Benson Group Triumphs at The Sunday Times Profit Track 100 Awards Dinner

Following its inclusion in The Sunday Times "Profit Track 100" listing back in April of this year, carton packaging manufacturer Benson Group celebrated again this week when the Bardon, Leicestershire company was named the Customer Service Company of the Year at the Profit Track 100 awards night.

The invitation-only awards event for the owners and directors of companies featured in the latest Profit Track 100 table took place on June 16th at The Dorchester in London. The annual Profit Track 100 league table, now in its tenth year, ranks Britain's private companies with the fastest-growing profits over the last three years of companies' latest available audited accounts. This year's listing featured just one packaging company, with Benson Group entering the list at number 78.

Speakers included Charles Dunstone, chief executive officer of Carphone Warehouse, which featured on the very first Profit Track 100 ten years ago, and Rt Hon Ken Clarke QC MP, the Shadow Business Secretary.

The awards dinner honoured companies on the latest league table, who each received a personalised certificate. Sponsors also presented a number of special awards ranging from the award for best management team to the value creation award.

Commenting on the presentation of the award, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of folding carton manufacturer Benson Group, said: "Whilst it was a great pleasure for us to receive independent recognition from such a well respected source as The Sunday Times of our successful growth during the last three years by appearing in the Profit Track 100 league table, the award came as a complete surprise. It is of course very much down to our customer service team, but we also have to recognise the hard work put in by everyone involved in Benson Group. Owners, managers, and shop floor staff all make vital contributions every single day to the success of the company."

Whilst astute acquisitions have helped to boost the overall figures for the group, it is the strong focus on efficiency that has created the true success.

Executive Chairman, Andrew Benson, added: "What a most enjoyable evening! I am especially pleased that our strong focus on customer service has been recognised by such a valued and independent source as The Sunday Times."

In the three years under review for the latest listing, profits at Benson Group had risen from GBP1.173 million to GBP4.355 million, giving an annual profit growth of 54.71%. The company, founded back in 1920, currently employs some 880 personnel across four production sites. The Sunday Times summarised Benson Group's activity as supplying 5 million pieces of sustainable packaging a day.

This latest success for Benson Group follows hard-on-the-heels of the company's triumph at the UK Packaging Awards in November of last year, where it won both Packaging Company of the Year and the Cartonboard Packaging Award in a fabulous double.

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK's leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of GBP93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company's two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of GBP25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavor, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.