Albemarle & Bond Holdings PLC

Type: Public
On the web: http://www.albemarlebond.com
Employees: 913
Employee growth: 24.9%

Albemarle & Bond trades bling for cold hard cash. The company operates more than 200 pawnshops throughout the UK, lending cash almost exclusively against the security of jewelry. There is no limit on the amount of the loan, but the average is around £140 (approximately $220). A majority of loans are redeemed; the remaining unclaimed jewelry is sold to repay the loan and interest, making Albemarle & Bond one of the largest jewelry retailers in the UK. Additionally, the company offers gold purchasing services (its fastest-growing business segment), sells new jewelery, cashes third-party checks, and issues payday advances. US-based EZCORP owns more than a quarter of Albemarle & Bond.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending June, 2011:
Sales: $1.0M
One year growth: 5.8%
Net income: $24.5M
Income growth: 12.9%

Officers:
Chairman: Greville V. Nicholls
CEO: Barry J. Stevenson
Director and Director Operations: David A. L. Page

Competitors:
Cattles
DFC Global
Provident Financial