Fast Track 100
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Rank Company Location Year end Annual sales rise over 3 years Latest sales £000s Staff Comment
1 ActiniumPayroll services provider Central London 2005 282.45% 40,745 14 Looks to the 2012 Olympics and the Inland Revenue for growth
2 Kew Green HotelsHotel operator West London 2006 255.90% *34,212 800 Acquired 11 hotels from Whitbread for £80m in December 2004
3 4C AssociatesOutsourced procurement provider West London 2006 245.84% *46,163 101 Procurement contracts with blue-chip companies like BP drive up sales
4 LebaraTelecoms services provider East London 2005 242.13% †37,868 35 Provides low-cost international calls from mobile phones
5 Head ResourcingRecruitment agency Edinburgh 2005 206.87% 7,406 21 Scottish recruiters score a hat-trick by setting up a third company
6 MaxximaRecruitment agency Essex 2005 195.56% 7,407 30 Provides permanent and temporary staff to the NHS and local authorities
7 Just LampsProjector lamp supplier Berkshire 2006 194.80% 9,926 24 Sells 6,000 types of projector lamps to schools and audio-visual resellers
8 MicrolineMobile phone retailer Middlesex 2005 181.20% *22,006 50 Sells mobile-phone packages to West London’s Asian community
9 Melrob GroupChemicals distributor West Sussex 2005 179.13% 6,777 10 Growth sticks for supplier of plastics, oils, and adhesive materials
10 Easy ComputersLaptop and TV reseller Huddersfield 2006 177.11% *35,893 33 Not content with selling 10,000 laptops a month, launches online TV retail
11 Dolphin MusicMusical equipment retailer Liverpool 2006 175.71% 5,587 20 Two Liverpool students used credit cards to set up musical equipment firm
12 WCLChange management consultancy Central London 2006 173.20% *6,156 38 Advises Department for Education and Skills on improving school meals
13 RocelaOracle consultancy Edinburgh 2006 158.84% 20,638 15 Company name is an anagram of Oracle
14 Dawnus ConstructionCivil engineering contractor Swansea 2005 150.87% 30,858 136 Worked with BNFL on decommissioning Hinkley Point nuclear power station
15 Wilson ValeContract caterer Leicestershire 2005 144.30% 5,204 175 Brings restaurant-like quality dining to the workplace
16 SEKO LogisticsLogistics services provider Slough 2006 141.88% *14,262 82 Transports Ann Summers and M&S items from factories abroad
17 Tyrrells Potato CrispsCrisps and snacks producer Herefordshire 2006 130.00% *5,951 40 Produces crisps from home-grown potatoes for upmarket outlets
18 ATD Travel ServicesTravel services provider SW London 2006 127.98% 32,372 18 Sells 220,000 tickets a year to American attractions such as Disneyland
19 99p StoresDiscount retailer Northampton 2005 127.17% 42,279 612 All products are priced at 99p in its 48 discount stores nationwide
20 Morgan HuntRecruitment agency Central London 2006 126.99% *35,938 103 Recruits for the public sector, private sector and not-for-profit organisations
21 SuperbrandsBrand promotion publisher Central London 2005 121.62% 7,949 18 Identifies the trendiest companies through its CoolBrands programme
22 SmartSourcingOnline recruitment agency Staffordshire 2005 118.69% 9,542 11 Handles business and IT resourcing for blue-chip companies
23 EncoreRecruitment agency Leicester 2005 117.18% †10,028 42 Specialises in recruitment of blue-collar staff for clients such as British Gas
24 2e2IT services provider Newbury 2005 116.75% 112,324 967 Duke Street Capital backed secondary buyout, valuing the firm at £130m
25 InsureandGoTravel insurance provider Essex 2005 115.40% 37,213 194 Sells ‘scratch and go’ cards offering instant travel insurance at airports
26 s2sIT services provider West Sussex 2006 111.53% 5,341 21 Provides network security for the England and Wales Cricket Board
27 Adviance Technical SolutionsFacilities maintenance supplier Central London 2006 111.52% 8,027 77 Claims a one-hour response rate to clients including O2
28 Venn GroupRecruitment agency Central London 2005 108.94% 45,079 218 Twice is nice for recruitment duo’s second company
29 CSGBusiness finance provider SE London 2006 107.12% 8,517 18 Provides companies with unsecured loans
30 CentiqIT services provider Nottingham 2005 104.71% 15,447 24 Works as a subcontractor on the NHS computerisation project
31 4L’s PackingPacker and distributor Doncaster 2005 104.68% 7,915 87 Repackages and distributes plumbing and heating products for B&Q
32 McLaren ConstructionBuilder Essex 2005 103.95% 48,343 61 Has up to 14 major construction projects on the go at any one time
33 Objective ProductionsIndependent television producer Central London 2005 102.93% *18,999 50 Produces Channel 4’s Balls of Steel and BBC3’s The Real Hustle
