Companies: IDS    SBT    VIS   

The winners of the 2005 Growth Company Awards, specifically designed to acknowledge AIM companies and the positive contributions from their associated advisers, were announced this week. Based on a survey sent to all AIM companies and then assessed by an independent panel of judges, the awards were presented to the companies that provided the best overall service and general expertise in their sectors.

Run by Growth Company Investor, the UK’s leading magazine focusing exclusively on smaller and fast-growing companies, the awards are now in their fifth year and play a valuable role pinpointing key players in the growth company arena.

KBC Peel Hunt produced an outstanding performance, winning both the AIM Adviser and the AIM Broker of the Year awards. Baker Tilly clinched the AIM Accountant of the Year award for the third consecutive year, while the AIM Lawyer of the Year award went to Halliwells. The Small Cap Fund of the Year award was presented to Framlington UK Smaller Companies, followed closely by runner-up Gartmore Fledgling, while Close Brothers won the title of VCT Fund Manager of the Year. A new category this year was the AIM Analyst of the Year. This was won by Peter Ashworth of Charles Stanley, with Malcolm Morgan of Investec runner-up and David Johnson of Daniel Stewart, Howard Miller, Teather & Greenwood and George O’Connor of Shore Capital on the shortlist.

Online betting service provider, Sportingbet, won the AIM Company of the Year, followed by Ideal Shopping Direct as runner-up. The shortlist for this category was drawn up from Growth Company Investor’s own research, focusing primarily on improvements in earnings per share over the past 12 months. Other issues, such as trading performance, exceptional items and other business developments, were factored in before the panel of independent experts ranked the companies in order of preference.

Sara Williams, Editor in Chief of Growth Company Investor said: ‘We feel it is important to recognise the leading players in the small cap arena as it is an area that is often bypassed. We poll all AIM companies, as well as leading individuals, to get a broad survey that identifies the top advisers. As more businesses come to the junior markets, companies and investors alike need to know who does what and how well they do it.’