An East Yorkshire business with huge expansion plans has been named as one of the fastest growing privately-owned firms in the UK.
Resin-bound manufacturer and supplier Vuba, currently based in Beverley, has been recognised in top 25 of FEBE’s Growth 100 - the list backed by influential entrepreneurs, including two former BBC dragons.
The flooring and driveway specialist is the top-ranking company in the region, coming in at 23rd, with a growth rate of 105 per cent over the past two years.
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It is closing in on a £10 million turnover, up from £6.3 million to June last year, with the 35-strong team led by founder Sean Scott.
His innovation in the product lines started from nothing when he was made redundant by a firm in the depths of the last recession - and immediately looked to create more DIY-friendly options for the products he worked with.
Plans for a significant expansion of operations are now being formulated, with the likes of Melton West eyed up for a new 4,000 sq m advanced resin manufacturing facility.
He hopes to realise the ambition to consolidate four separate sites on a larger footprint in the next 18 months, a move that will “act as a platform to the company’s further development”.
A further eight jobs could be created at the 13-year-old firm in what could be a £6 million investment, as it integrates more of the manufacturing supply chain too.
Mr Scott said: “We are delighted that our hard work, dedication to quality and focus over the past couple of years has been recognised by FEBE. Our progression as a company has been a real success story, and we expect to see similar levels of growth over the next two years.
“Ultimately, we’ve always tried to do the right thing for our customers and fine-tuned our business model accordingly. For example, our DIY products helped people during the pandemic and are still doing well. That’s because our philosophy has always been around delivering the right product, at the right price to the right people – that’s how we’ve stayed competitive.”
He left school and joined a business installing resin products.
“The recession came along, I was made redundant, so I decided to buy products I knew were good, make them DIY-friendly and sell them on a website.
"There has been huge growth in resin-bound driveways, so I started producing for it, then found quarries in Spain where you could source really good aggregates, and combined them together. That’s been the significant fuel of our growth.”
And the pandemic hasn’t paused innovation. An epoxy for the craft market was created, Vista Resin, with 10,000 customers secured, while allied to the driveway products, demand was realised for a product that could keep decorative stones in place that was non-toxic.
Easihold was developed and 100,000 bottles have been sold this year, with £3 million in exports clocked up.
Mr Scott has recognised the contribution of colleagues in Vuba’s continued growth story. “Our culture is entrepreneurial, open and transparent, and we always aim to maximise people’s skills,” he said. “We remove barriers for our staff and give them the freedom to gravitate towards what they enjoy doing.
“The FEBE listing is excellent, but we can’t stand still: I’ll continue to ensure that the passion for what we do comes from the top so we can look forward with confidence.
"The great thing about where we are going is that we are in three growing market sectors; we're keeping on track to double every year."
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