Laraval is the world's leading open source PHP framework for the development of web applications. It's what we use on projects where there is such a high degree of custom functionality that an off-shelf CMS would be inappropriate.
When using an off the shelf CMS you inherit not only the softwares advantages but also it's limitations. Which is why more and more businesses are realising the advanatages of having their own custom platforms. Where the platform is specifically tailored to match their needs.
Laravel is fully scalable and is a sturdy platform for building feature-rich websites with database access. It has great community support and whilst it is comparitievly young software, it is already a world leader.