Merit Group

{{Short description|British publishing company}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Merit Group plc

| former_name = Huveaux plc and Dods Group plc

| type = public limited company

| traded_as = {{AIM|MRIT}}

| area_served = {{ubl|United Kingdom|Germany|France{{cn|date=June 2021}}}}

| key_people = {{ubl|Munira Ibrahim, {{small|MD, Dods Intelligence}}{{r|ch2}}|{{nobreak|Cornelius Conlon, {{small|MD, Merit Data and Technology}}{{r|ch2}}}}}}

| industry = Publishing

| brands = Dods

| services =

| revenue = {{Decrease}} UK£ 24.7 million

| revenue_year = to 31 March 2021

| owner = Lord Michael Ashcroft (42%)

| num_employees = {{Increase}} 1,158

| num_employees_year = 2021

| location = The Shard, London {{postcode|SE|1}}

| foundation = 2001

| homepage = {{url|meritgroupplc.com}}

}}

Merit Group plc is a British publishing holding company founded in 2001.{{Cite web|title=MERIT GROUP PLC overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04267888|access-date=26 December 2021|website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk|language=en}} Its largest shareholder is the Conservative politician and businessman Lord Ashcroft. It was formerly known as Huveaux plc (from 2001 to 2010) and then as Dods Group plc (2010–2021).{{r|ch}}

Its ordinary shares are listed on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange.{{r|lse}}

== Subsidiaries ==

A subsidiary, Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd, publishes The House Magazine, a fortnightly publication for peers and MPs in Westminster; the annual Dod's Parliamentary Companion; and The Parliament Magazine, aimed at Members of the European Parliament.{{cn|date=June 2021}} Publication of Dods Parliamentary Companion began in 1832.{{r|ms}}

In 2011, the company bought the PoliticsHome website from Lord Ashcroft for £2m. PoliticsHome had been founded in 2008 as a sister site to ConservativeHome and was then edited by Paul Waugh.{{r|mw}}

In 2012, it bought Biteback Media Ltd, publisher of Total Politics, for £795,000 in cash, and Holyrood Communications, publisher of Holyrood, for £416,806 cash plus a further £250,000 if profit targets are met.{{r|tbd}}

As of March 2022, Politics Home and The House Magazine had a combined one million monthly readers online.{{Cite web |last=Silvera |first=Ian |title=PoliticsHome ties digital offering together with podcast push |url=https://www.news-future.com/p/politicshome-ties-digital-offering |access-date=20 March 2022 |website=www.news-future.com}}

References

{{Reflist|refs=

[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04267888 Merit Group plc: Company number 04267888]. Companies House. Accessed June 2021.

[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04267888/officers Merit Group plc: Company number 04267888: Officers]. Companies House - officers. Accessed June 2021.

[https://www.londonstockexchange.com/stock/MRIT/merit-group-plc/company-page Merit Group plc]. London Stock Exchange. Accessed June 2021.

Michael Stenton (editor). (1976). Who's who of British Members of Parliament: a biographical dictionary of the House of Commons based on annual volumes of 'Dod's Parliamentary Companion' and other sources, volume 1: 1832-1885. Hassocks: Harvester Press. {{isbn|9780855272197}}.

{{cite web|title=Ashcroft cashes in on PoliticsHome|url=http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/article/1078064/ashcroft-cashes-politicshome|website=Media Week|accessdate=8 October 2015|date=1 July 2011}}

{{cite web|title=Dods buys Biteback Media, Holyrood Comms for total £1.46m|url=http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/yorkshire/dods-buys-biteback-media-holyrood-comms-for-total-1.46m.html|website=Business Desk|accessdate=8 October 2015|date=17 December 2012}}

}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Companies based in the City of Westminster

Category:Magazine publishing companies of the United Kingdom

Category:Companies listed on the Alternative Investment Market

Category:2001 initial public offerings