Fast Track 100

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Rank Company Location Year end Annual sales rise over 3 years Latest sales £000s Staff Comment
1 Opera TelecomMobile services provider Birmingham 2003 431.59% 44,237 42 Has launched Britain’s first soap opera streamed to your mobile phone
2 The Global DrawBetting terminal supplier West London 2003 237.46% 12,536 47 £130m is gambled each week through its betting terminals
3 innocentFruit drinks maker West London 2003 205.24% 10,645 32 Founders gave up day job after testing their smoothies at music festival
4 OctopusTravel.comOnline travel agency Central London 2003 197.54% 59,972 112 Claims to offer hotel bookings for 3,300 cities in 112 countries
5 GabemBusiness services provider West Sussex 2003 196.98% 8,928 67 Handles accounting, admin and payroll for 25,000 temporary workers
6 beCogentCall centre operator Airdrie 2003 189.17% 13,584 849 Scottish operators handle trouble-shooting when AOL customers need help
7 IngeniousInvestor and adviser Central London 2003 174.06% 33,995 46 Funded and co-produced the hit films Wimbledon and Bride and Prejudice
8 BargainsoundPetrol retailer Cheshire 2003 171.29% 22,194 70 Sold 34m litres of fuel last year through nine outlets in northwest England
9 Redbus Film DistributionFilm distributor Central London 2003 170.18% 20,430 31 Distributed shark thriller Open Water and co-produced Bend It Like Beckham
10 ExpansysOnline electronics retailer Manchester 2003 165.74% 12,579 49 Sells wireless devices like PDAs in more than 20 countries worldwide
11 Boxwood GroupManagement consultancy Leeds 2003 157.63% 18,118 264 Works with Barclays, BAA and Metronet to improve business performance
12 The Somerset Toiletry CompanyToiletry products designer Somerset 2003 156.89% 4,606 29 Top-selling range of toiletries is scented with pina colada and margarita
13 Firebox.comOnline gadget retailer SW London 2003 156.09% 4,400 16 Founders invented the shot-glass chess set while chatting in a pub
14 LimehouseMarketing agency SE London 2003 154.11% 4,650 28 Helps 100 public-sector organisations communicate with their users
15 Data LocatorConsumer data collector Watford 2003 151.50% 5,190 382 Founder started company with redundancy payment from previous job
16 Auto Union FinanceVehicle finance broker Warrington 2003 144.69% 23,222 58 Brokers vehicle-finance deals on behalf of Black Horse and GE Capital
17 sit-upHome shopping channel Central London 2003 139.08% 118,870 413 Sells 25,000 items a day from its three TV home-shopping channels
18 MLS GroupBusiness centre operator SE London 2003 138.50% 11,408 66 Rents serviced offices to 800 firms, including Warner Bros and Virgin
19 Qdos ConsultingTax consultancy Leicestershire 2003 132.68% 5,215 45 Former Vat inspector at Customs and Excise founded tax consultancy
20 Premier GuaranteeUnderwriting agency Merseyside 2003 132.03% 3,279 15 Arranges warranties that cover £5 billion of new homes
21 UKOSOffice products supplier Hemel Hempstead 2003 131.96% 8,446 43 Supplies stationery to O2, John Lewis and Associated Newspapers
22 Jump GroupProperty retailer Leeds 2003 130.50% 47,668 129 Founder was 22 years old when he set up the company
23 LamvaElectrical engineer Ipswich 2003 129.05% 7,148 107 Connected a Lincolnshire wind farm to the regional electricity network
24 Acoustic SolutionsConsumer electronics supplier Northamptonshire 2003 121.24% 16,037 30 Designs Pop Idol karaoke machines under licence from the hit TV show
25 Iglu.comOnline travel agency SW London 2003 119.57% 16,420 63 Founder started firm while finishing his MBA at London Business School
26 BinomialInsurance underwriter Surrey 2003 119.33% 78,385 447 Brokers motor insurance for RAC and pet policies for Argos and Homebase
27 Northern UnderwritersInsurance broker Middlesbrough 2003 117.62% 6,025 26 Claims to work with more than 1,200 regional brokers and City underwriters
28 New HeightsFurniture retailer NW London 2003 115.60% 6,519 54 Founders met at Oxford University and now run 11 furniture stores
29 York MailingCommercial printer York 2003 113.78% 15,804 180 Says its machines can print up to 250,000 flyers and mail shots an hour
30 1927 LondonDesigner clothes distributor SW London 2003 113.75% 5,425 12 Sells designer clothes to Harvey Nichols and Selfridges
31 Veritas ITIT recruitment agency Milton Keynes 2003 110.81% 4,175 25 Supplies IT staff to customers such as Abbey, Argos and KPMG
32 AllClear FinancePersonal debt adviser Cheshire 2003 109.50% 3,739 42 Manages repayments for 10,000 people struggling with unsecured debt
33 Altrix HealthcareDrug testing laboratory Warrington 2003 102.36% 3,389 42 Supplies oral testing kits to enforce drug rehabilitation programmes
