2004 Profit Track 100
Rank: 10 Tussauds Group
Runs Madame Tussauds and Alton Towers and owns 33% of London Eye
Madame Tussauds has long been an icon of London's tourist scene, but with branches in New York, Las Vegas, Amsterdam and Hong Kong it has now become a worldwide brand. The Tussauds Group also operates Heide Park in Germany, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and Warwick Castle, and has a 33% stake in the London Eye. The company was bought out from Pearson in 1998 in a £352m deal backed by Charterhouse Development Capital. New management teams focus on brand repositioning, and flexible ticket pricing has helped boost profits 111% a year from an annualised £4.2m in 1999 to £39.4m in 2002. However, because of interest payments on its debt, the company made a loss before tax.
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Madame Tussauds has long been an icon of London's tourist scene, but with branches in New York, Las Vegas, Amsterdam and Hong Kong it has now become a worldwide brand. The Tussauds Group also operates Heide Park in Germany, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and Warwick Castle, and has a 33% stake in the London Eye. The company was bought out from Pearson in 1998 in a £352m deal backed by Charterhouse Development Capital. New management teams focus on brand repositioning, and flexible ticket pricing has helped boost profits 111% a year from an annualised £4.2m in 1999 to £39.4m in 2002. However, because of interest payments on its debt, the company made a loss before tax.
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Company facts
Tussauds Group
Leisure attraction operator
Company website
| Profit growth | 110.74% pa |
| 2002 profit | £39.4m |
| 1999 profit | *£4.2m |
| 2002 staff | 3,052 |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Location of HQ | Southwest London |
| If applicable: * = annualised figures ‡ = draft accounts |
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