Megagrowth ranking six

BACTEC International Ltd, Rochester

Growth: 230.1%

Founded in 1991 by Guy Lucas MBE and his wife Joanna, BACTEC’s position owes much to the vision of its founder.

Mr Lucas was an officer in the British Army from 1965 to 1990. During his military career he trained as a combat engineer, specialist diver and EOD officer.

Today, BACTEC International is the UK’s foremost explosive ordnance disposal and land mine action company, providing highly specialised services world­wide, together with related training and advisory activities.

The company works globally, with offices in the UK, Australia, Cambodia, Mozambique, Laos, Lebanon and Libya.

BACTEC provides risk mitigation services for overseas governments, non-government organisa­tions, local authorities, MoD, the UN, EC and multi-national companies in the oil, gas and construction industries.

The company currently employs more than 900 people worldwide, with 60 permanent staff based at its head office in Rochester.

All BACTEC’s field operators, both on land and marine, are fully qualified, experienced and trained by UK MoD or similar recognised bodies.

During the last 18 years, BACTEC has worked in some 40 countries and been involved in the clearance of more than eight million square metres of land.

BACTEC has been accredited since 1993, first to ISO 9002 and subsequently to ISO 9001 in 2002.

This has assisted the company in expanding its staff numbers and client base, while maintaining the quality of its services and operating practices.

BACTEC was recognised in 2008 with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade for an impressive export performance – a five-fold increase in overseas earnings over the last three years.

It was also a finalist in the inaugural Kent Excel­lence in Business Awards (KEiBA) this year in the Large Business of the Year category. Judges said: BACTEC’s “ humanitarian work, including the use of local employees, is particularly admirable, and they are clearly well thought-of in their industry”.