Rank | Company | Location | Year end | Annual sales rise over 3 years | Latest sales £000s | Staff | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Redbus Film DistributionFilm distributor | Central London | 2002 | 286.06% | 15,160 | 25 | Co-produced Bend it Like Beckham, which took £12m at the box office |
2 | ADL HealthcarePharmaceuticals distributor | Burton upon Trent | 2002 | 241.44% | 33,221 | 14 | Founder cites the Dalai Lama and Genghis Khan as his role models |
3 | GBL InternationalDrinks supplier | Chesterfield | 2002 | 196.34% | 62,189 | 83 | Founder was bankrupt six years ago but now drives a Ferrari |
4 | Parador PropertiesOverseas estate agency | Surrey | 2002 | 187.11% | 11,134 | 30 | Sells holiday and retirement homes in Spain, Sweden and Dubai |
5 | Cater LinkContract caterer | Kent | 2002 | 141.63% | 5,737 | 280 | Provides 150,000 meals a week to schools, care homes and businesses |
6 | Zig ZagTobacco products supplier | Manchester | 2002 | 139.19% | 5,499 | 14 | Claims a 20% share of cigarette-paper sales in Britain |
7 | BostonairRecruitment consultancy | Hull | 2002 | 133.89% | †3694 | 73 | Supplied engineers to fit terrorist-proof cockpit doors for Lufthansa |
8 | Ambition RecruitmentNursing recruitment agency | SW London | 2002 | 130.89% | 52,586 | 95 | Provides 24-hour emergency nursing cover for hospitals and care homes |
9 | Activity SuperstoreActivity organiser | Essex | 2002 | 130.06% | 4,062 | 42 | Offers flights in Mig jets and bungee jumps of 216 metres |
10 | Loch Fyne RestaurantsSeafood restaurateur | Twickenham | 2002 | 121.42% | 15,731 | 489 | Company's shareholders include six castle owners |
11 | Saltire TavernsThemed pub operator | Edinburgh | 2002 | 119.72% | 7,290 | 190 | Runs three Frankenstein pubs and two Espionage nightclubs in Scotland |
12 | House of BathMail-order retailer | Bath | 2002 | 117.10% | 16,392 | 22 | Catalogues sell everything from wind-up radios to wax jackets for pets |
13 | Brandpath GroupEcommerce technology developer | Marlow | 2002 | 115.82% | 140,174 | 63 | Services and distributes phones for partners such as Nokia and Vodafone |
14 | Northern UnderwritersInsurance broker | Middlesbrough | 2002 | 114.20% | 3,896 | 20 | Founders started out selling insurance door-to-door in London |
15 | EuropcComputer hardware reseller | Glasgow | 2002 | 110.23% | 10,599 | 37 | Sells more than 2,000 reconditioned PCs and peripherals every month |
16 | Carluccio’sRestaurateur and retailer | Central London | 2002 | 109.50% | 12,668 | 284 | Pays for employees to attend lessons in Italian |
17 | Wraith AccommodationPortable housing provider | Lincoln | 2002 | 108.45% | 7,483 | 52 | Rents 4,000 portable accommodation units to schools and building sites |
18 | BluefrogMarketing agency | Central London | 2002 | 107.31% | 7,061 | 35 | Founder set up company with £30,000 borrowed from his mother |
19 | Allserve SystemsSoftware developer | Ascot | 2002 | 107.21% | 54,085 | 114 | Designed a billing system for Shell's aviation-fuel division |
20 | Alan Bush InstallationsRefrigeration engineer | Bath | 2002 | 106.74% | 4,581 | 108 | Installs refrigerated units for Tesco and Sainsbury |
21 | 4 ComTelecoms systems provider | Salisbury | 2002 | 106.58% | 7,105 | 75 | Provides telephone systems for 1,300 small firms in southern England |
22 | Infinite Global SolutionsComputer software reseller | NE London | 2002 | 105.73% | 10,122 | 15 | Sells discounted Microsoft software over the phone and internet |
23 | Crown PersonnelRecruitment consultancy | Central London | 2002 | 104.21% | 17,943 | 104 | Places 1,500 workers a day with clients such as Tesco and Barclaycard |
24 | BinomialInsurance underwriter | Surrey | 2002 | 103.82% | 55,634 | 452 | Brokers motor insurance for RAC and pet policies for Kennel Club |
