Tennants ranked number two

London-headquartered Tennants, which among other things owns Tennants Distribution, has been named by the Daily Telegraph as the UK’s second largest privately owned chemicals company. Dating back to 1797, the company was founded by Charles Tennant, a farmer’s son who reputedly (accounts vary) invented bleaching powder by passing chlorine gas over slaked lime, revolutionising the contemporary textile industry. Recording a 2007 pre-tax profit of £17.7m, Tennants is ranked behind global chemical producer Ineos and above natural medicines retailer Nelson & Russell, which last year recorded profits of £1.5bn and £4.5m, respectively, in the Daily Telegraph ’s list.

The remaining seven firms on the list, in order of profits, are Thornton and Ross (pharmaceuticals, £4.23m); Nova Laboratories (pharmaceuticals, £3.15m); F Ball and Co (floor adhesives, £3.1m); Tor Coatings (paints, £3m); Stamford (plastics, £2.5m); Diomed (pharmaceuticals, £2.5m); and GRI Group (household goods/cosmetics, £2.3m).

www.tennantsdistribution.com