Hot 100 2013 – 50: Kingdom Security

The basics

Company name: Kingdom Security
What they do: Security guard company
Headquarters: Bolton
The Boss: Terry Barton

The financials

Latest turnover (£,000): 26,045
Four-year compound sales growth (%): 35
Latest Ebitda (£,000): 3,342

The details

Kingdom Security stands out in what is often perceived to be a murky industry. Before founding Kingdom Security, boss Terry Barton worked in the police, completed a law degree and trained to be a solicitor. When a local business asked Barton to recommend a security business, he didn’t know any so did it himself. The company has been growing steadily since he set it up in 1993.

“It was a risk and a gamble,” says Barton. “Kingdom Security has been the right move – it has been bloody hard work and hard graft.”

Growing organically and through acquisitions, the firm now employs more than 1,000 people, undertaking 1.9 guarding hours per year for clients as diverse as Spar, Savills, Ikea and the NHS. Turnover is £26m with pre-tax profits of £3.3m.

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