34 Alpha Health CareNursing home operator Redditch 2003 100.25% 5,705 695 Former GP and Royal Mail doctor runs 11 care homes in central England
35 Credential HoldingsRecycler and developer Glasgow 2003 99.33% 15,323 76 Claims to be Britain's leading tyre recycler, handling 80,000 tons a year
36 GladedaleHousebuilder Dunfermline 2003 99.14% †236655 412 Founder builds third business through acquisitions
37 MNH Vehicle ContractsVehicle contract hirer Blackburn 2003 98.58% 4,112 12 Hires out 3,000 vehicles to 300 businesses on long-term contracts
38 ADL HealthcarePharmaceuticals distributor Burton upon Trent 2003 97.61% 44,746 26 Founder's mother cooks breakfast for whole company every Tuesday
39 Zen InternetInternet services provider Rochdale 2003 95.88% 7,809 50 Supplies Umbro and Sony Europe with broadband connections
40 PPFDriver recruitment agency Luton 2003 95.81% 12,920 394 Finds drivers from Britain and central Europe for J Sainsbury and Safeway
41 Teleticket TravelTour operator Brighton 2003 94.79% †16167 18 Sells 85,000 airline seats a year to travel agents such as Lastminute.com
42 Loans.co.ukLoan broker Watford 2003 94.36% †29408 145 Claims to sell more than 1,000 customer loans a month
43 LatentzeroFinancial software developer Central London 2003 93.81% 8,817 69 Develops asset-management software for the likes of Morgan Stanley
44 CarshockCar supermarket Newcastle 2003 93.15% 8,345 45 Claims to sell cars at up to 35% less than manufacturers’ list prices
45 Moneysupermarket.comFinancial website operator Wales 2003 92.34% 38,143 209 Claims website receives 10,000 credit-card and loan applications daily
46 Union Square MusicMusic compilations publisher Uxbridge 2003 92.29% 4,720 12 Controls the rights to release thousands of back-catalogue music tracks
47 Castleway ConstructionBuilding contractor Salisbury 2003 91.19% 4,429 15 Founder’s wife, son and daughter all work in the business
48 Carluccio’sRestaurateur and retailer Central London 2003 90.39% 19,655 453 Claims 50,000 people eat in its restaurants each week
49 IPTConsumer data collector SW London 2003 90.12% 6,139 84 Runs marketing database of 5.4m e-mail addresses
50 Isis TelecommunicationsTelecoms services provider West London 2003 90.11% 14,721 56 Provides telecoms services for 700 companies, including EMI
51 HIFXForeign exchange provider Windsor 2003 90.08% 9,662 66 Claims to manage £20bn of foreign exchange for clients like Royal Mail
52 Cathedral CapitalInsurer and reinsurer Central London 2003 89.53% 139,934 33 Reinsures against plane crashes, hurricanes and tornadoes
53 Loch Fyne RestaurantsSeafood restaurateur Twickenham 2003 88.77% 21,849 658 Bought 75% of Raymond Blanc’s Le Petit Blanc chain in 2003
54 19 EntertainmentMusic and TV producer SW London 2003 88.25% 53,372 79 Produces Pop Idol and manages Will Young and Annie Lennox
55 The Car PeopleCar dealer Wakefield 2003 87.56% 49,564 82 Sold 6,000 cars last year from its vehicle supermarket in Wakefield
56 Activity SuperstoreActivity organiser Essex 2003 87.48% 5,281 49 Offers flights in Mig jets and the world’s highest bungee jump
57 West Cornwall Pasty CoCornish pasty retailer Cornwall 2003 87.09% 7,598 121 Sells 6m Cornish pasties a year, including a chicken balti variety
58 Silver Software ConsultantsTransport software developer Wiltshire 2003 85.56% 3,116 54 Develops safety software for the new Airbus A380 super-jumbo
59 L&CMortgage broker Bath 2003 85.40% 6,902 111 Founders have appeared on BBC2’s Working Lunch news programme
60 LOMBOKFurniture retailer SW London 2003 85.28% 3,574 42 Furniture features in the film Bridget Jones, The Edge of Reason
61 Tax Computer SystemsTax software developer Staines 2003 85.21% 3,437 32 Software helps the likes of Orange and British Airways calculate tax returns
62 GreenCare EnvironmentalHygiene services provider Worcester 2003 82.18% 3,174 55 Founded by husband and wife with £60,000 in savings
63 MultimapOnline map provider Central London 2003 81.53% 3,381 40 Supplies online mapping for 700 clients, including Tesco, Shell and Ford
64 Parador PropertiesOverseas estate agency Surrey 2003 81.48% 19,060 97 Claims its property portfolio covers 1,100km of Spanish coastline
65 ComtecTravel software developer South Wales 2003 80.70% 6,034 83 Develops travel software for Thomas Cook, Going Places and First Choice
66 Source SoftwareFinancial software developer South Wales 2003 79.97% 7,205 46 Says 2,500 brokers use its software to compare insurance quotes
67 Beaver Management ServicesRecruitment agency Middlesbrough 2003 78.45% 53,857 467 Provides 1,800 workers for the construction industry each week
