Research report 2016 Britain's private companies with the fastest-growing profits - Fast Track
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Research report 2016 Profit Track 100 research report 2016 1 Britain's private companies with the fastest-growing profits In association with
Profit Track 100 research report 2016 i
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
Top 10 Profit Track 100 companies 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2
KEY STATISTICS 3
Growth in profits 3
Margins 4
Sales 4
Staff & job creation 5
Regional breakdown 5
Foundation dates 5
Sector breakdown 6
Industry breakdown 7
Ownership 7
SEVENTEEN YEARS OF PROFIT TRACK 100 8
KEY THEMES & SELECTED COMPANY PROFILES 10
International expansion 10
Regional strength 11
Consumer spending 12
Building 13
Manufacturing 14
External capital 15
Well-known brands 16
2016 PROFIT TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE 17
ONES TO RECOGNISE 21
METHODOLOGY 22
Qualification criteria 22
Research approach 22
SPONSORS & MEDIA PARTNER 23
ABOUT FAST TRACK 25
Compiler & publisher 25
The authors 25
Fast Track 25
CONTACT DETAILS 26
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2016 1
INTRODUCTION
This is the 17th year of The Sunday Times Profit Track 100, which has
become the definitive league table of Britain’s private companies with the
fastest-growing profits. BDO is the title sponsor of the league table, and
the main sponsor is UBS Wealth Management.
The 2016 Profit Track 100 ranks companies based on their average
operating profit growth over three years, either from 2011 to 2014, or
Adrian Pike, co-founder and CEO of Anesco, the energy 2012 to 2015, depending on the companies’ latest available accounts.
efficiency consultancy, which tops the league table with
an average profit growth of 179% pa over the past Despite the backdrop of turbulent international markets and the looming
three years
EU referendum, this year’s league table findings indicate the breadth of
companies which have benefited from a period of sustained economic
stimulus and growth. Average profit growth for the 100 companies over
their latest three years was 82% a year with combined profits of £1.5bn,
compared with an average growth rate of 68% on last year's table.
Featured companies include household names such as domestic
appliance manufacturer Gtech (No 2); ladies' clothing retailer Mint Velvet
(No 31); online bookmaker bet365 (No 91); and sushi bar chain Wasabi
(No 80).
The No 1 company is energy efficiency consultancy Anesco, which
installs and maintains the latest renewable energy equipment, such as
solar panels and biomass boilers for homeowners, local authorities and
businesses. Despite cuts to green subsidies in the UK, it grew profits 179%
a year from £952,000 in 2012 to £20.7m in 2015.
These figures illustrate the dynamic contribution of the Profit Track 100
companies to the British economy, and are outlined in more detail in the
following pages.
Top 10 Profit Track 100 companies
3yr average Latest Latest
Rank Rank Company annual profit profits sales
2016 2015 Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Founded
Anesco
1 Reading Mar 15 179.15% 20,706 160,194 114 2008
Energy efficiency consultancy
Gtech
2 Worcestershire Nov 15 162.83% *13,874 *66,168 72 2001
Domestic appliance manufacturer
Hopkins Homes
3 Suffolk Apr 15 162.14% 22,842 95,471 115 1992
Housebuilder
First Utility
4 Warwick Dec 14 156.61% 11,600 562,182 477 2006
Energy supplier
Solarcentury
5 38 Central London Mar 15 128.84% 10,682 222,329 200 1998
Solar technology developer
The Hut Group
6 1 Northwich Dec 15 125.59% *18,082 *333,493 *1231 2004
Online retailer
Balmoral Group
7 Aberdeen Mar 15 125.12% 30,962 136,534 557 1980
Polymer engineer and manufacturer
money.co.uk
8 2 Gloucestershire Oct 14 123.89% 15,430 23,290 28 2008
Price comparison website
Reward Gateway
9 Central London Jun 15 121.55% 6,590 187,529 211 2006
Employee engagement technology
BrewDog
10 Aberdeenshire Dec 15 120.11% **5,500 *45,000 580 2007
Brewery
Profit = operating profit * Supplied by company ** Ebitda, revised to £4.9m after close of research
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2016 2
Growth in profits EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Number of companies in each range of compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) of profits over latest 3 years Overview
• The Profit Track 100 companies, on average, increased their
>=140% 4 profits 82% a year over the last three years of available
accounts, from a total of £300m to £1.5bn
115% – 140% 6
• Profit growth across the companies has been driven by an
85% – 115% 25 improvement in reported margins. These increased to an
50% - 85% 65
average of 15% in their latest year, from an average of 6%
three years ago
• Combined sales of the 100 companies were up by 90% over
the last three years, from a total of £6.8bn to £13bn
• 64 of the companies are majority-owned by an entrepreneur
and/or founders, while 13 are majority-owned by private
equity or venture capital firms
• Services (41%), retail (23%) and manufacturing (23%) are the
dominant sectors on the league table
• The regions which are best represented are the Southeast (23)
Characteristics of a typical
and London (22)
Profit Track 100 company
Profits
Average growth over three years 82% pa Key themes
Profits in 2014/15 £15.3m International expansion: More than half of the companies
Profits in 2011/12 £3.0m have grown profits with a contribution from international
Profits margin latest year 15.1% operations. [Page 10]
Profits margin base year 6.4% Regional strength: More than half (55) of the companies are
based outside of London and the Southeast, including seven of
Sales
the top 10. [Page 11]
Average growth over three years 31% pa
Sales in 2014/15 £130m Consumer spending: There are 39 companies selling products or
Sales in 2011/12 £68m
services directly to consumers that benefited from increased personal
spending, driven by wage growth and low inflation. [Page 12]
Staff
Building: There are 29 companies operating in a building-related
Typical number of staff in 2014/15 650
industry, almost twice as many as last year (15). [Page 13]
Typical increase in staff over three years 17% pa
Manufacturing: There are 24 manufacturers on the league
Company characteristics
table, the majority of which make some or all of their products in
Region Southeast (23%) the UK. [Page 14]
Sector Services (41%)
External capital: A fifth of the companies have raised external
Profits = operating profit capital, whether from private equity, venture capital firms or
corporate investors. [Page 15]
Well-known brands: The league table features a number
of household names, some of which are making repeat
appearances on the Profit Track 100. [Page 16]
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2016 3
Range of profits KEY STATISTICS
Number of companies in each range
Growth in profits
>=£50m 5 • Profit Track 100 companies, on average, increased their profits
by 82% a year over their last three years, from a combined
£20m – £50m 6
£300m to £1.5bn
£10m – £20m 23
• Online bookmaker bet365 (No 91) achieved the highest profits
£5m - £10m 35 on the table with £413m, on sales of £1.6bn. With customers
in more than 100 countries, bet365 is also the majority
£3m - £5m 31
shareholder of Stoke City Football Club
• 34 companies had profits of £10m or more, including price
comparison website money.co.uk (No 8) with £15.4m, and
ladies’ clothing retailer Mint Velvet (No 31) with £10.8m. 35
10 companies with the highest profits
companies on the table had profits between £5m and £10m
Latest
Company profits, • The top-ranked company, energy efficiency consultancy
Rank Activity £m FYE Anesco, boosted profits an average 179% a year from £952,000
91
bet365
413 Mar 15 in 2012 to £20.7m in 2015
Online bookmaker
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill • Companies had to work harder to gain a place on this year’s
85 83 Mar 15
Clothing retailer league table. Profits at the 100th ranked company (civil
28
The Miller Group
