A NEW report has revealed the Dorset companies that are among the south’s top growers.

Arts and craft store chain Hobbycraft is the most famous name on the list of local mid-market businesses which saw revenue rise despite last year’s challenges.

BDO looked at mid-market companies in central southern England, operating in the key sectors of manufacturing, technology, consumer, services, healthcare and real estate and construction.

BDO partner David I’Anson said: “Our Central South region showed resilience through the economic downturn post 2008 and, although we won’t know for sure until this year’s figures are available, it seems that despite the recent period of unprecedented political and global upheaval, many local companies are still delivering real, tangible success.”

The annual analysis of businesses with a turnover of £10million to £300m found mid-market firms in the region had achieved a 25 per cent growth in turnover in the past three years.

The Dorset firms among the top performers were:

  • 4com PLC, a specialist in business phone systems, based in Christchurch Road, Bournemouth.
  • Care provider Agincare, based at Castletown in Portland. Employing 3,500 people in 50 locations, it was last year named the UK’s third best company to work for, according to reviews left online with Indeed.
  • Care South, the Poole-based residential and home care provider.
  • Eims Global, in Dean Park Crescent, Bournemouth, which provides sales and marketing for the IT industry, working with clients including BT and Samsung.
  • Hobbycraft Group. Headquartered at the Aviation Park at Bournemouth Airport, it saw sales rise by nearly nine per cent year-on-year in the five weeks before Christmas 2019.
  • Marden Edwards, a world leader in fold wrapping and packing machinery based at Nimrod Way on East Dorset Trade Park.
  • Mploy Staffing Solutions, the Poole-based recruitment agency which has seven branches across the south west, including in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Dorchester.

BDO tax partner Steve Hoon said: “We are delighted to once again recognise the region’s top performers. However, there is more uncertainty ahead as the country seeks to negotiate its trade deals with the EU and further afield. While some sectors could be more directly impacted than others, the overall strength of the UK economy affects us all and currently business confidence indicators are mixed in their outlook.”