The Sunday Times 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 each April, with a national awards event in October and alumni dinners throughout the year.
The 21st annual Profit Track 100 supplement was due out on 5 April. Given the pandemic, we delayed publication in order to liaise with the featured companies.
With their support we published a special Profit Track Covid-19 edition on 26 April, sponsored by Santander and UBS. Out of the original 100 companies that qualified, 70 explicitly asked to be featured, and 30 did not want to be included.
We hope this special edition recognises the impressive past performance of all these 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.
The closing date for nominations for the 2021 league table is 7 February 2021, with publication in late April 2021.
Profit Track 100 entry criteria
The closing date for nominations for the 2021 league table is 7 February 2021, with publication in late 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
Congratulations to all the award winners at this year’s @ST_FastTrack awards https://t.co/ZfNZsJlTEq #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 https://t.co/HiopJ4DOty
Congratulations to @cultbeauty, winner of the Excellence in international e-commerce award, presented by Abi Brodie of DHL at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event
@dhlexpressuk @AlexiaInge
Congratulations to @TropicSkincare, winner of the Outstanding achievement award, presented by Megan Paul of Charles Russell Speechlys at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @CRS_Lawyers @susanma
Congratulations to @Chillysbottles, winner of the Fastest-growing company award, presented by Juha Jarvinen of @VirginAtlantic at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @juhahelsinki
Congratulations to @Mowglistfood, winner of the Emerging brand award, presented by @olivershah of @thesundaytimes at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @NishaKatona
Congratulations to Needle & Thread, winner of the SME Export award, presented by Ross Baker of Heathrow at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @needlethreadltd @HeathrowAirport
Congratulations to @cultbeauty, winner of the Excellence in international commerce award, presented by Abi Brodie of DHL at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @dhlexpressuk @AlexiaInge
Congratulations to @boxpark, winner of the Effective use of capital award, presented by Stephen Welton of BGF at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @sfwelton @MrBoxpark
Congratulations to Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, winner of the Best management team award, presented by Stuart Lisle of @bdoaccountant at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @CTilburyMakeup
Congratulations to @TokamakEnergy, winner of the Disruptors to Watch award, presented by Ben Davey of Barclays UK Ventures at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @Barclays
Types of company
Total sales
£20m - £350mTotal profits
£3m - £40mAverage 3 year profit growth
45% - 160% paStaff
20 - 1,000The 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 OBE, 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 & managing director, Watchfinder
Fast Track is a great accolade for any business to include on its letterhead and demonstrate your success Peter Swift, group finance director, 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 & chief executive, 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 £1bn on sales of £4bn in 2018
Sponsors