25 | ActixTelecoms software developer | West London | 2002 | 101.76% | 8,920 | 65 | Helps Chinese mobile-phone operators cope with new subscribers |
26 | EurocallTelecoms services provider | Manchester | 2002 | 100.65% | 52,327 | 92 | Management recently bought out Energis, which had been an early investor |
27 | Cable TelecomTelecoms services provider | Central London | 2002 | 100.57% | 12,038 | 17 | Provides telecoms services to the Bank of England and McDonald's |
28 | Customer SystemsIT consultancy | Surrey | 2002 | 100.38% | 5,136 | 44 | Founder started company with £165,000 of own funds |
29 | HIFXForeign exchange provider | Windsor | 2002 | 100.18% | 6,813 | 40 | Provides foreign exchange for clients such as Safeway and Royal Mail |
30 | UltralaseEye surgery provider | Leeds | 2002 | 98.68% | 18,913 | 147 | Performs more than 1,000 eye operations a month at its 12 clinics |
31 | CarshockCar supermarket | Newcastle | 2002 | 97.18% | 6,438 | 23 | Claims to sell cars at up to 35% less than manufacturers' list prices |
32 | SabioCall-centre systems integrator | SW London | 2002 | 96.22% | 6,545 | 52 | Designed a call centre capable of managing 850,000 calls a day |
33 | CoflexFacilities manager | Surrey | 2002 | 94.39% | 32,038 | 209 | Won contract to manage London's 'Gherkin' building when it opens |
34 | Link ICAMarketing agency | Maidstone | 2002 | 92.59% | 7,854 | 32 | Chosen by the Church of England to run campaign to attract worshippers |
35 | GladedaleHousebuilder | Dunfermline | 2002 | 92.54% | 61,379 | 137 | Founder builds business with acquisitions worth more than £100m |
36 | BighamsFood producer | NW London | 2002 | 91.80% | 4,211 | 67 | Company sells ready-made meals to Waitrose and Selfridges |
37 | RedstorData storage consultancy | Reading | 2002 | 91.62% | 4,298 | 27 | Founders born within a day of each other and went to same primary school |
38 | Flair Leisure ProductsToy marketer | SW London | 2002 | 91.29% | 11,576 | 25 | Markets retro toys including Play-Doh and Sticklebricks |
39 | Adastra SoftwareHealthcare software developer | Ashford | 2002 | 90.74% | 3,820 | 56 | Claims to deal with 80% of out-of-hours phone calls to doctors' surgeries |
40 | Mistral Internet GroupInternet service provider | Brighton | 2002 | 89.91% | †5737 | 45 | Provides internet services for the likes of Microsoft and Sony |
41 | Jump GroupProperty retailer | Leeds | 2002 | 88.84% | 17,845 | 34 | Founder was 22 years old when he set up the company |
42 | WA DevelopmentsRail engineering contractor | Cumbria | 2002 | 88.69% | 21,015 | 99 | Won £14m contract to help upgrade the west coast main line |
43 | Northern & Shell Media GroupPublisher & broadcaster | Central London | 2002 | 88.42% | 347,592 | 1,050 | Owns Express Newspapers, OK! and Fantasy TV |
44 | Beaver Management ServicesRecruitment agency | Middlesbrough | 2002 | 88.32% | 49,985 | 463 | Provides 1,800 workers for the construction industry each week |
45 | The Bollington GroupInsurance broker | Cheshire | 2002 | 87.55% | 3,141 | 66 | Secured insurance to prevent closure of children's care homes |
46 | Paul EarlBuilding services contractor | Sussex | 2002 | 86.19% | 10,116 | 41 | Won £280,000 contract to install energy-monitoring units at Sainsbury |
47 | Fresh BouquetsFlower supplier | Kent | 2002 | 85.40% | 10,635 | 143 | Supplies flowers to 5,000 UK retailers and is expanding into Continent |
48 | Integrated Communications for BusinessTelecoms services provider | Reading | 2002 | 85.06% | 10,275 | 54 | Founded with £150,000 investment from business angel |
49 | AmplefutureMobile software developer | Central London | 2002 | 84.93% | 16,119 | 85 | Provides celebrity voice-mail messages from David Beckham |
50 | ServiRailRail industry contractor | Oxfordshire | 2002 | 84.62% | 16,244 | 186 | Helped develop St Pancras station, preparing it for Channel Tunnel Rail link |