34 WidgetElectronic goods distributor Stevenage 2006 99.62% 23,880 15 Founded by technology journalist in his front room with enterprise allowance
35 Barchester HealthcareCare home operator Southwest London 2005 96.79% *289,172 12,556 Celebrity chef Paul Rankin improves food quality in residential care homes
36 PIPCManagement consultancy Central London 2006 96.75% 17,885 237 Helped to integrate NatWest into Royal Bank of Scotland
37 Orange & GoldPayroll services provider Bucks 2005 96.62% †33,025 25 Husband and wife team runs £34m business from rural Buckinghamshire
38 Vision CallMobile eyecare provider Glasgow 2006 95.85% *5,896 116 Brings mobile eye-testing services into care homes
39 LogistikCommunications agency Leeds 2005 95.45% 10,984 72 Runs events for clients such as M&S, Asda, and does the Mobo Awards
40 GladedaleHousebuilder Dunfermline 2005 93.11% 474,879 924 Acquired rival Country & Metropolitan for £72m in 2005
41 Ink PublishingAirline magazine publisher Central London 2006 92.44% *11,066 116 Publishes airline magazines for 20 airlines across the world
42 NET-A-PORTER.comOnline fashion retailer Central London 2006 91.52% 21,258 112 Claims customers spend an average £475 per order on its fashion website
43 ChessTelecoms services provider Cheshire 2005 91.25% 9,738 57 Resells telecoms packages to businesses including Sale Sharks rugby club
44 Card FactoryGreeting card retailer Wakefield 2005 90.79% 45,720 1,206 Founder began by selling greetings cards from the back of his van
45 Simon Wright HomesHousebuilder Maidstone 2005 89.00% 8,405 120 Former banker aims for his company to become Kent’s largest housebuilder
46 CovionFacilities management provider Berkshire 2005 88.48% 15,004 414 Supplies on-site facilities services to the likes of Britvic
47 Audley TravelTour operator Oxfordshire 2005 86.71% 26,200 90 Offers bespoke long-haul holidays for culture-seeking travellers
48 Cornwallis EltRecruitment consultancy Central London 2006 85.86% *5,525 13 Specialises in recruiting senior technologists for the financial markets
49 Astbury MarsdenRecruitment agency Central London 2005 85.82% 12,112 50 Recruits personnel for clients such as Barclays and Tesco
50 Abel & ColeOrganic produce retailer Wimbledon 2005 85.74% 13,368 166 Delivers organic fruit and vegetables to 25,000 customers in south England
51 SPI (Materials)Exhaust component supplier Staffordshire 2005 84.55% 5,124 12 Provides metal parts for needles, car exhaust systems and missiles
52 GreenergyFuel supplier Central London 2006 83.89% 774,814 50 Fuel supplier moves into building renewable-energy power stations
53 Joe BrownsMail-order fashion retailer Leeds 2005 83.16% 9,174 50 Claims to process up to 2,000 mail orders a day
54 BizzEnergyElectricity supplier Worcester 2005 83.14% 109,372 108 Independent electricity supplier that specialises in renewable sources
55 Buyagift.comOnline gift retailer North London 2005 83.01% 6,722 33 Website sells presents ranging from hampers to Ferrari drives
56 Premier GuaranteeUnderwriting agency Merseyside 2006 82.50% *19,930 35 Claims to have insured £16 billion worth of new homes in Britain
57 ExpansysOnline electronics retailer Manchester 2005 82.13% 35,654 168 Rides wireless technology wave to sell mobile phones in China
58 PMI Field MarketingField marketing agency Maidenhead 2005 81.69% 9,696 737 Handles sales, stock and promotions for Universal Pictures and Sainsbury’s
58 Eden McCallumManagement consultancy Central London 2005 81.69% 8,777 14 Women founders set up business while pregnant with their second children
60 OptionisProfessional services group Warrington 2006 79.66% 227,569 4,998 Promise of pain-free payroll administration attracts 15,000 contractors
61 innocentFruit drinks maker West London 2005 79.58% 37,724 75 Sells 1m pure-fruit drinks a week through delicatessens and supermarkets
62 Warehouse ExpressOnline photography retailer Norwich 2005 79.45% 22,964 40 Claims its website attracts 50m hits a month
63 Really Useful ProductsStorage box supplier West Yorkshire 2006 79.13% 8,826 33 Produces stackable storage boxes sold through Staples and WH Smith
64 Personal Touch Financial ServicesFinancial services provider West Midlands 2005 78.84% 57,144 144 One-stop shop for financial intermediaries such as mortgage brokers
65 1927 LondonDesigner clothes distributor SW London 2005 78.43% 11,865 23 Goes for bling, selling gold-riveted jeans at £750 a pair
66 Rolling ComponentsEngine component wholesaler East London 2005 77.78% 5,623 25 Claims to be the biggest car engine components supplier in Europe
67 7city LearningTraining course provider Central London 2005 77.77% 6,927 42 Provides financial courses for Merrill Lynch and Royal Bank of Scotland
