Lighting company Astro has been recognised in the London Stock Exchange’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ report for 2015.
Launched in 1997, Astro has been supplying its innovative lighting products to the hospitality industry for more than 8 years, and has now been identified as one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in UK in the second edition of the Inspire Britain report.
To be included in the list, companies needed to show consistent revenue growth over a minimum of three years, significantly outperforming their industry peers, and winners were addressed by Business Secretary Vince Cable at the event held at the London Stock Exchange.
Astro’s design director and co-founder James Bassant and COO Stuart Grant attended the function. Bassant said: “It is great for Astro to be recognised in this way. We have a strong team at our head office just outside London and we plan to continue investing, including moving to larger, purpose-built premises next year.”
Astro entered the market in 1997 when there was limited choice in bathroom lighting. By identifying this niche, founders John Fearon and James Bassant created the company’s first opportunity. But continuous double-digit growth has been fuelled by dynamic product development in all areas of hospitality and high-end domestic lighting at home and in more than 70 overseas markets over the years. Astro is also holder of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.
Managing director and co-founder John Fearon said “I’m often asked how Astro has managed to average 20 percent annual growth since 1997. It could be that we have Europe’s most comprehensive range of splash-proof bathroom lights and that our in-house designers simply have the high-end lighting zeitgeist.”