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KITC H E N HOUSE REVE NUE / SPECIAL REPORT
C AT E R I N G INSIGHT / FEBRUARY 2018 / http://www.cateringinsight.comWe have to tread carefully when trying to pick our way through
JLA’s financial performance. While the overall JLA Group figures are
the ones the servicing specialist generally puts out to the world, this
encompasses its laundry and consumables divisions as well as catering
equipment sales, rental and maintenance. The latest publicly available
accounts for the overall Ripponden-based group show that revenue
grew by 9.5% to £106.9m in the 12 months to 31 October 2016.
However, for our purposes in comparing purely the catering
equipment channel results, we have focused in on the JLA Ltd
subsidiary, which we understand only involves part of the catering
and laundry divisions. So while we can’t precisely define how much
of this data is for catering equipment, JLA Ltd is probably more of an
accurate indicator than the whole group results.
Therefore, the results tell us that this entity saw its revenue for the 12
months to 31 October 2016 fall by 12% to £33.8m. JLA pinned the drop
from the 2015 figure of £38.5m on being “driven by a re-focusing of the
range of catering products offered, to focus on assets that provide an
acceptable gross margin”. This is because the firm decided to cease
trading of its design and build and light equipment operations within its
catering division, as these discontinued operations made an operating
loss of £2m in the prior year. This has impacted the operating profit
figures we see here, with a £4.4m loss recorded in the 12 months to 31
October 2016. Nevertheless, we are reliably informed that the catering
division itself has recorded double digit growth, year on year.
JLA inherited design and build departments from the seven
dealers it bought out within an 18 month period: Carford, Red
Squared, CKM, Proton Washrite, Harmony Business & Technology,
Comcat Engineering and Newco Catering Equipment. At the end of
2017 it dipped a toe in the manufacturer owning waters, buying out
DC Warewashing & Icemaking systems.- JLA
2016 Vital Statistics
Turnover: £33.8m (-12%)
Operating loss: -£4.4m (-237%)
Financial year end: 31 October-4,500-3,000-1,5001,50003,0004,5002010909201295720132,42920153,2342016-4,437Operating Profit (£’000)
2011-1,80620141,586081632244048Turnover (£m)
201021.0201123.82012 201325.220142 7. 5201542.9201633.8
24.1Until last month, the Aggora Group was one of the highest earning
independent kitchen houses in the country, but it will now join the Bunzl
Group stable after its buyout by Bunzl Lockhart Catering Equipment.
And it’s clear that Lockhart has bought a good prospect, with the
2016-17 financial year turnover of £26.7m placing Aggora at third on
the kitchen house list here. This is an 8% increase on the 12 months
prior, to 31 March 2016, which came in at £24.7m.
Although the business was started by Simon Pointon and Doug
Thewlis in 2007, Companies House records for the current entity only
go back to the 2011-12 financial year, which is why the 2010-2011 data
is missing.
But for the last 6 years though we can see that Aggora has very
swiftly grown, increasing turnover more than fivefold from 2011-12’s
£5m. Operating profits were rising steadily until 2015-16, but the latest
results of £2.2m suggest that the upwards trajectory is back on track.
The business boasts nationwide coverage with offices in Redditch,
Manchester and Edinburgh. It offers services including catering area
design, equipment supply and installation, planned maintenance and
repair, and relocation and disposal of equipment.
Furthermore, it provides end users an online job tracking and asset
monitoring capability.
Supplied manufacturers include: Electrolux, Rational, Falcon,
Retigo, Lincat, Robot Coupe, Williams, Nilfisk, Blue Seal, Hamilton
Beach, Foster, EAIS, Panasonic and Bravilor Bonamat.
Since the distributor’s inception, it has completed projects for Costa,
M&S, Subway, Deli Marche coffee shops and Amigo convenience stores.- Aggora Group
2016 Vital Statistics
Turnover: £26.7m (+8%)
Operating profit: £2.2m (+29%)
Financial year end: 31 March
*Figures not publicly available for the 2010-11 financial year051020152530Turnover (£m)*
5.0
2011-1212.32012-1323.42014-1524.72015-1626.72013-14 2016-1718.42010-11Operating Profit (£’000)*
05001,0002,0001,5002,5003,0003082011-129652012-132,4962014-151,7002015-162,2002013-14 2016-171,4622010-11