RSK triumphs in The Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100

RSK has been ranked at 82 in the 22^nd annual Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100, published in The Sunday Times’ business section yesterday, 11 April 2021. The special COVID-19 edition recognises the impressive past performance of the featured companies and the contributions they have made to the economy and to society during the pandemic.

In the three years preceding April 2020, RSK achieved an average annual growth in profit of 40% and an £8.4 million profit in FY20. The business has experienced a successful period of rapid growth, both organically and through acquisitions, which has seen 47 businesses join the group over the last five years. Most recently, in 2021, this has included Amphos 21, Pharos Generator Services, Pharos Field Engineering Services, Binnies (Black & Veatch Ltd, Black & Veatch Hong Kong Ltd and Black & Veatch (SEA) Pte Ltd in Singapore), CAS, CR Civil Engineering, Enviresearch and EDP.

Having already achieved places on The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 and The Sunday Times PwC Top Track 250 in 2021 and 2020 respectively, RSK rounds off a successful financial year with a place on The Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100. With further acquisitions in the pipeline and a target of a £1 billion turnover and a headcount of 10,000 by 2025, RSK’s ambitions do not stop here.

“2021 will be another year of progress for RSK as we continue with our green growth plan,” comments RSK Chief Executive Officer Alan Ryder. “We aim to expand the breadth and depth of our service provision and this will include significant acquisitions over the coming months. Our place on The Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 is demonstrative of our success and we hope to continue to climb the ranks in 2022.”

In a supporting feature, Giles Nicholas discusses the importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) to businesses going forward, “Firms with strong ESG credentials will be at an increasing advantage, with capital, contracts and customers attracted to them”. RSK is cited as an example of a company with a good reputation in this area, “For some companies, ESG is central to their business model. One of them is RSK (No 82), which conducts environmental and social impact assessments across the world in sectors such as energy and infrastructure. Founder and chief executive Alan Ryder spoke recently of the firm’s culture of “doing the right thing” and wanting its “sustainability credentials to shine”.”

This year’s Profit Track 100 achieved, on average, profit growth of 59% a year over three years to a combined total of £931 million. Together, the companies employ 59,400 staff: their combined workforce having more than doubled over the period.

London is the most popular location for company headquarters with 27, followed by 19 in the South-East. There are 17 companies based in the North-West and 13 in Yorkshire and the North-East. Of the remainder, ten companies are based in the Midlands, five in Wales, four in Scotland, three in the South-West and two in Northern Ireland.

The 17 north-western businesses listed, including RSK, have grown their operating profits by an average of 56% a year over the last three years to a total of £180 million.

The Profit Track 100 league table is sponsored by BDO, Santander and UBS Wealth Management, and is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm. The full league table was published on 11 April as a six-page supplement with the business section of The Sunday Times, both in print and in the digital edition, and on www.fasttrack.co.uk.

Stuart Lisle, tax partner at BDO, said: “These ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited businesses punch well above their weight and are vital for the UK economy; they invest and this investment also creates jobs. With the Government focused on ‘levelling up’ and supporting the regions, it’s great to see that seven of the top 10 companies with the fastest-growing profits are headquartered in regions outside of London and the southeast. Developing and strengthening our innovation-focused economy is crucial and these businesses will play a key role in the UK’s wider economic recovery post-pandemic.”

The national 22^nd annual Profit Track 100 awards will be held as an interactive virtual event on Tuesday 15 June.

Congratulations to all 100 businesses, especially our north-western neighbours.