Pole Star Space Applications Ltd.has been recognized as one of Britain’s best performing companies, according to the Sunday Times International Track 100. The league table ranks 100 UK-based private companies with the fastest-growing international sales in the last three years. Pole Star was the sole maritime industry representative included from a database of 2 million privately-held businesses. The company provides satellite monitoring systems to the global maritime industry, delivering fleet management, security and asset management services to over 24,000 vessels world-wide.
Colin Hook, Chairman of Pole Star Space Applications said, “Pole Star has secured an international reputation for providing leading-edge satellite-enabled safety and security services to the maritime industry. We are delighted to be included in the International Track 100, which recognises the progress we have made in recent years in responding to our customer’s needs for ever more effective solutions.”
The International Track 100 judges noted that in the past three years, sales of Pole Star’s satellite-enabled ship security-alert systems, vessel-tracking and counter-piracy services had grown over 50% per annum, year on year.
In 2009, at the request of the joint command of anti-piracy taskforce off East Africa, Pole Star was responsible for developing SSRS, a unique anti-piracy tool that enables coalition assets to respond faster and more effectively to piracy attacks.
In early 2011, Pole Star announced that its Long Range Tracking and Identification (LRIT) Data Centre was tracking more than 9,000 vessels world-wide - the most comprehensive LRIT support service available.
Founded in 1998, Pole Star saw sales grow from £3.5 million (nearly $5.6 million) in 2008 to £8.1 million (nearly $13 million) in 2010. Headquartered in London, the company employs 60 staff. As well as providing products to the commercial marine sector, Pole Star is involved in a number of government-level maritime safety and security programmes. It is the largest provider of LRIT Data Centers under the IMO’s LRIT initiative and is the leading provider of LRIT conformance testing worldwide.