Fast Track 100

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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

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