51 | InfoMediaMobile payment provider | Northampton | 2002 | 82.61% | 7,851 | 14 | Provides down-loadable ring tones and games for mobile-phone users |
52 | Central TrustLoan broker | Norwich | 2002 | 82.36% | 39,866 | 273 | Claims to field 35,000 customer inquiries a month |
53 | TroikaManagement consultancy | Central London | 2002 | 82.19% | 4,966 | 42 | Founded by three former Accenture consultants |
54 | Langley HoldingsEngineering equipment maker | Nottinghamshire | 2002 | 81.56% | 101,554 | 1,123 | Founder was 22 when he set up company that now has 25 subsidiaries |
55 | ProjectlinkIncentive scheme developer | West London | 2002 | 81.24% | 27,652 | 18 | Designs staff motivation schemes for more than 350 British companies |
56 | Ceramic PrintsTile maker | Yorkshire | 2002 | 81.22% | 33,157 | 176 | Sells 50,000 tonnes of tiles a year, covering 3m square metres |
57 | City Invoice FinanceInvoice factorer | Manchester | 2002 | 79.76% | 4,592 | 44 | Received £5m in start-up funding from Altium Capital |
58 | Bridgen EnterprisesRail engineering contractor | NW London | 2002 | 79.03% | †18076 | 243 | Recalled 180 employees within 24 hours to help at Hatfield crash |
59 | Mortgage Advice ServicesMortgage broker | Derby | 2002 | 78.29% | 4,288 | 58 | Claims to provide 2,500 loans a year at an average value of £70,000 |
60 | HotelConnectHotel reservation agency | NW London | 2002 | 77.36% | 15,153 | 52 | Has raised annual hotel bookings from 12,000 to 120,000 since 1998 |
61 | WarmupUnderfloor heating maker | West London | 2002 | 77.02% | 3,475 | 24 | Managing director still checks thermostats in customers' homes |
62 | Ground ConstructionBuilding foundation contractor | North London | 2002 | 76.39% | 7,488 | 10 | Co-founder hopes that primary school age sons will take over company |
63 | Sandhurst AutoprintNumber plate supplier | Berkshire | 2002 | 75.48% | 3,241 | 22 | Claims to sell components for 1.5m number plates a year |
64 | City Refrigeration HoldingsFacilities maintenance provider | Glasgow | 2002 | 74.93% | 176,942 | 8,016 | Founder set up charitable trust that has raised more than £500,000 |
65 | Moneysupermarket.comFinancial website operator | Wales | 2002 | 73.74% | 13,608 | 113 | Website receives up to 10,000 credit-card and loan applications daily |
66 | CedarstapeAdhesive tape distributor | Dundee | 2002 | 73.35% | 5,094 | 32 | Distributes 1.2m rolls of tape featuring Disney characters each year |
67 | Healthcare Services GroupPharmaceuticals distributor | Buckinghamshire | 2002 | 72.65% | †98354 | 469 | Its fleet of 165 vehicles distributes pharmaceuticals throughout Britain |
68 | Omitec GroupElectronic equipment maker | Wiltshire | 2002 | 72.31% | 18,938 | 180 | Developed performance monitoring system for MG Rover's new sports car |
69 | Princeton ConsultingIT systems integrator | Slough | 2002 | 72.28% | 9,164 | 93 | £1.7m investment from 3i and Elderstreet helped fund growth |
70 | Shire LeasingLeasing package provider | Staffordshire | 2002 | 71.51% | 10,809 | 49 | Provides leasing deals for office equipment to resellers like Panasonic and Toshiba |
71 | ASTRACBusiness software developer | Warwick | 2002 | 71.26% | 7,526 | 19 | Exports to 19 countries account for 92% of sales |
72 | Carte Blanche GreetingsGreeting card publisher | Chichester | 2002 | 71.04% | 35,208 | 130 | Founder sold his motorbike for £5,000 to fund start up of company |
73 | Iris NationMarketing agency | SE London | 2002 | 70.24% | 7,768 | 36 | Redeveloped Manchester United 's worldwide membership scheme |
74 | RDF MediaTV programme maker | West London | 2002 | 69.71% | 24,390 | 155 | Won Bafta for Faking It and also produces Wife Swap |
75 | ClinPhoneClinical trials processor | Nottingham | 2002 | 69.28% | 15,254 | 198 | Handles 100,000 phone calls a month in 70 languages |
