Max Skillman founded JVM equipment in 1998 and has the Russian distribution franchise not just for JCB but also Gomaco paving equipment, Terex cranes, Powerscreen crushing equipment, Sennebogen cranes and material handlers and Deutz engines.
For the first 10 years of the business, it saw sales growth of 80% a year. The market collapsed in 2009 but has since picked up again and recovered strongly.
It has a Russian subsidiary business, JSC Kwintmadi.
In 2011 JVM Equipment made £37.1m profit on sales of £402.6m. Mr Skillman owns 51% of it and is judged by the Rich List authors to be personally worth £103m, making him Britain’s 766th richest man, allegedly.
However, he has a long way to go to catch the man who makes the machines he sells. Sir Anthony Bamford, chairman and owner of JCB, is reckoned to be worth £3.15bn and is ranked at number 21 on the list.
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