77 Dec 15 engineering contractor Buckingham Group Contracting) grew
Housebuilder
an average of 54% a year, compared with the 43% minimum
Principal Hotels required in 2015
15 62 Dec 14
Hotel operator
Fairview New Homes
46 54 Dec 14
Housebuilder
Churchill Retirement Living
12 44 May 15
Housebuilder
Euro Garages
48 41 Jul 15
Fuel forecourt operator
Balmoral Group
7 31 Mar 15
Polymer engineer and manufacturer
Peninsula Business Services
89 24 Mar 15
Employment law consultancy
Hopkins Homes
3 23 Apr 15
Housebuilder
Profits = operating profit
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2016 4
Profit margins
Number of companies in each margin range Margins
• Profit growth across the companies has been driven by an
>=30% 9
improvement in reported margins. These increased to an average
20% - 29% 18 of 15% in their latest year, from an average of 6% three years ago
10% - 19% 33 • 52 companies increased profit margins by more than 2% points in
their latest year. This compares with 48 companies last year
5% - 9% 26
0% - 4% 14
• Nine companies had profit margins of more than 30%. The
companies with the highest margins are price comparison website
money.co.uk (No 8), which has a 66% margin; and imaging technology
developer Apical (No 59), which has a 52% margin
5 companies with the highest profit margins • The company with the lowest margins, at 1.7%, is civil engineering
contractor Buckingham Group Contracting (No 100), with profits of
Rank Company Profit FYE
Activity margin £5.3m, and sales of £308.7m
money.co.uk
8 66.3% Oct 14
Price comparison website
Sales
Apical
59 52.1% Mar 15
Imaging technology developer • Total combined sales were up by 90% to £13bn in 2014/15
Able Group
13 49.4% Dec 15 • The company with the biggest sales in its latest year was bet365
Ports, developments and decommissioning
United Trust Bank (No 91). Its customers bet on financial markets, live sporting events
25 48.1% Dec 15
Bank or play its online casino games, and sales reached £1.6bn in 2015
Animal Friends Pet Insurance
79 35.7% Dec 14 • Online fashion retailer Missguided (No 32) recorded the highest
Pet insurance provider
growth in sales, which increased an average 115.3% a year from
£8.7m in 2012 to £87.2m in 2015
5 companies with the biggest sales • The company with the lowest sales on the league table was pet
insurance provider Animal Friends (No 79). The company was set
Rank Company Latest FYE
Activity sales £m
up in 1988, with the aim of raising money to help animal welfare
charities, and reported sales of £14.5m in 2014, with profits of £5.2m
bet365
91 1,571 Mar 15
Online bookmaker
Euro Garages
48 816 Jul 15
Fuel forecourt operator
Motorpoint
16 563 Mar 15
Car supermarket
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill
85 563 Mar 15
Clothing retailer
First Utility
4 562 Dec 14
Energy supplier
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2016 5
Number of employees
Number of companies in each staff range
Staff and job creation
>=5,000 2
• The 100 companies employ a total of 65,100 employees (2015:
1,000- 4,999 16
76,200), resulting in average profits per employee of £23,550 in
500 - 999 12 the latest financial year (2015: £18,900)
250- 499 20 • Together, the 100 companies added 24,800 jobs during the last
three years (2015: 24,500)
100 - 249 34
• The largest employer is clothing retailer The Edinburgh Woollen
Profit Track 100 research report 2016 6
Sector breakdown Sector breakdown
(last year's figures in brackets) • The two largest sectors are services, with 41 companies, and
Wholesale 6 (11) manufacturing with 24
Construction 15 (11) • Services (41) businesses encompass a wide range of industries
from employment law consultancy Peninsula Business Services
(No 89), to office interior designer Oktra (No 29) and outside
broadcaster Telegenic (No 92)
Retail 23 (20)
The service sector represents combined profits of £700m and
employs 18,800 staff
Manufacturing • Manufacturers (including outsourced) (24) include Advanced
(inc. outsourced) 24 (24) Insulation (No 78), bus manufacturer Wrights Group (No 21), and
Services 41 (46) bi-fold door manufacturer Origin (No 34)
Note: where companies are deemed to operate in The manufacturing sector represents combined profits of £203m
multiple sectors, a second sector is chosen. In total and employs 9,100 staff
9 companies operate in two sectors. Each sector is
given an equal weighting in the above analysis
• Retailers (23) range from childrenswear retailer Childrensalon
(No 45) to sushi restaurant Wasabi (No 80) and toy retailer The
Entertainer (No 50
The retail sector represents combined profits of £355m and
employs 31,000 staff
• Construction (15) includes luxury housebuilder Thomas Homes
(No 47) and construction contractor Esh Group (No 54)
These companies represent combined profits of £299m and
employ 6,500 staff
• Wholesalers (6) include toy and leisure products wholesaler
John Adams (No 90) and festive decorations supplier Premier
Decorations (No 81)
The wholesale sector represents combined profits of £36m and
1,300 staff
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2016 7
Industry breakdown Industry breakdown
(last year's figures in brackets) • Building related (29). Examples include building product
manufacturer BPD (No 64) and George Roberts Scaffolding (No 82)
These companies represent combined profits of £393m and
employ 11,400 staff
Building related 29 (15)
• Consumer goods (16). They include fishing tackle supplier Fox
International Group (No 22), pet food manufacturer Butcher’s Pet
Care (No 66) and appliance manufacturer Gtech (No 2)
League table companies in this industry represent combined
Consumer goods 156(17) profits of £236m and employ 18,900 people
• Computers and electronics (10). These include imaging technology
developer Apical (No 59), IT services provider Claranet (No 56), and
Computers & electronics 10 (10)
technology systems integrator MacDonald Humfrey (No 53)
These companies have combined profits of £80m and employ
Business services 7 (18)
2,000 staff
Engineering 6 (8)
Ownership
Finance 5 (0)
• Entrepreneurs and founders have a majority ownership of 64
Food & drink 5 (5) companies (2015: 44) in the Profit Track 100
Healthcare 4 (2)
Examples include housebuilder Hopkins Homes (No 3), which is
majority-owned by founder James Hopkins, 56; and auto industry
Other 18 (25) information provider Jato Dynamics (No 57), which is majority-
owned by founder and chairman Jake Shafran, 63
• 13 companies on the league table are majority-owned by private-
equity firms (2015: 28)
Examples include doughnut maker Krispy Kreme (No 55) owned
Ownership by Alcuin Capital and Indigo Capital, which paid an undisclosed
Number of companies by majority ownership type sum in 2011 to acquire a majority stake from founder and
(last year's figures in brackets) chairman Haven Burke; and Oasis Dental Care (No 18), owned by
Bridgepoint, which paid £185m to Duke Street Capital in 2013 to
acquire the company
Management & staff
11 (10) • 12 of the companies are family-owned, i.e. they remain owned by
the founder’s children or other descendants (2015: 17)
Family 12 (17)
Examples include housebuilder City & Country (No 75), which
is owned by the Sargeant family and run by chief executive Tim
PE and/or VC Sargeant, 50. Others include childrenswear retailer Childrensalon
13 (29) (No 45), which was founded by Sybil Harriman in 1952, and is led
by her daughter, Michele Harriman-Smith, 64, and her husband
George Smith, 68
Entrepreneur and/or founder 64 (44)
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2016 8
Seventeen years of Profit Track 100
Profit Track 100 was launched 17 years ago to recognise the
success of Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing
profits. Since its launch, more than 1,200 different companies have
appeared on the league table. The vital statistics of the league table
companies have changed significantly over the last 17 years. The
combined profits figure for all companies has more than doubled
from £700m to £1.5bn, and total staff has increased by 13% from
57,700 to 65,100.
