A CRANE hire business dating back more than 60 years in the industry is Harrogate's most profitable SME turning over £9 million.
Established in 1947 by Joe Emsley, Emsley Crane Hire began life as a 24 hour vehicle recovery firm.
After a strut-jib crane was purchased to provide more versatile lifting capabilities, demand for its use on local construction sites led to the official birth of Emsley Crane Hire.
The business now employs a team of 64, and in its last set of accounts saw a year on year increase of pre-tax profits from £1.8 million in 2012, to £2.6 million in 2013.
Joe Emsley's sons, Peter and John, joined the firm in the early 1970's, and the company started to make its mark within the industry with further crane purchases and the acquisition of a secondary yard in Doncaster.
This was soon followed by a move to their purpose built head office in Harrogate to accommodate the ever growing fleet of cranes, with the business now supplying cranes to all four corners of Britain.
Following Elmsley Crane hire in Harrogate's list of top performing SMEs is insurance provider NCI, which last year welcomed its 100th employee as pre-tax profits surpassed the million pound mark, growing from £974,000 to £1.25 million.
Founded in 2000 by Neil Richards-Smith and Craig Duwell, NCI has grown over the past fourteen years expanding from breakdown cover to motor insurance and most recently to pet insurance.
In 2012 the business opened its new 2,500 sq ft head office in Clarendon House, Harrogate.
Also operating in the insurance sector is Hmca/s, coming third in the Harrogate district list, and top of the Knaresborough-based businesses listed.
The company, known fully as Hospital Medical Care Association, also has offices in Dublin and London, and offers private medical, breakdown recovery, life extra, cash plans, dental, income protection and travel plans to members of more than 600 trade and professional groups.
Established more than 35 years ago, the business employs a team of 27, and last year saw a drop in pre-tax profits to £1.19 million, down from £1.59 million the previous year.
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