Profit Track 100
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Rank Company Location Year end % annual profit growth Latest profits £000 Latest sales £000 Staff Comment
1 Hazell CarrActuarial services provider Oxfordshire 2000 114.24% 14,472 45,231 99 250 freelance actuaries earn up to £350,000 a year
2 Euro PackagingCarrier bag manufacturer Birmingham 1999 105.03% 17,170 84,293 309 Recently set up £8m manufacturing plant in Malaysia
3 Pets At HomePet products retailer Cheshire 2000 101.80% †5,561 †96,795 1,154 Bought Petsmart chain of 95 stores for £35m in 1999
4 Project TelecomTelecoms supplier Nottinghamshire 1999 99.56% 4,086 117,087 303 Started in parents’ garden, valued at £152m when floated in September
5 IG GroupFinancial bookmaker SE London 2000 98.74% 12,215 23,644 94 Founded with £30,000, valued at £125m when floated in July 2000
6 Savers Health & BeautyDiscount chemist Durham 2000 97.55% 5,574 51,527 834 Bought by Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa in September
7 The Officers ClubDiscount clothing retailer Northumberland 2000 94.94% 4,978 52,016 1,004 Discount retailer operates 152 shops from Aberdeen to Plymouth
8 Waymade HealthcarePharmaceuticals maker Essex 1999 92.12% 13,219 180,162 350 Millionaire founder still works Saturday mornings in his first pharmacy
9 RS Communication ServicesCable contractor Essex 2000 91.87% 5,533 21,167 44 Cabler installs City phone lines during the night
10 SyscapComputer-equipment lessor SW London 2000 89.63% 3,592 48,714 138 Founded in attic, now preferred leasing partner for IBM and Compaq
11 Computer Telecom InstallationsTelecoms installer Cambridgeshire 2000 88.26% 4,266 26,501 247 Founded with £140, sold for £28m to American telecoms company
12 Focus Do It AllDIY retailer Cheshire 1999 84.12% 25,500 463,500 6,944 Bought Wickes and Great Mills last year for £289m and £275m
13 GetjarBuilding contractor Hertfordshire 2000 81.24% 3,954 25,245 102 Former carpenter now puts up steel frames for housing
14 QAS SystemsPostcode software developer SW London 2000 79.01% 4,414 24,082 182 Software gives likes of Interflora and B&Q access to 26m UK addresses
15 EurochangeBureaux de change Central London 1999 78.14% 3,940 16,464 308 High-street currency bureau now offers corporate exchange facilities
16 Alta GasBottled-gas distributor Liverpool 1999 77.53% 4,361 13,326 131 Craze for barbecues fuels sales
17 Aircom InternationalTelecoms service provider Surrey 2000 76.57% 3,631 6,954 60 Nokia took 40% stake in company in June 1999
18 TravelexForeign exchange operator Central London 1999 74.00% 8,607 101,628 1,622 Bought Thomas Cook’s currency arm for £440m in March 2000
19 JobserveInternet recruitment publisher Essex 2000 71.14% 10,926 13,069 47 Last year’s Profit Track 100 top performer enjoys 83% profit margins
20 Kent PharmaceuticalsPharmaceuticals distributor Kent 2000 70.14% 7,512 43,512 184 Own-brand Early Bird pregnancy test kits drive up margins
21 Software 2000Printer software developer Oxford 2000 68.42% 10,327 15,423 73 97% of sales come from exports
22 Telsis HoldingsTelecom-equipment maker Hampshire 1999 66.42% 5,328 20,621 159 Technology let Italian Big Brother viewers listen in on mobile phones
23 Searchlight ElectricLighting wholesaler Manchester 1999 65.14% 3,299 15,487 131 Importing lamps from China since the Cultural Revolution
24 Rajan ImportsClothing importer Manchester 2000 63.64% 8,982 62,215 65 Responds to fashion trends by getting manufacturers’ samples in a week
25 WatesConstruction contractor Surrey 1999 62.71% 11,829 424,499 1,283 Redeveloping the Queen’s New Gallery at Buckingham Palace
26 ArchantNewspaper, magazine publisher Norwich 1999 62.15% 21,552 116,157 2,100 Growth to 65 titles achieved by recent acquisition of niche magazines
27 First SoftwareComputer software developer Cheshire 1999 61.98% 4,719 19,813 237 Bought in May 2000 by Ireland’s Sx3 in multi-million pound deal
28 Golley Slater GroupAdvertising agency Cardiff 1999 61.42% 4,366 57,008 179 Co-founded by former Z-Cars actor
29 Crown Crest GroupGrocery/FMCG wholesaler Leicester 2000 59.85% 3,992 93,278 52 Malawian-born founder has worked in retailing since the age of 12
30 Weston HomesHousebuilder Hertfordshire 2000 58.22% 3,415 24,093 75 Transformed Surrey mental hospital into luxury apartments
31 Bloor InvestmentsBuilder and motorcycle maker Derbyshire 1999 54.65% 36,717 354,668 1,280 Founder rescued Triumph motorcycles from the liquidator
32 Nu-Aire HoldingsFan maker South Wales 1999 53.86% 3,091 30,908 476 Manufactures ventilation systems sensitive to human entry
33 BellwaterTelecoms contractor Surrey 1999 52.92% 3,040 50,919 100 Builds giant European server “hotels” for Yahoo
34 Cygnet Health CareHealthcare provider Surrey 1999 52.12% 3,029 11,828 367 Chain of 11 UK psychiatric clinics claims to be ‘fifth emergency service’