Lance Uggla, founder and CEO of Markit, the financial
information services provider, which first featured in 2012, Stock market flotations
floated on Nasdaq in 2014 and is now valued at £3.7bn
37 companies have floated on the stock market. Examples include:
• B&M Retail, the discount retailer, first featured in 2010 with
profits of £13m, floated in 2014 and is now valued at £2.6bn
• ard Factory, the greeting cards retailer, first featured in 2011
C
with profits of £51.5m, floated in 2014 and is now valued at
£1.1bn
• ineworld, the multiplex cinema operator, featured in 2003 with
C
profits of £6m, floated in 2007 and is now valued at £1.4bn
• arkit, the financial information services provider, first featured
M
in 2012 with profits of £88.5m, floated on Nasdaq in 2014 and
in March this year agreed to merge with US group IHS in a deal
worth £9bn
• oneysupermarket, the financial website operator, featured in
M
2007 with profits of £23m, floated in the same year, and is now
2000 2016
valued at £1.8bn
Total profits
• atisserie Valerie, the patisserie and café operator, featured in
P
2012 with profits of £6m, floated in 2014 and is now valued at
How Top Track 250£700m
has changed
£1.5bn
£360m
• Sophos, the security software developer, first featured in
2002 with profits of £8m, floated last year and is now valued at
Total employees
£1bn
57,000 65,100
• irgin Money, the bank, first featured in 2007 with profits of
V
£9m, floated in 2014 and is now valued at £1.6bn
Average profit
growth pa
55% 82% Acquisitions and mergers
Top company Other Profit Track 100 companies have been acquired, including
growth rate pa innocent, which sold a majority stake to Coca-Cola in 2013,
124% 179%
valuing the company at £440m; Moonpig.com, the online
greetings card retailer, which was bought by Photobox in 2011,
valuing the company at £120m; Euro Car Parts, the car parts
retailer, which was acquired by the Nasdaq-listed automotive
parts retailer LKQ in 2011, valuing the group at £225m; and
Kelway, the IT services provider, which was acquired by American
IT wholesaler CDW in 2015, valuing the group at £420m.
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 9
The first Profit Track 100
Companies that appeared in the first Profit Track 100 league table
in 2000 include:
• arphone Warehouse, the mobile phone retailer, featured with
C
profits of £15m, floated in the same year and is now valued at
£4.9bn, following its merger with Dixons
• Dunelm, the soft furnishings retailer, featured with profits of
£7m, floated in 2006 and is now valued at £1.8bn
•
Dyson, the appliance manufacturer, featured with profits of £24m
on sales of £172m, and this year featured on Top Track 100 with
profits of £316m on sales of £1.4bn
• ravelex, the foreign exchange operator, featured with profits
T
Dyson featured in the first Profit Track 100 with profits of of £6m and was acquired by the owner of UAE Exchange
£24m, and featured on last year’s Top Track 100 with profits
of £316m
Bavaguthu Shetty and Centurion, an Abu Dhabi-based
investment vehicle, for £1bn in 2014
Failures
Fewer than 10% of Profit Track 100 companies have gone bust
over the years. Companies that have failed include Focus DIY,
which featured in 2002 but fell into administration in 2011 after
having grown to be the fourth largest DIY retailer in the UK; and
fashion retailer Republic, which featured in 2011 but fell into
administration in 2013, before being acquired by Sports Direct.
Profit Track 100 alumni
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 10
KEY THEMES & SELECTED COMPANY PROFILES
On the following pages we profile examples of companies that
demonstrate some of the key themes from this year’s league table.
INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION
More than half of the companies have international operations.
They include online retailer The Hut Group (No 6), which has 48
local language websites and last year shipped 9m orders to 192
countries; and chemicals manufacturer Evans Vanodine (No 88),
Dr Peter FitzGerald, founder of Randox Laboratories
(No 65), which says 370m people worldwide are diagnosed which provides cleaning and animal health products to 78 countries,
using one of its products every year and has manufacturing units in several countries including China
and South Africa. Other examples are profiled below.
Randox Laboratories
65 Says its products are used by 370m people in 145 countries
Medical diagnostics manufacturer
Location County Antrim Randox designs and manufactures diagnostic instruments
FYE Dec 14 and tests used in medical laboratories. It also supplies
CAGR§ 68.05% antibodies and proteins to the healthcare industry. The
Latest profits £16.6m group sells to more than 145 countries, and says 370m
Base profits £3.5m people across the globe are diagnosed using one of its
products every year. Under founder and managing director
Latest sales £92.0m
Peter Fitzgerald, 65, profits rose to £16.6m in 2014.
Employees 1,081
Advanced Insulation Expanded its operations in Korea, Houston, Gloucester,
78 Plymouth and Nottingham last year
Insulation products manufacturer
Location Gloucester This Gloucester-based manufacturer produces technical
FYE Sep 15 coatings for the offshore oil and gas industry, including
CAGR§ 61.57% fireproofing and insulation. Led by managing director Andrew
Latest profits £14.4m* Bennion, 48, the company is backed by private-equity firm
Base profits £3.4m Growth Capital Partners, which bought a minority stake in 2014
for an undisclosed sum. The company has offices in countries
Latest sales £58.3m
such as Kazakhstan, Brazil, Angola and Malaysia, and despite the
Employees 363
industry cut backs saw profits rise to £14.4m in 2015.
bet365 Customers from over 100 countries visit its website, which is
91 Online bookmaker available in 17 languages
Location Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-based bet365 recorded revenue of almost £1.6 billion last
FYE Mar 15 year and improved margins, with profits increasing by nearly
CAGR§ 56.84% a third to £413.3m. As well as betting on a variety of sports,
Latest profits £413.3m customers can bet on the financial markets and play casino
Base profits £107.1m games or watch one of 50,000 live sporting events every year.
