Fast Track 100

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Rank Company Location Year end Annual sales rise over 3 years Latest sales £000s Staff Comment
1 Hotel Chocolat StoresChocolate retailer Hertfordshire 2008 225.53% *18,384 160 Opened five new shops in 2008 and now has 30 stores nationwide
2 TorFXForeign exchange provider Cornwall 2008 217.08% 265,389 46 Top traded currencies are euros, US dollars and Australian dollars
3 Silver CrossPram maker Skipton 2007 179.46% †15,181 32 Sold its first custom-built pram in Beijing this year
4 jjFOXRecruitment consultancy Bristol 2007 165.59% *8,953 72 Expanded to Truro because the directors like surfing and beach cricket
5 The Book DepositoryOnline book retailer Gloucester 2008 160.15% *40,201 27 Offers free worldwide delivery on every title
6 BurgopakPackaging designer South London 2008 147.73% *5,260 25 Founder drew inspiration for his packaging design from children’s pop-up books
7 Paladin GroupProperty services provider Bath 2008 147.34% 15,677 313 Plans to offer energy inspections to ensure compliance with new regulations
8 Manpower DirectSecurity services provider Essex 2007 143.99% 5,566 28 Engineering graduates started the company from a converted warehouse
9 Medicare FirstRecruitment consultancy Central London 2008 142.72% *10,538 25 Claims to recruit social workers for every local authority in London
10 Probuild BirminghamShopfitting contractor Birmingham 2008 142.08% 9,442 58 Branching out to start refitting schools and local council properties
11 TDX GroupDebt management provider Nottingham 2008 138.94% *17,259 117 Acquired Madrid-based competitor to kick off international expansion
12 Allen LanePublic sector recruitment consultancy Central London 2008 138.72% 16,131 15 Clients include Transport for London and the Royal Horticultural Society
13 Interim PartnersRecruitment consultancy Harrogate 2007 136.57% 5,691 10 Awarded Age Positive Employer Champion by the Department for Work and Pensions
14 CSGBusiness finance provider SE London 2008 133.12% *28,822 32 Founder previously set up, ran, and sold off a similar business
15 PracticusManagement consultancy Henley 2007 132.96% 21,698 41 Its three founding directors drew no salary for the first 12 months
16 On Holiday GroupHoliday sales agency West Sussex 2007 127.47% 11,430 56 Says its management has more than 60 years of experience in the travel industry
17 Towry LawIndependent wealth adviser Bracknell 2007 119.21% 49,161 650 Made five acquisitions in 2007, including Baker Tilly Financial Services
18 Mayday HealthcareRecruitment consultancy Central London 2007 118.85% 11,031 32 Claims its offices haven’t closed in four and a half years
19 Hobson PriorRecruitment consultancy Tunbridge Wells 2007 116.76% 8,186 19 Supplies highly skilled specialists for drug discovery and approval projects
20 First Point GroupTelecoms recruitment consultancy Central London 2008 114.76% *10,518 20 Headquartered in London but claims not to have a single British client
21 Reflex Vehicle SolutionsVehicle rental provider Middlesbrough 2007 114.75% 16,145 54 Its 500 clients include DHL and Network Rail
22 ea Consulting GroupBusiness management consultancy Twickenham 2008 114.35% 20,646 38 Originally founded to manage change arising from the introduction of the euro
23 Applied Language SolutionsTranslation services provider Manchester 2008 111.43% *5,480 85 Founder was featured on Dragons’ Den and Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire
24 Mentor IMC GroupOil industry consultancy East London 2008 107.91% 28,215 13 Iceni Capital recently took a 55% stake in the company
25 New Career SkillsVocational training provider East Sussex 2008 104.72% 5,266 33 Counts Halifax Rugby Union player Will Kay as one of its graduate electricians
26 33six ConsultancyRecruitment agency Central London 2007 100.62% *8,109 27 Founder previously set up and sold two businesses
27 Octavian SecuritySecurity services provider Nottingham 2008 100.26% *8,317 500 Placed former Gurkha soldiers as guards at Ikea store in Nottingham
28 AO.comHousehold appliance supplier Bolton 2008 99.56% *80,982 263 Says it has made about 225,000 deliveries this year
29 AsteralMedical equipment provider Reading 2008 98.43% 11,084 37 Claims most of its staff are clinical scientists, medical engineers or radiation specialists
30 Seven Publishing GroupMagazine publisher South London 2007 96.73% 30,751 161 Publishes magazines for Sainsbury’s and fashion retailer Asos.com
31 DanbroPayroll services provider Blackpool 2008 95.79% 34,924 1,021 Husband and wife team used a redundancy payout to set up company
32 Global ResourcingIT recruitment consultancy Bromley 2007 92.57% 9,723 27 Is expanding into new sectors such as construction in Dubai and the UAE
33 Ping PongRestaurant chain Southeast London 2008 90.89% †10,632 416 Founded by the former general manager of Nobu restaurant
