10 Shropshire companies on list of businesses to inspire Britain

The 1,000 Companies To Inspire Britain report is compiled annually by the London Stock Exchange, and identifies the UK's fastest-growing and "most dynamic" SMEs.

Among the businesses included on the list are six in Telford & Wrekin, four in Shropshire, one each in Powys and Leominster, and others which are based outside the county but which own businesses in Shropshire.

Xavier Rolet, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange Group, said: "The strength and diversity of these companies is readily apparent with a broad mix of UK regions and sectors represented.

"These companies are the very heart of an ‘antifragile’ economy: more robust; more flexible and less prone to boom and bust. We must ensure we continue doing all we can to support high growth potential businesses like these."

Telford's representatives on the list include cloud computing company Nasstar, from Queensway Business Park, Hortonwood-based Golden Bear, which holds a licence to make toys for the In The Night Garden range, and Hadley Park-based driver education firm TTC Group.

Natural Selection Foods, which sold more than 60 million packs of dried fruit, nuts, and snacks in 2015, is on the list for Telford, as while it lists its home as Shrewsbury it is part of a group which is also on Hortonwood.

Telecommunications firm Network Telecom, from Hadley Park, and Stafford Park-based lighting manufacturer Luceco, which floated on the London Stock Exchange late last year, complete the Telford contingent.

Oswestry-based building services firm Landscape Piling, Burford food specialist Orchard Valley Foods, and Shrewsbury's hotel software company Guestline are also listed.

Oswestry residential care home Hengoed Park is the other Shropshire-headquartered business on the list.

Others include Quartix, from Newtown in Powys, which provides vehicle tracking technology, and Leominster-based Shires Equestrian, which makes horse riding equipment.

Growing accountants Baldwins, which is based in Coventry but which owns a number of Shropshire businesses including Turner Peachey after a recent acquisition spree, is also on the list.

So too is Cameron Homes in Staffordshire, which now includes Shrewsbury-based housebuilder Galliers.

Golden Bear chairman John Hales said: “The mascot rights for the London Olympics of 2012 raised the company’s profile considerably and broadened our customer base in the UK and overseas.

“Licence acquisitions in a number of different segments have also enabled us to move into nursery, girls and boys categories. This has created the opportunity to develop new suppliers to help increase the capacity of the business.”

Golden Bear plans to expand by at least 50% over the next five years in order to meet the demands of new licensing deals and product launches.

“We have just finalised an agreement for worldwide rights of a new property which will be launching in 2017 and negotiations are underway for several other new licences,” Mr Hales added.

“It is important to us that we grow our international footprint, and this will be a main objective over the next five years.”

Firms that really are the business

• Baldwins Accountants, offices across Shropshire

• Cameron Homes, with Galliers in Shrewsbury

• Foundation Piling, Oswestry

• Golden Bear Toys, Telford

• Guestline, Shrewsbury

• Hengoed Park, Oswestry

• Luceco, Telford

• Nasstar, Telford

• Natural Selection Foods, Telford

• Network Telecom, Telford

• Orchard Valley Foods, Burford

• Quartix, Newtown

• Shires Equestrian, Leominster

• TTC Group, Telford