Owned by the Coates family, and with customers in more than
Latest sales £1.6bn
100 countries, bet365 is also the majority shareholder of Stoke
Employees 3,179
City Football Club.
§ compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15 *supplied by company
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 11
REGIONAL STRENGTH
More than half (55) of the companies are based outside London
and the southeast, including seven of the top 10 and the four
companies with the biggest profits which are Principal Hotels
(No 15) in Harrogate; The Edinburgh Woollen Mill (No 85) in
Dumfriesshire; bet365 (No 91) in Stoke-on-Trent; and housebuilder
The Miller Group (No 28) in Edinburgh. Other examples are
profiled below.
Nick Grey, founder & CEO of Gtech (No 2), based in
Worcestershire, which designs and makes lightweight
cordless vacuums and electric bikes
Gtech
2 Has sold more than 22m domestic appliances in 19 countries
Domestic appliance manufacturer
Location Worcestershire Inventor Nick Grey, 47, left Vax in 2001 to design his own
FYE Nov 15 cordless floor sweeper from his home, funded by his savings.
CAGR§ 162.83% Taking on established brands such as Dyson, Vax and Hoover,
Latest profits £13.9m* his company’s latest vacuums are cordless, lightweight and
Base profits £0.8m intended to be easy to use. The Worcester company also makes
cordless sweepers and garden tools, and last August launched
Latest sales £66.2m
an electric bicycle, with a concealed motor and a battery
Employees 72
disguised as a water bottle. The popularity of its flagship AirRam
vacuum helped push profits up to £13.9m last year.
First Utility
4 Has partnered with Royal Dutch Shell to launch a new venture in Germany
Energy supplier
Location Warwick First Utility is one of the largest independent energy companies in Britain,
FYE Dec 14 supplying both gas and electricity to more than 1.5m domestic accounts.
CAGR§ 156.61% As well as offering a variety of cheaper tariffs and energy saving tips, it
Latest profits £11.6m has started to roll out smart meters, which need to be installed in all
Base profits £0.7m its customer homes by 2020. Under chief executive Ian McCaig, 49, this
Warwick firm grew profits to £11.6m in 2014, helped by television and
Latest sales £562.2m
online advertising campaigns. The group is also expanding overseas,
Employees 477
partnering with Royal Dutch Shell to supply customers in Germany.
Money.co.uk Its website compares over 17,000 financial products and attracts
8 Price comparison website millions of visitors every month
Location Gloucestershire Claiming to be the sixth most-visited comparison website in the
FYE Oct 14 UK, Gloucestershire-based money.co.uk was launched in 2008
CAGR§ 123.89% by founder and managing director Chris Morling, 45, after he
Latest profits £15.4m taught himself to write computer code for websites some years
Base profits £1.4m earlier. The site generates revenue through commissions on
the products it features — such as credit cards, insurance and
Latest sales £23.3m
loans. Strong demand helped profits hit £15.4m in 2014.
Employees 38
§ compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15 * Supplied by company
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 12
CONSUMER SPENDING
Companies (39) selling products or services directly to consumers
feature strongly on the league table, reflecting a recovery in
consumer spending. The companies include childrenswear
retailer Childrensalon (No 45), which last year opened a second
warehouse and increased sales to the Middle East; and car
supermarket Motorpoint (No 16) which last year opened its ninth
site near Gateshead and is reported to be considering a stock
market listing later this year.
Nitin Passi, founder and CEO of Missguided (No 32), which
sells more than 8,000 products and has 3m registered users
Mobile Phones Direct
11 Investment in online marketing has helped it grow profits
Online mobile phone retailer
Location Berkshire This online phone retailer was founded by chairman Karl Borges,
FYE Mar 15 51, in 2011, who had started with a bricks-and-mortar retailer of
CAGR§ 112.24% the same name. Based in Thatcham and led by chief executive
Latest profits £5.2m Ben Branson, 43, the company sells mobile phone accessories,
Base profits £0.5m handsets – from manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung,
and Sony – and contracts from providers EE, Vodafone, and
Latest sales £63.6m
Talkmobile. The company has focused on improving its search
Employees 56
engine rankings and online marketing, helping it to grow profits
to £5.2m last year.
Missguided Its website sells more than 8,000 products and has 3m
32 registered users
Online fashion retailer
Location Manchester This online retailer offers catwalk looks and celebrity-inspired
FYE Mar 15 fashion to women aged 16 to 35. Founded in Manchester
CAGR§ 86.08% in 2009 by Nitin Passi, 33, its website sells more than 8,000
Latest profits £4.8m products and has 3m registered users. Celebrity endorsements
Base profits £0.8m and overseas expansion in France, America and Australia
helped grow profits five-fold to £4.8m in 2015. Last year also
Latest sales £87.2m
saw the brand launch its first concessions in Selfridges in
Employees 429
Manchester and American department store Nordstrom.
Animal Friends Pet Insurance Donates to 300 animal charities including Born Free and
79 Greyhound Rescue
Pet insurance provider
Location Wiltshire Managing director Elaine Fairfax, 61, founded this pet
FYE Dec 14 insurance company in 1998 with her husband Chris, 58, with
CAGR§ 61.50% the aim of raising money to help animal welfare charities.
Latest profits £5.2m The Wiltshire company has since donated nearly £2.5m to
Base profits £1.2m more than 300 charities. The company has sold over 500,000
policies to date and an advertising and social media campaign
Latest sales £14.5m
helped profits more than double to £5.2m in 2014.
Employees 108
§ compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 13
BUILDING
There are 29 companies operating in a building-related industry,
almost twice as many as last year (15). Seven are housebuilders
and 12 provide support services/products to this industry,
including timber & builders’ merchant Ridgeons (No 49), architect
Wilkinson Eyre (No 43) and quarry and concrete products
supplier Glendinning (No 33).
Story Homes (No 62) welcomed David Cameron to one of its
developments last year, and completed on 410 properties, up
63% on 2014
Story Homes
62 Completed on 410 properties last year, up 63% on 2014
Housebuilder
Location Carlisle Chairman Fred Story, 59, founded this Carlisle construction
FYE Mar 15 group in 1988, and in 2013 demerged the business from civil
CAGR§ 68.36% engineer Story Contracting to focus on housebuilding. Growth
Latest profits £15.2m has been built on a strong land bank and expansion into
Base profits £3.2m Scotland and the northeast and northwest of England. Under
chief executive Steve Errington, 46, profits hit £15m last year
Latest sales £83.9m
after the firm completed on 410 properties, up 63% on the
Employees 177
previous year.
