The Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 league table ranks Britain’s 100 private companies with the fastest-growing profits over their latest three years. It is compiled by Fast Track and published as a supplement in The Sunday Times in April, with a national awards event in June.
This year’s Covid-19 special edition recognises the impressive past performance of the featured companies, their contribution to the economy and role in paying the taxes that help fund vital public services, such as the NHS, as well as their responses to the pandemic.
Publication of the 2021 league table was on 11 April 2021.
Profit Track 100 entry criteria
The closing date for nominations for the 2021 league table is 7 February 2021, with publication on 11 April 2021.
- UK registered, unquoted, and not subsidiaries
- Profits of at least £500,000 in the base year (2016 or 2017)
- Profits of at least £3m in the latest year (2019 or 2020)
- Profits are defined as operating profits before exceptional items
- Profits must increase in the latest year, from 2018 to 2019, or 2019 to 2020
- Trading weeks in the base and latest years have to exceed 25
- Excluded companies include pure property and financial trading companies, and those with restricted accounts; companies that are equal joint ventures, or majority-owned by quoted or other companies
- Companies that do not meet the criteria can still be considered for the Ones to Watch programme. This is a selection of companies that have either achieved, or predict, good profit growth
- We reserve the right to change the qualification criteria set out above and to make exceptions. This is not a competition; the compiler’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into
Watch highlights from our 22nd Sunday Times #BDOProfitTrack100 awards, held yesterday as a virtual event, and read our news report. Matt Moulding of @thgplc joined @olivershah of @ST_Business for Q&A, and Debbie Bestwick MBE of @Team17, gave a keynote. @djbteamsters
Congratulations to @Direct_HG, winner of the Fastest-growing company award, presented by Paul Eagland of @bdoaccountant at our #BDOProfitTrack100 virtual event
Congratulations to @VernacareOffice, winner of the Excellence in manufacturing award, presented by @olivershah of @ST_Business at our #ProfitTrack100 virtual event
Congratulations to @euautomation, winner of the International growth award, presented by Tim Hinton of @santanderuk at our #ProfitTrack100 virtual event
Congratulations to @AcornInsurance, winner of the Value creation award, presented by Giles Nicholas of @UBS at our #ProfitTrack100 virtual event
Congratulations to @WirelessCCTV, winner of the Ones to Watch award, presented by Stuart Lisle of @bdoaccountant at our #BDOProfitTrack100 virtual event
“I’m the only female founder-CEO of a listed co in the entire games industry globally – that’s scary – which means I can’t mess it up” – @djbteamsters, founder of Team17, speaking at our #BDOProfitTrack100 awards. She floated it in 2018 at £217m and it has since topped £1bn
“I’m the only female founder-CEO of a listed co in the entire games industry globally – that’s scary – which means I can’t mess it up” – Debbie Bestwick MBE, founder of @Team17, speaking at our #BDOProfitTrack100 awards. She floated it in 2018 at £217m & it has since topped £1bn
“We’ve probably taken on 4,000–5,000 staff since the first lockdown, and a good number have never been to an office” – Matt Moulding, founder, CEO & chair of @thgplc, the global tech platform, in Q&A with @olivershah of @ST_Business at our #BDOProfitTrack100 awards today.
“A huge congratulations to everyone on the list this year” – Paul Eagland, of our title sponsor @bdoaccountant, welcomed 200 guests, incl. founders & directors of Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing profits, to our 22nd #BDOProfitTrack100 virtual awards today.
Types of company
Total sales
£14m - £630mTotal profits
£3m - £45mAverage 3 year profit growth
33% - 133% paStaff
20 - 1,000This is the best virtual event I have attended Mark Franckel, co-founder & CEO, Arlington Industries Group
Excellent virtual event. Well done in difficult circumstances Sharon Cooper, CFO, Xceptor
The Profit Track 100 companies put the 'Great' into Great Britain, contributing a serious input into the UK economy Dame Mary Perkins, co-founder & director, Specsavers
Profit Track 100 recognises great talent, true entrepreneurial spirit and excellent private companies that drive our economy Dame Rosemary Squire, co-founder, Ambassador Theatre Group
Great congregation of inspiring and life changing companies upon which the UK will increasingly depend Colin Tenwick, non-executive chairman, Addison Lee
This is the best networking event in the UK Stuart Hennell, co-founder & MD, Watchfinder
Fast Track is a great accolade for any business to include on its letterhead and demonstrate your success Peter Swift, group FD, Peninsula
A great showcase for the unsung but oh-so-important private businesses who generate so much for the UK economy Sir James Wates CBE, chairman, Wates
Best networking event you ever go to! But you have to earn your place Keith Knowles OBE, founder & CEO, Beds and Bars
Alumni success stories
First featured with profits of £11m. Floated in September 2020 valued at £5.4bn
First featured with profits of £8m. Sold a 21% stake to General Atlantic in 2020 valuing it at $1.45bn
First featured with profits of £24m. Profits of £711m on sales of £5.4bn in 2019.
Sponsors
