revenue and profit growth and by creating jobs. We’d like to see the Government do more to help them by focusing on skills, infrastructure investment and tax simplification.”
The top spot on this year’s table went to bed manufacturer Dreams, with an annual profit growth of 167%, raking in £34.5m in profits. Second place went to Motor Fuel Group with profits of £58.4m, up 132.6%.
Meanwhile, last December, food and drink firms, including snack manufacturer All Good, gourmet sausage maker Heck! Food, and BrewDog featured on the latest The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 list.