BPD
64 Its protective membranes are used in roofs and sold throughout Europe
Building product manufacturer
Location Cheshire This Cheshire company makes ventilation and specialist building
FYE Mar 15 products, such as protective membranes used in roofing and
CAGR§ 68.19% timber-framed buildings. Led by joint managing directors
Latest profits £3.9m Graham Dronfield, 51, and Neil Rideout, 54, the business
Base profits £0.8m has manufacturing sites in Derbyshire and South Wales, and
expansion into Europe helped profits reach £3.9m in 2015.
Latest sales £29.6m
Employees 257
George Roberts Scaffolding
82 Exports its scaffolding and safety equipment to six continents
Scaffolding equipment supplier
Location Liverpool This Liverpool-based scaffolding supplier is run by chairman and
FYE Oct 14 chief executive George Roberts, 63, who founded the company
CAGR§ 60.61% in 1992. The firm also supplies staircases, safety equipment and
Latest profits £3.2m temporary roofs, and exports internationally to six continents.
Base profits £0.8m Profits climbed to £3.2m in 2014, helped by strong demand
from the domestic housebuilding sector and expansion of its
Latest sales £30.8m
sales and marketing team, which moved into a new purpose-
Employees 57
built office building last year.
§ compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 14
MANUFACTURING
There are 24 manufacturers on the league table, the majority
of which make some or all of their products in the UK, including
protection equipment manufacturer Mech-Tool Engineering
(No 26) and fabrics manufacturer Heathcoat (No 77). Those
with international manufacturing operations include bus
manufacturer Wrights Group (No 21), which opened a factory
in India last year, and bi-fold door manufacturer Origin (No 34),
which is expanding into America.
Graham Baker, founder and chairman of Butcher’s Pet Care
(No 66), says its Northamptonshire factory is able to produce
1,000 cans of pet food every minute
Balmoral Group Says it is one of four firms worldwide making deep-water
7 buoyancy products
Polymer engineer and manufacturer
Location Aberdeen Aberdeen-based Balmoral manufactures polymer-based
FYE Mar 15 flotation equipment for the deepwater oil and gas industry, as
CAGR§ 125.12% well as industrial storage tanks, and operates Balmoral Business
Latest profits £31.0m Park. Founded in 1980 by chairman Jim Milne, 75, the group has
Base profits £2.7m offices in Houston and Rio de Janeiro, and acquired Barnsley-
based tank maker Galglass from administrators in 2014. Despite
Latest sales £136.5m
reduced industry activity, a strong order book of long-term
Employees 557
international contracts, combined with tight cost controls,
helped profits reach £31m last year.
Butcher's Pet Care
66 Produces 5m cans of dog and cat food each week
Pet food manufacturer
Location Northamptonshire Chairman Graham Baker, 64, started Butcher’s Pet Care in
FYE Jul 15 1987 to use by-products from the family’s butchery business.
CAGR§ 67.59% The firm now produces 5m cans of dog and cat food each
Latest profits £7.3m week and exports to Italy, Poland and eastern Europe. Profits
Base profits £1.5m grew to £7.3m in 2015, helped by production efficiencies at its
Northamptonshire factory.
Latest sales £92.7m
Employees 293
GCH Capital
69 Has acquired seven manufacturing businesses in six years
Manufacturing conglomerate
Location West London Cassie Hutchings, 32, leads this manufacturing group, started
FYE Dec 14 in 2010 with funding from her father Greg, the former head
CAGR§ 66.69% of listed conglomerate Tomkins. The group comprises seven
Latest profits £7.1m businesses, including Bradford’s Dent Steel, which supplies steel
Base profits £1.5m† for ship-building and HK Timbers in Lincolnshire, which makes
wooden vegetable boxes. Profits rose to £7.1m in 2014, helped
Latest sales £59.3m
by the acquisition of Leeds-based Sycamore Lighting in April that
Employees 194
year, which was followed by Newcastle-based ADM Pressings in
December 2015.
§ compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15 † annualised figure
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 15
EXTERNAL CAPITAL
The owners of a fifth (20) of the companies have received equity
funding from investors such as venture capital, private equity
firms and/or corporations to launch and grow their businesses.
13 have sold majority stakes to external investors. For instance,
Fox International Group (No 22) was bought by Mayfair Equity
Partners last September, valuing the group at £50m. Other
examples are profiled below.
Zuber and Mohsin Issa, co-founders and co-CEOs of fuel
forecourt operator Euro Garages (No 48), which was valued
at £1.3bn last year after TDR Capital acquired a significant
minority stake
Mint Velvet
31 Sold an undiclosed stake to the founders of River Island last December
Ladies' clothing retailer
Location High Wycombe Mint Velvet’s range of women’s clothing, accessories and
FYE Apr 15 footwear is available online, in its 28 shops and in 92
CAGR§ 86.31% department store concessions. Founded in 2009 by Liz
Latest profits £10.8m Houghton, 51, Stuart Grant, 41, Lisa Agar-Rea, 47, and Jane
Base profits £1.7m Rawlings, 49, new store openings helped grow latest profits to
£10.8m. Last year, it opened shops in Dubai and Switzerland
Latest sales £63.1m
and in December, the company sold a stake of undisclosed size
Employees 519
to Lewis Trust Group, the investment business set up by the
founders of River Island.
Kinapse PE firm HgCapital acquired a majority stake from Synova Capital
38 Partners in January
Pharmaceutical regulations consultancy
Location Southwest London Johnson & Johnson, GSK, Novartis and Bayer are just some of the
FYE Mar 15 global pharmaceutical companies who work with Kinapse, which
CAGR§ 83.31% since 2005 has provided advisory and operational services to the
Latest profits £3.9m life sciences sector. Founded by former Accenture consultants Andy
Base profits £0.6m Black, 49, and Nick Edwards, 54, the London firm now has offices
in India and America, which helped it generate £3.9m in profits last
Latest sales £20.8m
year. In January, private equity firm HgCapital acquired a majority
Employees 337
stake from Synova Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum.
Euro Garages TDR Capital became a significant minority shareholder during
48 Fuel forecourt operator 2015, valuing Euro Garages at £1.3 billion.
Location Blackburn Led by entrepreneurs Zuber Issa, 43 and brother Mohsin Issa,
FYE Jul 15 44, Euro Garages owns and manages 341 forecourt sites under
CAGR§ 78.86% BP, ESSO and Shell fuel brands. Last year, the group bought 172
Latest profits £41.3m sites from Exxon Mobil and Shell, before PE firm TDR Capital
Base profits £7.2m acquired a minority stake valuing the group at £1.3 billion. Retail
concessions with brand partners that include Starbucks, Subway
Latest sales £815.6m
and Greggs, helped profits rise to £41m in 2015.
Employees 2,745
§ compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 16
WELL-KNOWN BRANDS
Household names that feature on the league table include
bet365 (No 91) for the fifth time; The Entertainer (No 50) and The
Hut Group (No 6) for the third time; and Krispy Kreme (No 55),
money.co.uk (No 8) and The Edinburgh Woollen Mill (No 85) for
the second time.