68 BfinanceInvestment consultancy Central London 2005 76.32% 5,844 35 Changes tack to take the headache out of selecting fund managers
69 Pharmalink ConsultingRegulatory affairs consultancy Maidenhead 2005 76.02% 5,063 30 Provides regulatory-affairs consultancy to the healthcare industry globally
70 Connect Group ConsultingRecruitment agency West London 2005 75.78% 6,953 30 Recruits specialist IT and project staff for Virgin Atlantic and IBM
71 Qdos ConsultingTax consultancy Leicestershire 2005 75.45% 8,934 52 Provides online tax and employment advice to 45,000 small businesses
72 The Reflex GroupLabel manufacturer Leeds 2006 75.17% 10,929 82 Sticky label manufacturer produces three billion labels a year
73 Move with UsResidential property broker Cambridgeshire 2006 75.10% 11,951 111 Solicitors’ network handled 25,000 conveyancing transactions in 2005
74 Red CommerceSAP recruitment agency Central London 2006 74.79% *22,450 61 Underwent £15m buyout backed by Inflexion Private Equity last year
75 Worcester CarsalesCar dealer Worcester 2005 74.73% 47,605 207 Owner still motoring on after selling his first car at 13 years of age
76 ghdHair products supplier Central London 2005 74.51% 57,402 109 Completed £55m management buyout backed by LDC in July
77 WFCAMarketing agency Kent 2005 74.28% †12,289 43 Competes with London ad agencies at Tunbridge Wells prices
78 The Specials LaboratoryPharmaceuticals manufacturer Northumberland 2005 73.56% 5,750 58 Manufactures unlicensed medicines for special patients
79 RedbridgeTelecoms systems integrator Wales 2006 72.97% *10,494 70 Redundancy was the catalyst for this telecoms start-up
80 Portfolio PayrollPayroll recruitment consultancy Central London 2006 71.53% 5,868 22 Bookmaker family gets into recruitment of specialist payroll staff
81 NWP ElectricalElectrical contractor Wales 2005 70.88% 9,758 127 Claims to offer a one-stop shop for all mechanical and electrial needs
82 Healthcare at HomeHome healthcare provider Burton upon Trent 2005 69.76% 251,731 528 Treats NHS and private patients in their own homes
83 Progress Vehicle ManagementReplacement vehicle provider South London 2006 69.73% *5,188 43 Provides replacement vehicles to non-fault drivers after a car accident
84 Hodgson AutomotiveCar dealer Chelmsford, Essex 2005 68.08% 74,673 166 Sells 5,000 Audi cars a year to residents of Essex and East London
85 Holidays 4UTour operator Brighton 2005 66.73% 11,693 10 Sells budget holiday packages to Turkey at an average price of £265
86 Littlestar ServicesMusical producer Central London 2005 66.40% 24,316 16 Linking with Tom Hanks’s production company to produce MAMMA MIA! film
87 Euro GaragesFuel forecourt operator Blackburn 2005 65.78% 78,890 199 Refurbishes and operates petrol stations bought from the big oil companies
88 Living VenturesRestaurateur Cheshire 2005 65.42% 27,678 856 Restaurant group set up by former Australian soap star
89 UnicomTelecoms services provider Manchester 2005 65.29% 21,304 452 Tempts small businesses with low-cost telephone calls and lines
90 LOMBOKFurniture retailer SW London 2005 65.25% 7,661 105 A £3.5m buyout pushes furniture retailer into new phase of store openings
91 Bank FashionClothing retailer Macclesfield 2005 65.21% †30,182 543 Sells branded fashion through 40 high-street shops across Britain
92 SEHCivil engineering contractor Ipswich 2005 64.22% 126,752 563 Builds roads and provides PVC windows for housebuilders
93 Up & RunningRunning equipment retailer Harrogate 2006 64.12% *5,009 60 Pace accelerates at Up & Running with 21 new store openings
94 Premium Appliance BrandsKitchen appliance supplier Cheshire 2005 63.75% 11,570 23 Sells competitively-priced kitchen appliances to B&Q and Argos
95 LBMDirect marketing agency Cheshire 2006 63.20% 39,541 1,277 Direct marketing firm rides the crest of the call-centre wave
96 Go InteriorsBuilding materials supplier Herts 2006 62.93% 13,458 47 Founders remortgaged their homes to sell drylining products
97 ProhireVehicle services provider Stoke on Trent 2005 62.75% 12,241 30 Leases and manages commercial fleet vehicles for the likes of Greene King
98 Clipper Logistics GroupWarehousing and distribution Leeds 2005 62.58% 45,005 925 Prada and Woolworths sign up for its storage, packaging and distribution services
99 Rawhide AccessoriesPlayboy accessories designer East Yorkshire 2005 62.46% 10,951 65 Sells Playboy accessories to department stores such as Littlewoods
100 MEM Retail Marketing ServicesMarketing services provider West London 2005 62.37% 8,744 2,737 Husband and wife founded firm in a £100,000 buyout backed by NatWest

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