BRITAIN'S MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES 2015: No 2 - JOHNSON MATTHEY
Making pharmaceutical ingredients at Johnson Matthey’s West Deptford facility in the US
Despite a higher score this time, 2014's winner slips a place to second, but still manages to take the criteria award for Value as a Long-term Investment again, as well as the gong for Community & Environmental Responsibility. Johnson Matthey is best known for its market-leading position in automotive catalytic convertors, but under CEO Robert MacLeod it has also begun branching out into batteries and fuel cell technology. In September it sold its Alfa Aesar research chemicals arm for £256m. First-half sales were up 5% to £1.6bn, although profits slipped slightly to £208.3m.