In addition, the business was placed at number 4 in the ‘Most Productive’ list, based on return on capital employed. Sue Douthwaite of Santander commended all companies listed and confirmed that even though growing a company can be difficult, it is even more so in the current economy.

This is the first accreditation for Speed Medical in 2012; following on from a successful 2011 which saw the company achieving a listing in the Telegraph 1000 list, and Lancashire Business View’s Hot 100. A great start to the year that will hopefully continue throughout 2012.

Burnham’s move, another departure from medical evidence provider Mobile Doctors, sees him join former colleague Mike Ball – now national new business development manager for Speed Medical – who made a similar transition earlier in 2011.

Responsible for developing existing relationships with clients and referrers as well as unearthing new revenue streams for Speed, Burnham has already delivered his new employers a couple of welcome Christmas presents agreeing contracts with two new referrers, set to generate a couple of hundred additional instructions per month, within his first few days in post.

Originally from Buckinghamshire, Burnham started his career issuing summonses from the High Wycombe County Court. He then joined VELO Accident Management where he spent 12 years, seven of which were in a key account management role. After that, for two years, he worked as a business development executive covering the south of England for Mobile Doctors.

Commenting on the appointment, Chris Chatterton, Speed Medical’s commercial director, said: “Steve is a great addition to our growing team. He brings with him a wealth of contacts and is genuinely committed to delivering unbeatable customer service. He has already hit the ground running and I wish him every success.”

Burnham added: “Speed’s unrivalled focus on customer service and its growing reputation for results within the industry were the key factors that persuaded me to move. What the guys are building here is very exciting and I’m proud to represent such a professional, compassionate business.”

Born in 1975, Burnham lives in Brighton with his partner Alessandro, an Italian chef, and their cats Bella and Rufus. Away from work, aside from continuing to improve his Italian, cooking and gardening take up most of his time.

Since that very first morning, Macmillan have raised over £60 million and that money has been used to help the charity achieve their goal of reaching out to and offering support to every person diagnosed with cancer in the UK. They believe that each individual who has been diagnosed deserves the right to receive the help they need no matter how big or small, and we at Speed feel that by taking part in the coffee morning each year, we can help Macmillan achieve this outstanding goal.

Speed Medical began supporting Macmillan through the hosting of the annual coffee morning in 2007. In order to add to the £608.81 (the company has matched this) that the company had raised in previous years, staff were asked to donate cakes and other delicious treats to sell during the coffee morning. This year, as in the past, staff at Speed Medical did not disappoint and provided a fantastic array of goodies which all sold out. Through the selling of cakes and coffee, staff managed to raise £114.40, it was later announced that the company would match the value that was raised, bringing our total £228.80.

As well as supporting Macmillan, each year Speed Medical also takes part in the ‘Race for Life’ and organises events to raise money for ‘Red Nose Day’ and ‘Children In Need’. In recent years, members of the company have taken part in the ‘London to Paris Cycle Ride’ and the ‘MegaHike’ which raises money for MedEquip4Kids.

When asked the question, ‘Will we take part next year?’ the answer is most definitely yes. We feel that by contributing each year we can help Macmillan Cancer Support make a difference to the lives of those that have been diagnosed in the UK.

The Telegraph’s report into the top 1,000 privately owned and Alternative Investment Market-listed companies, with annual sales of between £5m and £500m, published this week and billed as a celebration of the UK economy’s powerhouse – mid-sized companies that have weathered the economic storm, set to be the foundation upon which the UK’s recovery is based – was compiled with the help of NESTA, the innovation agency, which identified fast growing companies. Business information specialist Dun & Bradstreet then verified the information.

The Telegraph also polled more than a dozen membership organisations, such as the Chartered Insurance Institute, for their ‘ones to watch’. The report provides an encouraging picture to counter the widely reported and generally gloomy economic indicators.

Collectively, the 1,000 firms, based all around the UK, generated more than £50bn in sales during the last year. Despite representing different sectors, different types of business and being at different stages in their evolution, from young rapidly growing ventures to more established but innovative operations, they all shared one significant trait for which they were commended by the report’s authors: their extraordinary resilience during the recession and subsequent stuttering recovery.

Like many of the companies claiming a spot in the top 1,000, Speed Medical, established in 1998, has increased sales revenue and employment levels in consecutive years since 2009-10 with the latest figures standing at £40M and 145 staff respectively.