68 RAPIDIT component distributor Lancashire 2003 77.37% 6,694 25 Founder’s father came out of retirement to work for the company for free
69 Worcester CarsalesCar dealer Worcester 2003 77.12% 40,461 192 Managing director started valeting cars at 11 and sold his first car at 13
70 Business Management ServicesIT services provider Nottingham 2003 76.99% 12,640 17 Founder used to manage women’s football team Notts County
71 ClarityBlueCRM software developer Luton 2003 76.77% 11,485 50 Taken private in £10m management buyout from Nasdaq-listed company
72 Highline Building PlasticsRoofing products distributor Yorkshire 2003 76.63% 3,584 30 Has three-year £650,000 deal to supply roofing products to Wimpey Homes
73 MedleyIT consultancy Guildford 2003 76.08% 3,740 28 Founder started consultancy business from his family home
74 Provecta Car PlanFleet services provider Reading 2003 76.07% 5,085 43 Manages tax-efficient car ownership schemes for 7,000 UK workers
75 Riviera ProduceVegetable wholesaler Cornwall 2003 75.20% 6,798 40 Supplies Asda with 10m cauliflower heads a year from 40 Cornish farms
76 Fasthosts InternetInternet services provider Gloucester 2003 74.33% 9,544 67 Hosts more than 1m domain names and delivers 4.5m e-mails each day
77 Fresh BouquetsFlower supplier Kent 2003 74.33% 10,940 156 Supplies flowers to 5,000 UK retailers and operates in mainland Europe
78 Babel MediaGames services provider Brighton 2003 74.12% 3,635 55 Tests all the games that can be played on Vodafone mobile phones
79 PaceTimber frame maker Milton Keynes 2003 73.70% 9,083 58 Has £20m deal to provide timber-frame houses to the Home Group
80 Morgan BrookesSystems integrator East London 2003 73.07% 4,327 18 Founder sold his Porsche for £12,500 to start company
81 MCM ConstructionBuilding contractor Isle of Wight 2003 72.86% 6,922 62 Does building work at Parkhurst jail, where the Kray twins were held
82 Ambition RecruitmentNursing recruitment agency SW London 2003 71.98% 59,004 133 Provides 24-hour emergency nursing cover for hospitals and care homes
83 Inweb NetworksTelecoms services provider Surrey 2003 70.98% 3,200 10 Has developed a synthetic voice program that converts e-mails into speech
84 Networks By WirelessNetwork developer Sheffield 2003 69.77% 3,707 34 Chosen as a supplier for £1billion public services broadband scheme
85 Cartel MarketingIndependent mortgage adviser Manchester 2003 69.34% 4,854 87 Processes some of its British mortgage applications in India
86 Environmental Business ProductsPrinter cartridge recycler NW London 2003 69.04% 20,415 141 Makes own-brand inkjet cartridges for Tesco, Dixons and WH Smith
87 Barhale ConstructionCivil engineering contractor Walsall 2003 68.52% 107,277 1,023 Excavated a fighter plane that had crashed in London during the war
88 Suttons HorticulturePlant producer King's Lynn 2003 68.47% 14,614 227 Grows 16m plants a year for supermarkets such as Morrisons and Waitrose
89 Direct TradePVCu window maker Doncaster 2003 68.19% 4,345 53 Founders’ former employer is now their main supplier
90 The Holiday PlaceTravel agency NW London 2003 68.10% 15,466 40 Sells holidays to places like the Maldives, Cuba, and Dominican Republic
91 SMS (Southern)Building services contractor Brighton 2003 67.70% 3,764 37 Has five-year deal with Brighton city council to refurbish local schools
92 IT Human ResourcesIT recruitment agency Central London 2003 66.43% 4,709 16 Celebrated company’s fifth birthday by taking all staff go-karting
93 Firoka (Heythrop Park)Luxury hotel operator Oxfordshire 2003 66.02% 4,369 58 Founder owns chain of Holiday Inns and is chairman of Oxford United FC
94 OneBill TelecomTelecoms service provider Worthing 2003 65.99% 8,925 42 Claims 35,000 individuals and small businesses use its phone services
95 Roadside GroupPetrol station operator Buckinghamshire 2003 65.30% 40,930 48 Road builder and oil executive now run 10 petrol stations in north England
96 Balkan HolidaysTour operator Central London 2003 65.24% 44,545 32 Founded by Bulgarian government in 1966 and bought by owners in 1999
97 MolarDental products distributor Somerset 2003 64.81% 3,354 10 Supplies oral hygiene products to half of all dental practices in Britain
98 Centurion Risk Assessment ServicesConflict survival trainer Hampshire 2003 64.61% 3,098 50 Ran terror survival courses for the media before the Athens Olympics
99 SunQuest Tanning SystemsTanning equipment maker Cheshire 2003 63.82% 6,038 81 Founder started by hiring sunbeds in spare room of his chiropodist practice
100 WorldRoamMobile phone hirer Essex 2003 63.49% 10,753 52 American businessmen travelling abroad account for 80% of sales

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