The league table also features new entrants such as Bill’s
Restaurants (No 23), Wasabi (No 80), Gtech (No 2), Lovehoney
Dong Hyun Kim founder of Wasabi (No 80), which has
(No 94 ), Mint Velvet (No 31), Missguided (No 32) and Oasis
expanded from one branch in 2002 to 45 across Britain and Dental Care (No 18).
three in New York
The Hut Group Plans to invest £10m in a US production facility for its Myprotein
6 brand - its first outside Britain
Online retailer
Location Northwich This online retailer shipped 9m orders last year for sports nutrition and beauty
FYE Dec 15 products, vitamins and weight management items to 192 countries. Led by
CAGR§ 125.59% founders Matt Moulding, 44, and John Gallemore, 47, it sells direct to consumers
Latest profits £18.1m* across 72 group websites, all backed by its proprietary technology. Last year,
Base profits £1.6m the group agreed a £210m debt funding deal with a banking consortium, and a
growing international customer base helped profits rise to £18.1m. In the last
Latest sales £333.5m
six months, the group completed its new £100m distribution and production
Employees 1,231
centre, announced plans to invest £10m in an American Myprotein production
facility, and acquired two beauty brands – Grow Gorgeous and Mio Skincare.
Wasabi
80 Has 45 restaurants in Britain and two in America
Sushi bar chain
Location Central London Expanding from one branch in London’s Embankment in
FYE Dec 14 2002 to 45 branches nationwide and three in New York,
CAGR§ 61.04% this takeaway Japanese food chain serves fresh sushi and
Latest profits £4.4m also operates Korean restaurant brand, Kimchee. Founder
Base profits £1.1m and managing director Dong Hyun Kim, 42, has overseen
increases in like-for-like sales and efficiency gains that grew
Latest sales £70.4m
profits to £4.4m in 2014. The business plans to expand with
Employees 1,346
further branch openings in Britain and America.
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill
85 Plans to open 100 new stores and create 800 jobs in the next two years
Clothing retailer
Location Dumfriesshire The Edinburgh Woollen Mill opened its first shop in Scotland
FYE Mar 15 in 1970, selling mainly woollens and cashmere garments
CAGR§ 59.09% and textiles. It also owns the Peacocks brand, bought out
Latest profits £83.1m of administration in 2012. New store openings in 2015 took
Base profits £20.6m the total estate to more than 1,000 shops and helped the
company reach a profit figure that is among the highest on
Latest sales £562.6m
the league table at £83.1m. Chief executive Philip Day, 50, has
Employees 10,205
announced plans for a further 100 stores over the next two
years, creating up to 800 jobs.
§ compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15 *supplied by company
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 17
2016 PROFIT TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE
3yr average
annual Latest Latest
Rank Rank Company profit profits sales
2016 2015 Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Comment
Anesco Working with conservation charity RSPB, which
1 Reading Mar 15 179.15% 20,706 160,194 114
Energy efficiency consultancy is nurturing biodiversity at its solar sites
Gtech Has sold more than 22m domestic
2 Worcestershire Nov 15 162.83% *13,874 *66,168 72
Appliance manufacturer appliances in 19 countries
Hopkins Homes Won last year's Sunday Times British
3 Suffolk Apr 15 162.14% 22,842 95,471 115
Housebuilder Homes Development of the Year award
First Utility Has partnered with Royal Dutch Shell to
4 Warwick Dec 14 156.61% 11,600 562,182 477
Energy supplier launch a new venture in Germany
Solarcentury Donated a rooftop solar system for the
5 38 Central London Mar 15 128.84% 10,682 222,329 200
Solar technology developer Tate Modern in London
The Hut Group Plans to invest £10m in an American
6 1 Northwich Dec 15 125.59% *18,082 *333,493 1,231
Online retailer production facility for its Myprotein brand
Balmoral Group Says it is one of only four firms worldwide
7 Aberdeen Mar 15 125.12% 30,962 136,534 557
Polymer engineer & manufacturer making deep-water buoyancy products
money.co.uk Website compares 17,000 financial products
8 2 Gloucestershire Oct 14 123.89% 15,430 23,290 28
Price comparison website and attracts millions of visitors every month
Reward Gateway Employees shared a £6.5m windfall following
9 Central London Jun 15 121.55% 6,590 187,529 211
Employee engagement technology last summer's deal with Great Hill Partners
BrewDog Shipped 41m bottles of craft beer and
10 Aberdeenshire Dec 15 120.11% **5,500 *45,000 580
Brewery opened 17 new bars last year
Mobile Phones Direct Investment in online marketing has helped
11 Newbury Mar 15 112.24% 5,187 63,581 56
Online mobile phone retailer it to boost profits
Churchill Retirement Living Is developing the site of the Torquay hotel
12 Hampshire May 15 111.61% 43,515 142,780 420
Housebuilder that inspired TV comedy Fawlty Towers
Able Group Billingham, Is developing a £450m marine energy and
13 Dec 15 110.92% *11,047 *22,347 87
Ports, developments & decommissioning Cleveland logistics port on the River Humber
Tangle Teezer Sells 20 brushes every minute in more
14 14 South London Mar 15 109.06% 7,259 23,176 22
Hair products supplier than 70 countries
Principal Hotels Runs city centre hotels in landmark buildings
15 59 Harrogate Dec 14 105.13% 62,127 308,177 5,857
Hotel operator in Edinburgh, York, Manchester and London
Motorpoint Opened its ninth UK site near Gateshead
16 Derby Mar 15 103.76% 12,097 563,287 479
Car supermarket last year at a cost of £5m
AlphaSights Clients include seven of the top 10 global
17 Central London Dec 14 101.09% 6,926 31,550 193
Business information provider investment banks
Oasis Dental Care Has more than 350 dental practices across
18 Bristol Mar 15 99.24% 9,064 234,001 3,149
Dental care provider the UK
Van Elle Its average contract value rose more than
19 Nottingham Apr 15 97.14% 7,156 73,586 384
Stockbroker & fund manager 80% to £65,000 in 2015
Hargreave Hale Opened offices in Norwich and
20 Blackpool Mar 15 94.41% 3,740 34,604 190
Travel agency Nottingham last year
Wrights Group Ballymena, Co Built London's fleet of 1,000 hybrid
21 Dec 14 94.03% †12,928 †237,705 1,553
Bus manufacturer Antrim Routemaster buses
Fox International Group Northwest Sells 3,000 angling products from hooks to
22 Dec 14 93.41% 4,108 27,757 86
Fishing tackle supplier London boats in 30 European countries
Bill's Restaurants Its online shop sells own-brand products
23 Central London Aug 15 91.49% †6,547 †89,952 2,371
Restaurant operator made from locally sourced ingredients
