Inspecs on the fast track
Bath-based eyewear design house, Inspecs, has made the Sunday Times Fast Track Profit 100 ‘Ones to Watch’ list.
From a shortlist of 30 companies, Inspecs made the final list of 10 selected on the strength of management, challenges overcome, innovation, past growth and future prospects. Inspecs, which has offices in Portugal, the US, China and Vietnam, was recognised for producing eight million frames annually for international brands and for a 2019 forecast EBITDA profit of £9.5m.
The overall winner will be chosen by a panel of judges including David Buttress, co-founder Just Eat, Stuart Lisle, partner, BDO and Hamish Stevenson, founder, Fast Track and awarded a special award at the Profit Track 100 National Awards dinner in June.
Robin Totterman, Inspecs CEO, said: “At a time of great uncertainty, it’s a real milestone for Inpecs to be included in the top 10 ‘Ones to Watch’ alongside the Sunday Times Fast Track Profit 100 companies. We took a conscious decision to relocate the company to Bath from London in the early 2000s and it has really paid off. Bath has been a fantastic talent pool for the creative and management teams who drive the growth of our company. The beautiful surroundings help us to be more strategic while enjoying a more balanced work/life environment.”
Now in its 14th year, the Profit Track 100 list has played host to many of Britain’s most successful private companies. Previous winners include household names such as Barbour and Moonpig, and more locally, Dyson.
Robin Totterman continued: “Our inclusion in this prestigious category comes hot on the heels of receiving Wylde IA’s ‘Happiest Workplace’ award, proving the immense importance of a company’s culture to its overall success. Our recognition in the Sunday Times Fast Tack Profit 100 list also highlights the valuable contribution that regional companies are making to the UK’s economic growth – 8 of the 10 shortlisted companies are headquartered outside London. There are still British success stories emerging, even in the current economic climate.”
The Inspecs organisation has grown significantly to a workforce of over 1,300 in the past 18 months following the acquisition of Killine Group, which has extended the newly formed Inspecs Group’s reach with new factories in China and Vietnam and global design offices in Lisbon – the latest workspace to receive the Inspecs interior design signature. Inspecs produces branded eyewear under license (Superdry, Hype, O’Neill, Radley, Caterpillar and Farah) and supplies private label and house brands factory-direct from the Killine arm of the business.