Its ambitious growth plans, revealed earlier this year, include a turnover target of 45M and a net growth in staff, month on month, over the course of the current accounting period.

Commenting on its inclusion in the Telegraph’s Top 1,000, Chris Chatterton, Speed Medical’s commercial director, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised as one of the companies that that are not just surviving, but thriving in the current climate which, let’s make no mistake, is as difficult as we’ve ever known it.”

“Like many companies we’ve had to face up to new challenges, think differently, focus on what’s really important and to take risks, to grab opportunities before they disappear. I’m happy to report that our strategy is working, we’re stronger than before and able to provide more support to our customers in the legal and insurance sectors than ever.”

Telegraph 1000

To date he has agreed deals with Ashsteads, the Wilkes Partnership and Fasttrack claims and he’s building a healthy pipeline of new contacts to meet with, initially adding hundreds of new cases to Speed’s workload annually.

Originally from Shropshire, Ball started his career as a fireman in the RAF but after stints as a manager in a finance company and as a regional claims manager in the insurance sector, for Quinn Direct, he moved into a business development role with Mobile Doctors. Whilst there, he successfully grew his portfolio of new clients and encouraged existing customers to place more of their business with the firm.

Commenting on this appointment, which follows hot on the heels of other senior sales, business development and marketing hires at the firm, as well as a rebranding and the launch of an ambitious new growth strategy, Chris Chatterton, Speed Medical’s commercial director, said: “Mike is a great addition to our growing business development team. He brings with him a wealth of contacts and a real passion for customer service, our main strategic imperative. He told me he loves a challenge so we’ve given him a tough one but I’m sure his drive and determination to succeed will see both him and Speed Medical benefit greatly.”

Ball added: “Even people within the industry don’t seem to know a great deal about Speed but from the customers I’ve already spoken to, there’s a great story to tell here so it’s my job to get out there and tell it, as often and as passionately as I can.”

Born in 1972, Ball lives in Telford, where he’ll work from, with his partner Dawn and three children. Away from work, and aside from his family, sport and music take up most of his time.

Collectively, the agreements, signed with Wisecall Assistance and Kindertons, ensure that the company will provide reports for thousands of additional personal injury cases per annum, boosting turnover in one of the region’s rising stars by around £2M in the first year alone. The deals also give Speed more opportunities to generate additional revenue through the provision of its innovative home-based rehabilitation service for injured parties.

Chris Chatterton, Speed Medical’s commercial director, comments: “We launched our new strategic plan just a few weeks ago and signaled our intent to move out from the shadows of our rivals by rebranding the company, refreshing procedures throughout the business and launching our unique home mobilisation service. If anyone had any doubt about how serious we are, today’s announcement should clarify once and for all that we mean business!”

So says Graham Pulford, managing director of Speed Medical, the UK’s third largest medico-legal reporting company, as he throws down the gauntlet to the rest of the medico-legal industry during the announcement of his firm’s rebranding: an announcement made on the seventh anniversary of his tenure as MD, symbolically distancing the privately owned company even further from its main competitors.

The challenge to ‘put up or shut up’ and the rebranding are both key elements of Speed Medical’s new operational approach, formulated on the back of extensive customer research and the internal launch of an ambitious new growth strategy. The last few months have seen numerous senior appointments, an overhaul of procedures and targets and, in June, the launch of an innovative home-based rehabilitation service to help injured parties.

Now comes the rebranding, in a further move that hints at Pulford’s increasing desire to distance his firm from the industry’s other operators. On the face of it, the exercise involved a simple dropping of the words ‘examination services’ from the brand name, the introduction of a softer typeface and the replacement of a rather clinical looking blue and green logo with a warmer, more dynamic icon, employing a distinctive purple and grey colour scheme.

However, behind the changes lies sound strategic reasoning not to mention deep psychological analysis. Whilst shorter in length the new brand name provides a broader umbrella identity that will allow the company to enter new markets and offer new services. And the logo, very different from everything else in the sector, whilst reminiscent of a capital S, is suggestive of two people actively engaging with each other, a key tenet of Speed Medical’s philosophy – business is done between people not faceless entities.

All operational stationery has already been replaced and a stylish new brochure and much enhanced website have also been launched.

Returning to his bold announcement, Pulford comments: “This rebranding is not purely a cosmetic exercise, it is much more significant than it may appear at first glance. It signposts our broader intentions and asserts our desire to be different. For instance, rather than an incessant reliance on technology to drive efficiencies and maximise profits, we use IT but we place people and the personal touch at the centre of everything we do. People are at the core of what we do; injured parties, solicitors, insurers, medical experts, people who like the reassurance of dealing with other people.”