Annodata Manages more than 40,000 telephony, IT
24 Hertfordshire Jun 15 91.28% 5,832 65,162 296
Cloud & managed services and print assets for clients across Britain
United Trust Bank Launched a specialist second-charge
25 Central London Dec 15 90.23% 15,200 31,621 109
Bank mortgage division last year
Profits = operating profit * supplied by company † annualised figure ** Ebitda, revised to £4.9m after close of research
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 18
2016 PROFIT TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE
3yr average
annual Latest Latest
Rank Rank Company profit profits sales
2016 2015 Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Comment
Mech-Tool Engineering Recently won contracts in South Korea and
26 Darlington Mar 15 89.60% 4,308 35,333 212
Protection equipment manufacturer Kazakhstan
Redfern Travel Its software helps companies to track their
27 Bradford Mar 15 88.81% 4,991 232,832 106
Business travel agent employees around the world
The Miller Group Opened more than 20 new sales offices
28 Edinburgh Dec 15 88.78% *76,700 *525,600 722
Housebuilder last year
Oktra Has designed and built offices for Lonely
29 Central London May 15 88.18% 4,245 47,061 72
Office interior design & fit out Planet, Ricoh and Nando's
Aspin Group Hemel Has been helping to build flood defences
30 Jul 15 86.91% 5,426 37,776 188
Civil engineer Hempstead on the Somerset Levels
Mint Velvet Opened its first international stores in
31 High Wycombe Apr 15 86.31% 10,768 63,107 519
Ladies' clothing retailer Dubai and Switzerland last year
Missguided Its website sells more than 8,000 products
32 Manchester Mar 15 86.08% 4,845 87,195 429
Online fashion retailer and has 3m registered users
Glendinning Ashburton, Says it is Devon's largest family-owned
33 Apr 15 85.64% 4,625 34,067 240
Quarry & concrete products Devon quarrying, concrete and road contracting firm
Origin Makes more than 10,000 bi-fold doors
34 High Wycombe Dec 14 85.50% 3,447 16,972 117
Bi-fold door manufacturer every year
Hays Travel Has rebranded all Bath Travel stores under
35 Sunderland Oct 15 85.16% 6,263 305,984 977
Travel agency the Hays brand
Drayton Group Has seven showrooms in the West
36 West Midlands Dec 14 84.49% 5,414 241,343 387
Car dealer Midlands
ICG Medical Last year ICG demerged technology recruiter
37 Central London Mar 15 83.36% 5,074 77,471 175
Medical recruitment consultancy Arrows Group to focus on healthcare
Kinapse Southwest Nine of the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical
38 Mar 15 83.31% 3,862 20,839 337
Pharmaceutical regulations consultancy London companies work with Kinapse
Excitech Enfield, Benefitting from the government's digital
39 May 15 82.48% 3,305 31,680 116
CAD service provider & consultancy Middlesex modelling mandate for construction firms
Crown Timber Distributes its timber from terminals in
40 Gloucestershire Dec 14 80.97% 6,679 123,185 67
Timber importer Dundee, Humberside, Sheerness and Wicklow
Esendex Used by Premier League clubs to send star
41 Nottingham Jun 15 80.95% *3,155 *21,451 108
Business messaging services player voice messages to supporters
CMS Window Systems Has developed a zero-carbon window
42 Cumbernauld Mar 15 80.92% 3,591 28,399 199
Door & window systems using 100% recycled materials
Wilkinson Eyre Winner of more than 250 design awards,
43 Central London Mar 15 80.90% 6,419 22,325 185
Architect including the Stirling Prize and Lubetkin Prize
LION Trackhire Has supplied its trackways to Wimbledon
44 Worksop Mar 15 80.85% 4,565 15,427 132
Temporary roadway provider and the Chelsea Flower Show
Childrensalon Launched Instagram-style website last year
45 10 Tunbridge Wells Dec 15 80.74% *10,791 *42,778 202
Childrenswear retailer to build customer engagement
Fairview New Homes
46 North London Dec 14 80.28% 53,927 157,040 204 Builds about 650 new homes a year
Housebuilder
Thomas Homes Thatcham, Recent projects include conversion of the old
47 Sep 15 79.95% 8,620 33,385 31
Housebuilder Berkshire Great Western Railway works in Swindon
Euro Garages TDR Capital takes minority stake in 2015,
48 Blackburn Jul 15 78.86% 41,324 815,635 2,745
Fuel forecourt operator valuing Euro Garages at £1.3bn
Ridgeons Opened its fifth Anglia Tool Centre in
49 Cambridge Dec 14 78.20% 6,219 139,763 773
Timber & builders' merchant Milton Keynes last September
The Entertainer Is the biggest independent toy retailer in
50 21 Buckinghamshire Feb 15 76.71% 8,638 129,126 1,301
Toy retailer Britain, with 116 stores
Profits = operating profit * supplied by company † annualised figure
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 19
2016 PROFIT TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE
3yr average
annual Latest Latest
Rank Rank Company profit profits sales
2016 2015 Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Comment
Gravity Media Acquired Hyperactive Broadcast for an
51 Watford Dec 14 76.51% 8,365 62,218 165
TV production equipment provider undisclosed sum last December
Acorn Insurance Offers car insurance for non-standard
52 Liverpool Dec 14 76.39% 5,685 19,945 315
Specialist car insurer vehicles and their owners
MacDonald Humfrey Eurostar used this firm's technology to
53 7 Luton Dec 14 75.63% 18,083 61,909 290
Technology systems integrator upgrade its security systems in 2015
Esh Group Recently launched a new £3.6m training
54 Durham Dec 14 75.32% 11,603 276,761 1,105
Construction contractor academy
Krispy Kreme Its largest stores can produce up to 35,000
55 19 Surrey Feb 15 73.56% 7,319 52,192 1,001
Doughnut retailer & wholesaler doughnuts a day
Claranet Founded as a dial-up ISP pioneer and will
56 Central London Jun 15 72.44% 11,773 133,336 797
IT services provider turn 20 this year
Jato Dynamics Provides automotive research covering 50
57 11 Harrow Dec 14 71.54% 8,455 57,411 587
Motor industry information international markets
Patersons Quarries Operates six quarries throughout central
58 Glasgow Nov 14 69.91% 3,570 64,064 881
Quarry operator Scotland
Apical Its microchip technology is used in more
59 Central London Mar 15 69.68% 8,656 16,615 64
Imaging technology developer than one billion mobile devices
Advance Construction Group North Has worked on construction projects for
60 Mar 15 69.26% 8,176 133,454 1,047
Construction services Lanarkshire Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's stores
ID Medical Has more than 45,000 medical candidates on
61 Milton Keynes Dec 14 68.56% 4,546 123,916 342
Recruitment consultancy its books, from doctors to physiotherapists
Story Homes Completed 410 properties last year, up
