Panther Warehousing has this week earned a ranking in the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league.
Positioned 58th and the only company in Northamptonshire and one of only seven in the Midlands to be included, it is a major coup for the white glove two-man delivery specialists which has enjoyed exponential growth since it remodelled its business offering five years ago.
Whilst the company’s roots stretch back to 1989, Panther took the bold decision to move away from general haulage in 2010 to focus on one niche area – the next-day, two-man delivery of household furniture and other heavy items.
It was a step which has reaped dividends and since its re-birth Panther has never looked back. Turnover has increased over five-fold – from £5 million to 20.1 million in 2014, while employee numbers have more than doubled – from 200 to 500.
The company has also made significant investments over this period in its customer service offering, new technology systems, vehicles and new sites from just one to seven, the most recent of which is a 25,000 sq ft facility in Bristol – all with the objective of ensuring the company stays ahead of its game.
It is a true success story and one which has arisen due to Panther’s clear vision and innate understanding of the market it serves enabling the company to develop a unique distribution solution.
Never a company to stand still, Panther has further enhanced its offering with the introduction of a range of value-added services – all designed to improve the consumer experience. Features such as removal of packaging and room of choice, wet and dry assembly and installation all designed to help the end customer start using their goods immediately – all the while providing both Panther and its customers with a competitive advantage.
It is the 19th year in which the Sunday Times has published the league table which ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing sales over three years. During this period Panther recording growth levels of 58.01%. The company now has its sights on increasing sales to £100m in the next five years.
It has grown to become leading force working with some of Britain’s best known retailers and manufacturers within the home furnishings and appliance sector including Dunelm, Bosch and Silentnight to name but a few.
Colin McCarthy, Panther’s Managing Director commented: “We are delighted to achieve a ranking in the Fast Track 100 which pays testimony to the hard work of the Panther staff and management team.
“It is a major achievement and further reinforces our position going forward as a major player in the two man delivery marketplace.”
The league table and awards programme is sponsored by Virgin, Barclays, BDO and BGF, and is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events company.
Sir Richard Branson of Virgin, the title sponsor for all 19 years, commented:
“This year’s Fast Track 100 is packed full of entrepreneurs and family businesses tackling many different challenges head-on and thriving thanks to their team spirit and togetherness. Entrepreneurship and family values are at the heart of everything we do at Virgin. Like many on the Fast Track 100, we’ve turned a family business into a business family. Working with family works.”