A success straight out of the movies

Steve Wiener, head of the country's fifth- largest cinema chain, Cine-UK, is happy to look at the big picture. When The Independent on Sunday spoke to him last year, after the group had featured strongly in the Deloitte & Touche Indy 100 list of fast-growing companies, the former usher was celebrating as the company had just made its first profit and was merrily continuing its rapid rate of expansion.

Twelve months on and Cine-UK is still growing, as it has been since 1995 when it was founded. The expansion hasn't been as speedy, with two extra cinemas bringing the company's total to 29. But there should be three more open by the end of the year, and Cine-UK is in talks with its bankers to get a bigger loan to fund its growth plans for the next three years.

The trading performance is still improving. During the year there have been more blockbusters to draw customers to Cineworld cinemas. The second Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings films, plus a Bond movie and another Star Wars episode have all helped at the box office.

Bollywood films have always been a popular feature of Cineworld cinemas, but now the rest of Britain has caught up with this Indian film phenomenon. So Cine-UK has continued its record of innovation by finding genres – Turkish and Greek films, for example – that fit the ethnic mix of local communities.

But one project that was on the agenda, selling the company for £150m, has not worked out. No buyers would pay that price and Cine-UK is no longer in discussions. Instead, Mr Wiener is focusing on organic growth, though he says he would look at an acquisition at the right price. With rivals Odeon, UBC and Warner Village all rumoured to be on the block, there could be assets available.

Mr Wiener has been developing new concepts during the year. A trial introduction of theatre-style private boxes in Jersey has proved a winner, and all new Cine-UK cinemas will now include the VIP boxes. Customers are treated to waitress service, their own private sound system and they can drink alcohol throughout the performance.

As innovation proceeds, though, the nuts and bolts of the business will be tightened. "We've been growing so fast, there's things we haven't kept up with," admits Mr Wiener. Developing an internet booking system is high on the priority list. During the rush when Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings opened, the existing reservation system couldn't keep up with the demand.

Mr Wiener thinks the secret of Cine- UK's success is its concentration on small towns and suburban areas that do not have many competing movie houses because the likes of Odeon and UBC look at big-ticket leisure parks. "We prefer to go to smaller catchment areas," he says, "so we can focus on the product and not on beating up the competition."

If you wish to nominate a company for the Deloitte & Touche/Indy 100 competition, contact Tina Hene on 020 7303 2217, or thene@deloitte.co.uk. The website for the awards is: www.deloitte.com/uk/indy100. The closing date for nominations is 21 February.