Firedoor producer Sentry named one of UK’s fastest growing businesses

Sentry, which has manufacturing sites in Doncaster and Birmingham, was highlighted as one of the UK’s fastest growing private equity-backed businesses in a report commissioned by BDO LLP.

It has been part of Cairngorm Capital’s portfolio since 2019.

Nationally, Sentry ranks 34th within the manufacturing category and third in Yorkshire. Additionally, it stands out as a regional leader, ranking number 15 of the 38 fastest growing businesses in Yorkshire – all of whom were showcased for their achievements, including EBITDA growth and job creation over the last three years.

Since its partnership with Cairngorm Capital started, Sentry has delivered a £3m investment in new facilities and state-of-the-art machinery and equipment, enabling Sentry to more than double its production and have further capacity to respond to market demand emanating from new fire legislation. 

The acquisition of E & S W Knowles in 2022 extended Sentry’s product range to include the specialist finishes used by the health, education and private sectors, significantly expanding its addressable end-markets. 

Today, across all criteria – revenue, EBITDA, profit and production figures – Sentry is five times the size it was in 2019.

It has expanded its workforce from 28 in 2019 to 200 today.

“This research underlines the value that buy and build investors such as ourselves can bring to high-quality businesses and clearly demonstrates that PE-backed businesses are a resilient and dynamic segment of the UK economy,” said Stuart Whiteford, managing director, who leads Cairngorm Capital’s investment in Sentry.