76 | Oakleigh ConsultingIT consultancy | Manchester | 2002 | 69.27% | 3,910 | 30 | Claims to have saved government £700,000 on one IT project |
77 | Secure ValetingCar valeting provider | Cambridgeshire | 2002 | 69.21% | 3,905 | 16 | Cleans up to 5,100 cars a day at garages across southeast England |
78 | MercatumComputer products reseller | Leeds | 2002 | 69.00% | 5,411 | 27 | Shareholders sold company in 2002 and bought it back a year later |
79 | Ambassador Theatre GroupTheatre operator | Woking | 2002 | 68.74% | 44,089 | 1,181 | Operates 21 UK theatres and co-produced Up for Grabs, starring Madonna |
80 | Rolled Gold InternationalMusic distributor | Slough | 2002 | 68.29% | 41,246 | 44 | Founders named company after their favourite Rolling Stones album |
81 | IE MusicPerforming artist manager | West London | 2002 | 67.62% | 3,457 | 16 | Negotiated £80m deal with EMI for Robbie Williams |
82 | Freedom FinanceLoan broker | Cheshire | 2002 | 67.52% | 16,720 | 274 | Claims that referrals from high-street banks generate 20% of turnover |
83 | Artizian Catering ServicesContract caterer | Berkshire | 2002 | 67.30% | 4,894 | 149 | Uses 12.5 tonnes of coffee and more than 136,000 litres of milk a year |
84 | Planet PVC GroupConservatory maker | Preston | 2002 | 67.20% | 12,856 | 94 | Installed a conservatory for the snooker star Dennis Taylor |
85 | CaldeiraCushion maker | Merseyside | 2002 | 66.99% | 4,166 | 119 | Former market trader now produces up to 100,000 cushions a week |
86 | ANS GroupHosting services provider | Manchester | 2002 | 66.74% | 5,185 | 44 | Started with £100,000 of contracts from founder's former employer |
87 | Tradex InsuranceMotor insurance underwriter | East London | 2002 | 66.73% | 37,423 | 83 | Insured a Sherman tank for on-road use in an advertising campaign |
88 | Windrush Frozen FoodsFood wholesaler | Oxfordshire | 2002 | 66.49% | 8,378 | 32 | Cooks up sample menus for clients such as Bella Pasta and Café Rouge |
89 | Preferred InternationalIT recruitment consultancy | Southampton | 2002 | 66.21% | 18,187 | 30 | Rewards new staff with a bottle of champagne when they win first contract |
90 | Hotel ChocolatChocolate mail-order | Hertfordshire | 2002 | 66.16% | 7,343 | 70 | Claims to have made 2m deliveries of chocolate in past 10 years |
91 | TravelexForeign exchange operator | Central London | 2002 | 65.79% | 463,108 | 4,986 | Processes 29m financial transactions a year |
92 | Runwood HomesResidential homes operator | Essex | 2002 | 65.69% | 17,949 | 979 | Founder bought company for £60,000 and now runs 25 care homes |
93 | HedraPublic sector consultancy | Central London | 2002 | 65.21% | 21,143 | 35 | Clients include the BBC and the Atomic Weapons Establishment |
94 | Environmental Waste ControlsCompact waste disposer | Cheshire | 2002 | 65.13% | 5,603 | 55 | Handles waste disposal for Blackpool and Blackburn district councils |
95 | A4eOutsourced employment adviser | Sheffield | 2002 | 64.42% | 35,854 | 965 | Helped ethnic minority groups develop bids for lottery funding |
96 | BravissimoLingerie retailer | Leamington Spa | 2002 | 63.74% | 10,897 | 86 | Stocks more than 50 different styles of bras in sizes above D-cup |
97 | The Great Little Trading CompanyChildren's mail-order retailer | Central London | 2002 | 63.66% | †11079 | 39 | Two American mothers launched children's mail-order catalogue |
98 | Oxford InnovationBusiness services provider | Oxford | 2002 | 63.50% | 3,923 | 47 | Advises 250 start-up companies on fundraising and development |
99 | Rocco Forte HotelsLuxury hotel owner and manager | Central London | 2002 | 63.45% | 63,713 | 1,405 | Founded by Sir Rocco Forte after hostile takeover of family firm |
100 | Nando’sRestaurant operator | Southwest London | 2002 | 63.15% | 34,025 | 1,005 | Runs 72 restaurants serving spicy chicken to 20,000 customers a day |
* Supplied by Company † Annualised figure