News: AESSEAL amongst UK's best equity-backed companies

Award-winning Rotherham manufacturer, AESSEAL, has been named amongst Britain's top 100 mid-market private equity-backed companies.

The Buyout Track 100 is sponsored by Deloitte, Lloyds Bank Wholesale Banking & Markets and Skillcapital. It is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based networking events and research company, which champions the UK's top-performing private companies and entrepreneurs.

It ranks investor-backed firms with the fastest-growing profits. Companies are ranked according to the compound annual growth in their profits over two years, based on their latest available figures (either 2008 to 2010, or 2009 to 2011).

AESSEAL comes in at 94th on the list with an impressive 21.62% average yearly growth in profits from £12.1m in 2008 to £17.9m in 2010.

The Templeborough firm is the world's fourth largest mechanical seal business. They specialise in the design and manufacture of mechanical seals, bearing protectors and environmental control systems for process equipment, maximising reliability and protecting the environment from leakage.

Founded in 1979 and led by managing director, Chris Rea, AESSEAL attracted investment from 3i in 1999, which raised its stake from 20% to 40% in 2007.

They reached a landmark in their continued growth by passing the £100m mark for sales for 2010, the first time that the sum has been reached in a calendar year in the history of the company.

Amazingly, despite breaking the £100m annual turnover barrier, sales are expected to rise from around £128m in 2011 to £150m by 2012.

The aim is to reach sales of £200m by 2015 and to be number one in the world in 2029.

Parseq, which specialises in mobile and online banking software and technology-led outsourcing services, ranked 15th on the list. The company was created in a successful reverse takeover by Rami Cassis and Rotherham-based BPO provider, Documetric in 2010. Cassis led a successful management buyout that completed in January.

AESSEAL website

Images: aesseal.co.uk