Exhibition Services from Thorns Group

The group’s listing at number 46 in the prestigious Inner City 100 index officially recognises Thorns’ ongoing achievements at its headquarters in Tottenham – within the London Borough of Haringey, which has the UK’s worst unemployment record.

It also marks yet another milestone for Thorns, which is a leading supplier of equipment and services to the events, exhibitions and conference sectors. The group was only recently named among “Europe’s 500”, a league table of the 500 fastest-growing businesses across the whole continent.

The Inner City 100 listing, which is enthusiastically supported by the Government, celebrates “vibrant locally owned businesses fuelling the economy in the UK’s poorest postcodes”, according to the New Economics Foundation, the influential think tank behind the initiative.

Chancellor Gordon Brown, who has been a high-profile patron of the Inner City 100 index, has described the listing as the “Enterprise Oscars”. Commenting on this year’s index, the Chancellor said: “For far too long, the image of enterprise in this country was of a closed circle with millions left out.

“But I believe that there should be no no-go areas for enterprise culture, and that the British economy will do best when men and women from the nation’s high, as well as low, unemployment communities have the confidence that they can transform their ideas and hopes into business start-ups and growing firms, building an enterprise culture genuinely open to all.”

The 100 companies in the 2004 index were all applauded by the New Economics Foundation for making a tremendous contribution to the their local communities. Between them, the businesses had a total turnover of more than £1 billion last year, while they have achieved an average growth rate over the past five years of more than 1,000%.

In recognition of Thorns Group being featured in the league table for three consecutive years, Managing Director Graham Langley-Jones was invited to receive the latest award at a special ceremony at 11 Downing Street. He was also among successful entrepreneurs invited to attend the official unveiling of the 2004 Inner City 100 listing at a ceremony in central London last night (November 16).

Mr Langley-Jones said: “To be included in the Inner City 100 index for a single year is a great achievement, so I am immensely proud to have seen Thorns Group featured on the list for three consecutive years. I am also delighted that the group has once again been included in the top half of the listing, firmly establishing us as one of the UK’s most pioneering and innovative inner-city businesses.”

He added: “Thorns Group’s inclusion in the Inner City 100 index helps bring our successes to a far wider audience. We are very proud of our heritage as a Tottenham-based company and look forward to continuing our association with this vibrant area of north London.”

Thorns Group was recognised in the listing for achieving a 308% increase in turnover between 1999 and 2003. The company also recorded a rise of more than 300% in the size of its workforce during the same period.