Rigby Group marks milestone with another year of growth

The Rigby Group has shared a financial update as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, with the latest fiscal year marking another period of growth.

The largest privately owned channel player has issued a progress report on the fiscal year ended 31 March, with revenues improving to £3.8bn, improving on FY’24. The firm’s EBITDA rose 36% to £95m, with the sale of some assets contributing to that figure. Pre-tax profits came in at £67.8m, a 35% improvement on the prior year.

The update covered the group’s activities, but its IT operations continue to be at the core of the business and it delivered a fourth year of growth. The period also saw the firm continue with its £300m technology investment programme, which supports activities in the in-demand areas of artificial intelligence (AI), security and cloud.

SCC UK delivered £21.7m in operating profit, with progress being made at the half-way point of a three-year recovery cycle, following the loss of private cloud gross profitability.

SCC France delivered £50.7m of operating profit, and the Spanish operation contributed £2.9m, which was down on the previous year, but was not seen as a cause for alarm.

During the fiscal year, a standout highlight was the French arm’s role as official technology provider for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In his chairman’s statement, the founder of the Rigby Group, Peter Rigby, spoke with pride about the 50-year history of a business he started back in 1975 with just a £2,000 investment.

“From a £2,000 investment to a group now employing over 8,000 people and generating over £3.7bn in annual revenues, this has been a journey shaped by family values, hard work and an unwavering focus on innovation and reinvestment,” he said.

“The world today is unrecognisable from the one we started in – the pace of change in the last five years alone has been extraordinary, but our approach has remained remarkably consistent: think long-term, act decisively and put people first.

“Over five decades, we have diversified and evolved, but technology has remained our constant. We are proud to be one of the very few independent technology companies to have endured at this scale,” he added.

Rigby said that although the group included hotels and airport operations, the commitment to the technology business remained as strong as ever as it entered its 51st year.

“SCC remains the cornerstone of our business, driving innovation across AI, public and private cloud, and cyber security, and enabling clients to transform at pace,” he said.

“Our performance reflects the strength of our teams, our values and our ability to align short-term execution with long-term vision. We remain focused on growth, value creation and operational excellence across our portfolio – and have taken strategic decisions to sharpen that focus.”

Given the 50-year milestone, Rigby took the time to thank staff, many of which have been with the business for numerous decades, and indicated the hunger for growth remained a driving force.

“Our story has never been about standing still. With £3.8bn in turnover, strong performance across our divisions and a pipeline of opportunities, we are confident in our direction. There will always be external challenges – geopolitical or economic – but the fundamentals of our business remain sound, and the spirit of our people continues to inspire,” he stated.