The Plymouth Brethren Rich List: Nine UK Companies, Combined Assets Over £200 Million

Directors: Jonathan Andrews, Charlie Campbell, Nathan Campbell

Care home supplies and consultancy business. Subsidiaries include Blueleaf, Frog Group, Stadir and Steiss Global. Turnover fell from £98.7 million in 2020 due to that year including PPE contract revenues. DHSC spend data shows over £31 million paid to Blueleaf — significantly more than the £4 million shown on the UK Contracts Register. The company was also listed as a DHSC-recommended PPE supplier sent directly to local councils and care homes at the start of the pandemic. Reported a loss after tax of £641k in 2021 vs profit of £11.6 million the previous year. Non-executive director Rob Critchley, a senior Brethren member, has since joined the board.

Directors: Simon Whiley, Oliver Whiley, Nicholas Whiley — with Dean Hales as part-owner

Lancaster-based Whiley family run the flooring business, but the shareholding reveals that Dean Hales — son of PBCC leader Bruce Hales — has a stake via the Australian entity Duroline Products Pty Ltd, in turn owned by Dean's company Shavano Consulting Pty Ltd. Turnover grew £11 million in 2021, with 25% of revenues outside the UK. Profit after tax reached £4.3 million.

The Carnforth business park on which Havwoods sits is also the location of 2San Global — incorporated May 2020, Covid contract winner in Australia, and the company that recruited at least 13 UKHSA Test & Trace employees including Mark Hewlett. Simon and Oliver Whiley were formerly directors of Strategic DB Group Ltd (formerly Unispace Properties Ltd) alongside Gareth and Charles Hales.

Directors: Tim Drake, Laurie Drake, Samuel Drake, Anthony Drake, Nicholas Drake

Awarded Covid contracts including supply of Covid testing facilities via the VIP channel, with assistance from former MP and now peer Lord Lansley. Pre-pandemic turnover was £19.8 million (2019); shareholder funds more than doubled to £20.7 million by 2021. Pre-tax profit in 2021 was £9.5 million, with a low effective tax rate due to Patent Box deduction, R&D relief and prior period adjustments — a pattern visible across several companies in this list.

Tim Drake was appointed a director of Kingsway Group Global following Vision Accelerator investment, and was also appointed to Moroak Management (see below) when Vision Accelerator invested there. This suggests direct involvement with the Brethren's investment fund.

Directors: Jerry Douglass, Guy Douglass, Harvey Douglass, James Douglass, Annette Douglass

Arguably the largest non-Covid-contract Brethren company. Subsidiaries: The Millboard Company, Fixings Direct Central, Murray Uniforms. Financial performance is exceptional — turnover grew 76% from 2019 to 2021 (£36.5m to £64.5m); gross profit grew 251%; net profit after tax grew 482% from £3.18m to £15.33m. International sales now 30% of turnover, up from 18% three years prior.

James (Jay) Douglass previously sold Stonemarket to Marshalls PLC — the family's wealth substantially predates the Millboard growth.

Directors: Stephen Turner, Marcus Turner, Clive Turner, Charles McIntyre, Craig Turner, Dale Turner, George Turner

In an unusual step for a Brethren company, took private equity investment from Rutland Partners in summer 2021 — something that would historically have led to members being excommunicated. This level of commercial engagement with the outside world must have had the highest level of church approval. Rutland Partners was founded by Michael Langdon, a Conservative "leader's group" donor under David Cameron.

Won a £217k DHSC contract for aprons. Also included in a £23.8m NHS Supply Chain curtains framework alongside three other Brethren-connected companies — despite being a packaging firm.

Directors: Edward Gates, John Gates, Gerrard Gates

Despite lower turnover, ranks 6th by assets — indicating substantial asset-backing relative to revenue. Gross profit in 2021 was £7.7 million with after-tax profits of £2.6 million. No R&D or Patent Box relief claimed. While no direct Covid contracts appear on the register, Westgate's own website states they supplied Hoardfast UPVC modular screens to the NHS Nightingale hospitals in Manchester, Glasgow and Bangor.

Directors: Marcus Magee, Paul Magee, Alan Magee, Martin Magee

Won two Covid contracts in April/May 2020 and a larger contract in September 2020 for outer packaging for Covid test kits — all awarded without competition. Total value just over £3 million.

Notably, the September 2020 contract would have been signed on behalf of the government by Jacqui Rock, Chief Commercial Officer of Test & Trace and a member of its executive committee — alongside Mark Hewlett, Testing Chief Operating Officer, who went on to become CEO of 2San Global (owned by Dean Hales).

Directors: Michael Barter (55%), Tim Barter, Blake Barter, Tim Browning, Clive Pavey

In 2020, Vision Accelerator Pty Ltd — the PBCC's central investment fund — acquired a 40% stake in subsidiary Moroak Management Ltd. Tim Drake (Accora, #3) was simultaneously appointed as a non-executive director, resigned August 2022. This pattern of Tim Drake and Robert Freeman being appointed to Vision Accelerator portfolio companies suggests they act as the fund's representatives on investee boards.

Michael Barter also controls Techniclean Holdings, which won a £20 million PPE contract from the Northern Ireland Business Services Organisation — potentially the first PBCC company to win a PPE contract (1 April 2020). Techniclean grew from £480k in assets pre-pandemic to £3.2m assets in 2021.

YradiantUK (a Barter company) is owned by Yradiant Health Sciences Pty Ltd — registered at the same Sydney address as UBT and OneSchool Global. See our ATO raid investigation.

Directors: Andrew Parsons, Tristan Parsons, Warren Parsons, Luke Haughton, Evan Lindsell

Subsidiaries: Sapphire Balconies, Mydek, Innovast, Skize and Woodridge Developments. Turnover grew from £26.8m (2019) to £46.7m (2021). The group made over £7.2 million profit in two years whilst paying less than 3% tax — via Patent Box and R&D relief.

Alok Sharma MP visited Sapphire Balconies in July 2019. The Parsons businesses are adjacent to the Reading OneSchool Global campus.

Andrew Parsons is the brother of Cyril Parsons — founder of Unispace (the company whose contracts transferred to Sante Global under Gareth and Charles Hales).