Entrepreneurs
GLOUCESTERSHIRE'S
Keith Bell KW Bell Cinderford Judges pondered whether this accolade should go to Peter, who continues to drive the success of the business, but could not ignore the man who founded the business and all he has achieved. KW Bell will turn its hand to anything. Peter is the second generation – son of Keith Bell, now 78, who famously started as a hod carrier. As well as contracting, plant hire and construction, Peter also spotted a gap in the safety sector – and seized it. The group featured in the recent Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100, with an annual profits growth of 59.78 per cent. Latest profits were £4,976,000 and latest sales were £51,436,000. Staff number at last count was 250. Provides construction services for housebuilding clients, including Bloor Homes, Kier and Persimmon l 24
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Westley Fry Industrial Property According to our
panel, Mr Fry "owns most of the Bristol Road" in Gloucester. As legend has it, he started out with a burger van, grew that to a fleet of vans, and ploughed his money back into property – not to mention car sales and telecommunications. Our judges described him as a "serial entrepreneur and a creator" and admired his flamboyance - not least the white Rolls Royce which became something of a trademark vehicle l
Mervyn, Jenny, Luke, Emma and PeterWharton MF Freeman Group Drybrook, Forest of Dean In February 2017, the company along with several other businesses combined into a formal group structure headed by MF Freeman Holdings. Turnover was down from £18.5 million to £12.7 26
million - but the point being this reflected a period of investment in support of the board's long-term strategy to increase the number of active housebuilding developments. “This investment will underpin the company's growth and support the business for at least the next 10-15 years.” Profits were up from £281,000 in 2017 to £438,000 in 2018 l
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