A leading East Midlands brand agency is celebrating after recruiting its 50^th new member of staff this year and being recognised for its astonishing growth.

Champions (UK) plc’s expansion plans continue to go from strength to strength in the face of the country’s ongoing political uncertainty.

The family-owned firm has made an incredible leap in the list of the top 200 fastest-growing businesses in the East Midlands moving from 197^th place last year to 12^th this year.

The report by accountancy experts Grant Thornton also places it in the top five Leicestershire firms.

“It really has been a very successful year so far for the company,” said Champions’ managing director Matthew Hayes. “There is currently much uncertainty in the wider business community over Brexit and the current political situation but we are continuing to show strong growth.

“Our results-focused approach has been very popular in previous economically challenging periods and we expect the same over the next year or so, as clients review their approach and demand more return from their investment.”

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Champions, based in Costock, near Loughborough, works with a range of clients across its 10 areas of expertise, which include digital and marketing services, web design, public relations, social media support, publishing, advertising, managing events and working with celebrities.

The company’s vibrant new £1m media centre will be officially unveiled at a ceremony in November.

The centre houses more than 40 members of staff working in digital services such as web development, SEO and pay-per-click advertising, alongside a PR and social media team and a brand audit department.

“There are exciting times ahead for us as we recruit more staff and use our new digital media centre to help facilitate our rapid growth across these disciplines,” said Matthew.  “And to see us now listed in 12^th place in the region’s top businesses really is the icing on the cake.”

Grant Thornton’s latest annual East Midlands Top 200 report reveals that overall the firms on the list provide jobs for some 68,000 people and have a combined annual turnover of £18.6 billion, with an average 13 percent growth in annual turnover.

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Around three-quarters of them continue to be small and medium-sized firms – the “powerhouse” of the East Midlands economy, said Grant Thornton tax director Mark Pashley, who praised Champions’ success.

“We recognise the massive achievement for Champions UK in moving up our East Midlands Top 200 businesses list from 197^th last year to 12^th in 2019,” he said.

“When considering how difficult it is for businesses to make the list in the first place, given the tough criteria of delivering sustainable growth in annual profits, to enjoy such success is an incredible result.

“We send our warm congratulations to the whole team at Champions UK.”

Champions – which runs a number of regional sports and business awards – was launched by the Hayes family from their home in 2003.

This year saw the 50^th member of staff join the team. A further four people have since been taken on, bringing the total number of people employed to 125, with 24 of them starting in newly-created roles.

The company offers its workforce training and development opportunities, access to an on-site gym, monthly massages and a staff rewards scheme.

Group sales director David Simms said the firm worked with clients from a wide range of sectors, including those in engineering, property development, law, accountancy, aerospace and private healthcare industries.

He added: “Profit is not our main driving factor. In what is a tough economic climate, we remain as dedicated as ever to delivering the best results for our clients.

“We get to know them, their brand and their precise aims to create and roll out bespoke strategies to get them to where they want to go.”

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