West Midlands family firms make Top 10 best

TWO of the West Midlands’ best known firms were named today as among the UK’s top performing family-owned businesses.

Birmingham-based Specialist Computer Holdings (SCH) and Staffordshire excavator manufacturer JCB were both listed in the Top Ten of family-owned business in a study by the Institute for Family Business (IFB).

SCH, owned by the Rigby family and chaired by Sir Peter Rigby, enjoys sales of £2.32bn. The business is the largest privately-owned IT group in Europe and provides computer networks and services to blue chip companies and government organisations.

The company was started in 1975 by Sir Peter, with just £2,000. It has gained in size over the years through regular acquisitions.

The family is heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the firm with sons James and Steven both senior directors.

An aviation enthusiast, Sir Peter is a qualified pilot and owns Patriot Aviation, as well as the upmarket hotel chain Eden Hotel Collection.

JCB is still operated after 65 years by the Bamford family. The company, world famous for its iconic yellow excavators, currently has sales of £2.01bn.

Named after its founder, Joe Bamford, the company’s name is synonymous with all types of engineering vehicle from diggers to excavators and engines.

Its 300 different machines in total are used in construction, agriculture and by the military across the world.

It is now one of the world’s top three manufacturers of construction equipment, employing 7,000 people.

The firm was founded in 1945 with Joe Bamford constructing the first vehicle, a farm trailer, using welding equipment bought for 50 shillings. After he retired in 1975 the business was taken on by his two sons. Sir Anthony Bamford, now chairman of the company, was born on the day JCB first opened for business.

Commenting on the IFB ranked top 10 UK family businesses, Grant Gordon, IFB director general, said: “With sales totalling some £36bn and with tens of thousands of employees, these companies show that family businesses are some of the heavyweights of UK plc.

“These firms sit in the vanguard of the family business sector that contributes over 30% of GDP and which is playing a vital role in driving the entrepreneurship needed to get our nation back on track towards economic recovery.”

Topping the list is the multi-national Associated British Foods, which owns a string of familiar brands including Kingsmill, Primark and Twinings; second is Stemcor the world’s largest independent steel trader owned by the Oppenheimer family.

Top 10 UK family businesses 2010

1 Associated British Foods (Weston family, sales £9.26bn)
2 Stemcor (Oppenheimer family, sales £3.54bn)
3 Swire Group (Swire family, sales £3.24bn)
4 European Metal Recycling (Sheppard family, sales, £3.10bn)
5 Laing O’Rourke (O’Rourke family, sales £2.50bn)
6 SCH (Rigby family, sales £2.32bn)
7 Arnold Clark Automobiles (Clark family, sales, £2.21bn)
8 Daily Mail & General Trust (Viscount Rothermere and family £2.12bn)
9 JCB (Bamford family, sales £2.010bn)
10 Bestway Group (Pervez family, sales £1.895bn)