34 Kew Green HotelsHotel operator West London 2007 90.73% 37,424 720 Runs the largest Holiday Inn Express in Europe at Stansted airport
35 Cornwallis EltRecruitment consultancy Central London 2007 90.09% †8,157 16 All three directors compete in endurance sporting events for charity
36 innocentFruit drinks maker West London 2007 89.14% *113,193 280 Claims 130,000 people a week sign up for its innocent e-mail
37 Balhousie Care GroupCare home operator Forfar 2008 88.76% 8,630 400 Sponsors a PhD student at Dundee University to carry out research on dementia
38 Fusion PeopleTechnical recruitment consultancy Hampshire 2007 88.01% 34,135 171 Has just opened an office in Perth, Australia
39 Draycott WardInsurance industry consultancy Bath 2008 87.12% 5,639 22 Sales jumped sharply on account of the 2007 floods
40 LNT GroupCare home developer Leeds 2008 86.60% 25,736 79 Says it is building 15 new care homes, with capacity for more than 1,000 beds
41 Geothermal InternationalRenewable energy supplier Coventry 2008 85.81% *12,796 70 Claims to have laid more than 300,000 metres of pipe to extract ground heat
42 Ice Energy Heat PumpsRenewable energy supplier Oxfordshire 2008 85.43% *7,769 70 Recently acquired an underfloor heating company to launch Ice Energy Floor Heating
43 G2V Recruitment GroupRecruitment consultancy Manchester 2008 84.98% *15,981 28 Recently backed a former employee’s recruitment start-up
44 Holiday TaxisAirport transfer provider West Sussex 2007 84.31% 8,587 28 Founder took a job as a holiday rep in Corfu during a gap year and still works in travel
45 Shilton Sharpe QuarryLegal recruitment consultancy Central London 2007 83.07% 6,874 40 Started from a Fleet Street Starbucks in 2002
46 Oyster PartnershipRecruitment consultancy Central London 2008 82.90% *5,305 22 Sponsors carbon offset projects and claims to be fully carbon neutral
47 MiromaMedia barter company Central London 2008 80.09% *9,125 10 Founder did barter deal with Regus to secure his first office in St James’s Square
48 Compello Staffing GroupRecruitment consultancy Glasgow 2007 79.82% 52,269 148 Made its second acquisition in the oil and gas recruitment sector in a £4m deal last year
49 InvestigoRecruitment consultancy Central London 2008 79.60% *19,209 48 Undertakes finance recruitment for Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Amazon
50 SPI (Materials)Exhaust component supplier Staffordshire 2007 77.98% 9,139 12 Claims to supply more than 10m exhaust parts to car makers each month
51 Kinsey Allen ConsultingExecutive search consultancy East London 2007 77.69% 8,721 37 Handles only permanent placements to clients such as JP Morgan
52 Harkand GroupOffshore services provider Aberdeen 2007 77.17% 56,198 322 Bank of Scotland Corporate invested a reported £80m for a 12.5% stake in April
53 AJ PowerDiesel generator manufacturer Northern Ireland 2008 76.44% 18,005 51 Recently launched a range of green generators running entirely on biodiesel fuel
54 No 1 CurrencyForeign exchange specialist Edinburgh 2008 75.50% 474,061 39 Says its new system can process hundreds of exchange transactions per second
55 AlsbridgeOutsourcing consultancy Central London 2007 74.43% 6,125 28 Works with more than 40 clients, including a range of FTSE 100 companies
56 Towergate InsuranceInsurance underwriter and broker Maidstone 2007 72.78% 268,931 3,299 Claims to be Europe’s largest privately owned insurance intermediary
57 ActeonSubsea services provider Norwich 2007 71.72% 194,690 1,041 Acquired competitors in Brazil and Singapore in 2007
58 Gü Chocolate PudsPremium pudding maker West London 2008 71.07% *16,776 38 Recently started selling hot chocolate served in Waitrose cafes
59 Maria Mallaband Care GroupCare home operator Leeds 2007 71.03% 25,158 1,095 Company also builds and sells retirement apartments
60 SavantConstruction consultancy Central London 2007 70.84% *21,732 460 Its construction projects include the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Moscow
61 McLaren ConstructionBuilder Essex 2007 70.75% 133,843 131 Projects include Europe’s first carbon-neutral logistics depot based in Staffordshire
62 People Source ConsultingIT recruitment consultancy Bristol 2008 68.40% *5,378 25 Set up with a grant from the Prince's Trust
63 Edge RecruitsRecruitment consultancy Devon 2008 67.95% *6,116 15 Developed “Job Pods”, video booths where jobseekers can sign up and register CVs
64 Ten Lifestyle ManagementConcierge service provider Central London 2008 67.71% *10,034 149 Its concierge service advises clients on eco-friendly holidays and energy-efficient homes
65 NET-A-PORTER.comOnline fashion retailer Central London 2008 67.32% 55,158 331 Has received more than £10m in funding since its launch eight years ago
66 Health ManagementOccupational health adviser East Sussex 2007 66.77% 7,571 102 Claims to work with 32 FTSE 250 companies
67 Sprue AegisSafety products manufacturer Coventry 2007 66.72% 7,263 18 Recently launched a new line of wireless fire safety devices
