For a group founded in the 1950s, five years is not really a long period. However, the strength and consistency of Basil Read’s growth in the past five years – amid arguably the most intense competition in its sector in history – proves the mettle of a group founded on family values and honed through good and bad economic cycles. A double winner of the prestigious Sunday Times Business Times Top 100 Companies award, Basil Read continues to target sustained growth and value for all stakeholders. Excerpts from annual reports over the past five years mark the development of a group that is now truly a formidable participant in its sector, and poised to move beyond South Africa’s borders.