62 87 Carlisle Mar 15 68.36% 15,223 83,886 177
Housebuilder 63% on 2014
Maritime Group Moves more than 13,500 freight
63 Suffolk Dec 14 68.27% 14,271 168,663 1,370
Container transport & logistics containers around the UK every week
BPD Its protective membranes are sold throughout
64 Cheshire Mar 15 68.19% 3,856 29,603 257
Building product manufacturer Europe
Randox Laboratories Says it brings more products to the market
65 44 County Antrim Dec 14 68.05% 16,607 92,017 1,081
Medical diagnostics manufacturer each year than any other diagnostics firm
Butcher's Pet Care Produces 5m cans of dog and cat food
66 Northamptonshire Jul 15 67.59% 7,258 92,663 293
Pet food manufacturer each week
Sahara Presentation Systems Its interactive touchscreens are used in
67 Kent Dec 14 67.57% 3,472 34,784 73
Audio-visual products supplier school classrooms all over Britain
Quanticate Has delivered 1,000 research projects
68 Hertfordshire Dec 14 66.69% 3,713 14,776 206
Clinical research provider since it was founded in 2007
GCH Capital Has acquired seven manufacturing
69 West London Dec 14 66.69% 7,089 59,267 194
Manufacturing conglomerate businesses in six years
JJ Food Service Enfield, Delivers to more than half of its 30,000
70 Mar 15 66.38% 11,031 181,724 779
Food distributor Middlesex customers every week
Martin Group Has erected thousands of metres of security
71 Derbyshire Jul 15 66.22% 11,421 102,498 695
Transport & waste service provider fencing for clients such as Network Rail
White Clarke Group Its asset finance software is used by 100
72 Milton Keynes Dec 15 65.26% *4,000 *35,000 380
Finance software developer customers in 30 countries
Four Communications In August last year BGF acquired a 30%
73 Central London Dec 15 64.86% *4,050 *42,500 240
Communications agency stake in the business for £10m
Chevron Traffic Management Provided temporary traffic management
74 Oxfordshire Sep 14 64.82% 5,799 36,385 405
Traffic management service provider services for the London Marathon
City & Country Converts historic and listed buildings into
75 48 Stansted Mar 15 64.36% 16,155 51,511 119
Housebuilder apartments and houses
Profits = operating profit * supplied by company † annualised figure
© 2016 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2016 20
2016 PROFIT TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE
3yr average
annual Latest Latest
Rank Rank Company profit profits sales
2016 2015 Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Comment
JSM Group Opened its Northern Hub near Rotherham
76 Hertfordshire Dec 14 64.32% 3,278 40,543 164
Utilities service provider in 2014
Heathcoat Its specialist textiles will form part of 'Moses'
77 Devon May 15 63.80% 5,208 48,799 463
Fabrics manufacturer gate system to protect Venice from floods
Advanced Insulation Expanded operations in Gloucester, Plymouth,
78 89 Gloucester Sep 15 61.57% *14,357 *58,297 352
Insulation products manufacturer Nottingham, Houston and Korea last year
Animal Friends Pet Insurance Donates to 300 animal charities, including
79 Wiltshire Dec 14 61.50% 5,188 14,531 108
Pet insurance provider Born Free and Greyhound Rescue
Wasabi Has 45 restaurants in Britain and two in
80 Central London Dec 14 61.04% 4,424 70,352 1,346
Sushi bar chain America
Premier Decorations Has offices in Hong Kong and a sister
81 West London Jun 15 60.83% 5,590 37,239 79
Festive decorations wholesaler company in Guangzhou, China
George Roberts Scaffolding Exports its scaffolding and safety
82 Liverpool Oct 14 60.61% 3,223 30,828 57
Scaffolding equipment supplier equipment to six continents
Robertson Working on the new £100m Macallan distillery
83 Stirling Mar 15 60.42% 11,538 288,373 1,328
Construction services and visitor centre for the Edrington Group
Symphony Owns premium brand Charles Yorke,
84 Barnsley Dec 14 59.32% 5,904 157,157 1,234
Furniture supplier which offers bespoke traditional kitchens
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Plans to open 100 new stores and create
85 32 Dumfriesshire Mar 15 59.09% 83,123 562,596 10,205
Clothing retailer 800 jobs in the next two years
Steadfast Engineering Says it is Shell UK's primary supplier of
86 Hyde Mar 15 59.04% 4,479 17,897 96
Threaded screw manufacturer stud bolts and fasteners
Tithegrove Took part on the BBC's DIY SOS programme
87 Swindon Mar 15 58.58% 3,409 54,722 289
Civil engineer The Big Build last year in Cheltenham
Evans Vanodine International Has manufacturing plants in countries
88 Preston Mar 15 58.23% 3,225 26,640 146
Chemicals manufacturer including China and South Africa
Peninsula Business Services Runs a 24-hour health and safety advice
89 Manchester Mar 15 57.35% 24,207 115,981 1,025
Employment law consultancy line
John Adams Launched its baking range for kids to coincide
90 Huntingdon Dec 14 57.02% 4,817 26,733 34
Toy & leisure products distributor with television's The Great British Bake Off
bet365 Has 22m customers in more than 100
91 61 Stoke-on-Trent Mar 15 56.84% 413,307 1,570,625 3,179
Online bookmaker countries
Telegenic Its trucks helped to broadcast Rugby World
92 High Wycombe Mar 15 56.59% 3,060 23,884 93
Outside broadcasting equipment Cup and Six Nations matches last year
Al Murad Tiles Morley, West Its 120,000 sq ft warehouse in Leeds
93 Mar 15 55.91% 6,105 32,378 247
Tile & stone retailer Yorkshire stocks more than 10m tiles
Lovehoney Has exclusive rights to manufacture Fifty
94 Bath Mar 15 55.65% 3,274 44,955 171
Sex toys retailer Shades of Grey sex toys and bondage items
CLC Group Maintains 6,200 properties for the Ministry
95 Southampton Dec 14 55.59% 7,058 101,397 854
Painting & maintenance contractor of Defence in the north of England
Mick George Has expanded from a single tipper truck in
96 69 St Ives May 15 54.87% 11,380 75,938 469
Earthworks, haulage & plant hirer 1978 to a fleet of more than 300 vehicles
Blue Chip Says its bespoke cooling system has made it
97 Bedford Mar 15 54.41% 4,252 34,611 198
IT consultancy & data centre one of the greenest data centres in Europe
Avecto Helps protect more than 600 global brands
98 Manchester Jun 15 54.30% 3,516 14,675 119
IT security software developer from cyber threats
Cormar Carpets Has made carpets at its two Lancashire mills
99 Lancashire Sep 14 53.88% 6,635 104,278 240
Carpet manufacturer for 60 years
Buckingham Group Contracting Completed work last year on the £320m
100 Buckingham Dec 14 53.61% 5,282 308,659 331
Civil engineering contractor Oxford Parkway to London Marylebone rail link
Profits = operating profit * supplied by company † annualised figure
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