68 StaffgroupRecruitment consultancy Central London 2008 65.74% 13,168 41 Says 12 languages are spoken in its London head office
69 The Instant GroupOffice supplier Central London 2008 64.98% †*5,331 80 Claims to work with more than 50 FTSE 100 companies
70 Fast & Fresh RestaurantsSubway sandwich franchiser Preston 2007 64.55% 6,525 350 Offers a range of sandwiches containing only 6g of fat or less
71 Go ApeAdventure course operator Suffolk 2007 63.67% 6,084 247 Claims to take up to 100,000 bookings a year for its adventure courses
72 Caspian UK GroupBurger King franchiser Surrey 2007 63.62% 41,828 1,159 Claims to be one of the largest Burger King franchisers in Britain
73 Sloane Square HotelHotel operator Central London 2007 63.53% 6,051 100 Has put a laptop, wireless broadband and a PlayStation in every hotel room
74 Inside Ideas GroupMarketing services provider Central London 2008 63.15% *8,439 31 Claims that automated marketing technology is the key to its success
75 PlayforcePlayground equipment maker Wiltshire 2007 62.71% 6,374 36 Makes up to 100 installations of its playground equipment per month
76 MSI GroupRecruitment consultancy Central London 2007 62.24% *9,202 26 Claims to be the preferred supplier of staff for Ericsson Japan
77 7city LearningTraining course provider Central London 2007 61.76% †16,524 97 Claims it trains about 20,000 staff each year for clients including HSBC and Citigroup
78 Move with UsResidential property broker Cambridgeshire 2008 61.30% 27,900 201 Says it sold more than £500m worth of part-exchange property in the last year
79 Dawnus ConstructionCivil engineering contractor Swansea 2007 61.16% 68,783 401 Projects include an environmentally sustainable centre on Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire
80 Henleys ClothingFashion retailer Manchester 2008 60.65% *25,731 63 Now has a new retail division with nine stores nationwide
81 Abel & ColeOrganic produce retailer Wimbledon 2007 60.49% 27,939 321 Food past its sell-by date feeds animals at Longleat Safari Park and the London Zoo
82 Lucy Wernick & AssociatesClothing wholesaler Central London 2008 59.41% 11,646 12 Founder started with a £1,500 council grant and a loan from her father
83 Tonic Life CommunicationsPR consultancy Central London 2007 59.18% 5,110 30 Has offices in New York City, Dallas and western France
84 Connex RecruitmentRecruitment consultancy Liverpool 2007 58.66% *6,709 27 Owner founded the business with £7,000 in savings
85 Just LampsProjector lamp supplier Berkshire 2008 57.92% *21,362 62 20% of sales now come from its own-brand lamps that the firm manufactures itself
86 PineSolutions.co.ukWood furniture retailer Norwich 2008 57.69% *7,176 23 Claims to be carbon-neutral and that only two of its staff use cars to commute
87 Simply BizSupport services provider Huddersfield 2007 57.53% 10,665 85 Says its non-profit business academy has helped 2,000 users in six months
88 Ink PublishingAirline magazine publisher Central London 2008 57.52% 25,280 225 Publishes in-flight magazines in 17 languages, including Chinese, Polish and Khmer
89 DriveTechDriver trainer Berkshire 2008 56.82% 10,106 69 Claims to train drivers for more than 200 corporate fleets, including Sainsbury’s
90 Henry Howard FinanceBusiness finance provider Newport 2007 56.74% 29,817 32 Claims to handle up to 300 lease transactions monthly
91 OptionisProfessional services group Warrington 2007 56.36% 248,968 5,801 Claims to provide employment services for more than 25,000 contractors
92 1927 LondonDesigner clothes distributor SW London 2007 55.65% 23,115 41 Recently launched a baby lifestyle brand created by Bon Jovi's drummer
93 JoulesClothing retailer Leicestershire 2008 55.25% 22,225 187 Claims its childrenswear is John Lewis’s best-selling children’s line this season
94 CreativeventsCatering services provider Central London 2007 54.93% *10,230 169 Provides bar and catering services to the Red Bull Air Race and Cartier Polo
95 GGR-UNICLifting solutions provider Oldham 2007 53.92% 12,809 39 Its cranes were used to raise the floor of a swimming pool without draining the water
96 Portfolio PayrollPayroll recruitment consultancy Central London 2007 53.64% 7,375 35 Clients include HMV, Citibank and Sony
97 Tyrrells Potato CrispsCrisps and snacks producer Herefordshire 2008 53.61% *12,910 93 Newest potato chip flavours include beef and horseradish and ale and cheese
98 Cameron BlackDesign and construction provider Central London 2008 53.45% *10,281 26 Says 80% of projects are within 10 miles of the company’s front door
99 FeliciniRestaurant chain Sheffield 2007 53.26% 6,799 231 Its Manchester branch is rumoured to be one of Wayne Rooney’s favourite eating spots
100 STATS GroupPipeline engineer Aberdeen 2007 52.83% 8,760 103 Recently opened offices in Houston and the UAE

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