“And my challenge to the industry isn’t superficial bluster either. In hindsight I’ve probably bitten my tongue for too long. I would rather be the best than the biggest and looking at our service levels and customer feedback I’d say we’re well on the way to achieving that goal, especially with the new plans we now have in place. I just wish everybody in the medico-legal sector shared our desire to put customer service and hence satisfaction first.”

Appointed to help reposition the business, overhaul its communications and implement an ambitious new growth strategy, Daniel Chesney is the newest addition to an expanding senior team charged with transforming the media-shy but already solid business performer into a dominant industry force.

Chesney, a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing with professional and postgraduate diplomas to his name, joins Speed from a nearby rival.

There, he was responsible for integrating and repositioning several brands, refreshing identities and launching an array of award winning technological developments. He also has extensive experience of developing communications programmes under his belt and was the key driving force behind the creation of environmental, charitable and socially-aware marketing campaigns.

Prior to his time in the medico-legal industry, Chesney honed his marketing expertise at the industrial Exchange & Mart and, at the outset of his career, within a retail environment.

Having totally immersed himself in the business during his first few months, his newly created plans are set to come to fruition shortly with the first major announcements scheduled for June. But he’s not resting on his laurels just yet claiming: “there’s lots to do here if we’re to create the reputation this business deserves.”

“I want more business from more customers. I want happy customers and happy, involved staff. And I want everyone to share in the rewards that such success brings.”

Graham Pulford, managing director of both Speed and its sister company AIM, a legal expenses insurer based in Stockport, welcomed his newest managerial appointment saying; “I am delighted that Dan has joined us. I’m sure his skills and experience, not to mention his boundless enthusiasm and seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy will help us take this business to another level and will genuinely benefit of our customers.”

Chesney concludes: “For me, this is a massive job. Not just because of the sheer workload required to reposition ourselves for the forthcoming challenges but because of the context within which we’ll be operating. With so many exciting changes in the medico-legal sector; the fallout from the Jackson report on civil litigation; the development of alternative business structures; and the inexorable rise of the web, tremendous opportunities lie in wait and it’s up to us to go out and grab them!”

Developed in conjunction with specialist practitioners as an alternative to the traditional treatment approach, the service is ideal for clients who have suffered soft tissue injuries and who are unable to attend the typical physiotherapy appointment, perhaps because they lack transport, have disabilities or dependents at home that make travelling difficult, is case managed by qualified therapists.

A simple referral to Speed Medical is all it takes to enable injured parties to start the appropriate course of treatment quickly, engaging them fully in the process and improving their chances of a successful long-term recovery.

Initial assessments, based on pain levels, the nature of any injuries and factors like the claimant’s age and physical condition, are made and personalised exercise routines are then created and distributed to the injured party. Each mobilisation routine contains specific exercises for each pain area, in the form of detailed instructions and simple to follow illustrations.

Regular telephone reviews of progress and mobility improvements ensue with modifications made to the treatment regime where necessary. As a truly bespoke service, the number of calls varies with the type of injury, patient’s circumstances and individual needs for ongoing support and reassurance paramount in determining the schedule. And, in every case, physiotherapists are accessible between formal consultations should an injured party require further advice. At conclusion, a full discharge report is produced.

Graham Pulford, managing director of both Speed and its sister company AIM, the legal expenses insurer, says; “The use of rehabilitation and especially early intervention in the claims process is vital if the injured person is to make the best and quickest possible physical and psychological recovery. Although successful rehabilitation may mean a reduced compensation award, the opportunity to reduce someone’s trauma and pain, to help them return to work earlier, to give them an improved quality of life, has to be more important than any financial settlement.”

“Our clinical focus is on optimising recovery, ensuring better outcomes for injured parties, with tailored treatment and one to one support. A faster process without excessive treatments, delivered at lower costs and with continuous client engagement. Surely that has to be the Holy Grail of Personal Injury rehabilitation services.”

Pulford concludes: “This is just the first of several exciting announcements we’ll be making over the coming months as we embark on our new ambitious growth strategy. For too long we’ve been one of the medico-legal industry’s best kept secrets but that’s going to change. We have plenty of success, more innovations and some terrific performance indicators to shout about here and shout about them we will!”