35 Jane NormanWomen’s clothing retailer Central London 2000 50.06% 6,657 28,508 303 Operates three-week stock turnround
36 City NetworksComputer software provider Central London 1999 48.05% 3,376 11,413 126 Software enables HSBC and Citibank to consolidate transactions
37 Higgins GroupHousebuilder Essex 2000 47.46% 6,560 95,082 351 Builds Methodist chapels and renovates Georgian terraces in Islington
38 Marshall GroupConglomerate Cambridge 1999 47.29% 10,183 461,582 3,374 Developed Concorde’s nose and batteries used on Apollo moon landers
39 Zoffany HotelsHotel operator Berkshire 1999 46.32% 3,262 12,171 491 Targets corporate market with chain of 10 renovated city-centre hotels
40 C-Beck GroupExhibition contractor Surrey 1999 45.69% 5,146 48,329 339 Rose from receivership to build Millennium Dome exhibits worth £18m
41 Hammonds FurnitureFurniture maker Leicestershire 1999 45.57% 3,372 35,639 669 Won contract with Bovis Homes to supply bedrooms for entire estate
42 William Price & SonsBaker Walsall 1999 45.40% 4,433 105,177 1,472 Family baker makes 400,000 organic loaves a week for supermarkets
43 Squires BridgeHousebuilder Surrey 2000 44.60% 3,219 9,929 17 Former accountant turns house painter during recession
44 CP PharmaceuticalsPharmaceuticals maker Wrexham 2000 43.82% 3,964 32,185 451 MBI turned £3m loss into £4m profit in seven years
45 Sigma PharmaceuticalsPharmaceutical distributor Watford 1999 42.65% 3,484 88,501 91 Started life in the back of founder’s pharmacy
46 Livingstone GuaranteeCorporate-finance adviser Central London 2000 40.74% 3,931 6,330 30 Advised Gardner Merchant on its £422m MBO from Forte
47 IpecoAircraft seat manufacturer Essex 1999 40.23% 7,744 30,394 485 Company floated in late 1980s but was later bought back by family
48 Halewood Wines and SpiritsAlcoholic drinks maker Liverpool 2000 40.05% 14,993 140,859 720 Fashionable Red Square drinks help drive up profit margins
49 Kent MessengerNewspaper publisher Kent 1999 39.97% 4,062 30,516 651 Owner lends his Bentley to staff for their weddings
50 United House GroupBuilding contractor Kent 1999 39.81% 5,261 42,113 231 Builder makes workers sign ‘Considerate Contractor’s Charter’
51 ListersCar dealer Stratford-upon-Avon 2000 39.13% 5,378 159,401 459 Started with one dealership, now runs 15 in Midlands
52 City TruckHaulier Bucks 1999 39.06% 6,101 64,844 630 Musical-instrument distributor now transports dangerous chemicals
53 AcromasConsumer services provider Kent 2000 38.90% 26,264 284,905 1,974 Sells over-50s everything from luxury cruises to pet insurance
54 MediaforceMarketing services provider Central London 2000 38.51% 4,154 49,017 207 Delivers 2.5 billion leaflets in Britain every year
55 Burhill Golf and LeisureGolf club operator Surrey 1999 37.59% 3,602 13,843 198 Guinness family brings club atmosphere to ‘pay and play’ golf courses
56 RomoFabric wholesaler Nottinghamshire 1999 37.40% 4,705 33,833 234 Former horsehair supplier sells furnishing fabrics to German market
57 Centerprise InternationalComputer hardware assembler Hampshire 1999 36.57% 9,222 94,712 151 Builds 750 tailor-made computers per eight-hour shift
58 Hitchen FoodsFresh-food supplier Wigan 2000 36.56% 3,313 25,029 533 ‘Chilled chip’ and packaged melon slices fuel food producer’s growth
59 William Gibbons & SonsPrinter and finisher West Midlands 2000 36.55% 3,830 14,731 134 Fourth generation of family invests £5m in new print technology
60 British & Foreign TradingClothing importer NW London 1999 36.47% 5,570 27,742 506 Posh Spice jacket inspires designs that reached market in three weeks
61 Dunelm Soft FurnishingsSoft furnishings retailer Leicester 2000 36.30% 13,188 73,072 550 Dusters and oven gloves help profits grow to more than £13m
62 MorsonEngineering recruitment agency Manchester 1999 36.22% 3,657 89,510 85 Supplies whole teams of technical staff and equipment
63 Ryalux CarpetsCarpet maker Lancashire 1999 35.23% 6,046 35,116 324 Supplied upmarket carpets to Sir Cliff Richard and Barbara Windsor
64 Russell & BromleyShoe retailer W London 1999 34.98% 10,211 61,849 1,163 Shoe retailer founded in 1845 has 45 shops across Britain
65 Pret A MangerSandwich shop operator Central London 1999 34.08% 4,599 76,767 1,504 Sold 33% of company to McDonald’s in February 2000
66 TJ MorrisDiscount retailer Liverpool 1999 33.14% 6,385 69,521 752 Offers 50% reductions on branded goods like Calvin Klein underwear
67 Kebbell HomesEstate developer Watford 1999 32.63% 5,712 23,196 56 Targets niche market of executive homes selling for over £260,000
68 Toni & GuyHair stylists Central London 1999 32.21% 8,692 86,189 2,346 Sales of own-brand haircare products reaches $50m in America
69 Dalgleish & CoSurveyor W London 2000 31.82% 4,932 8,984 58 Founded by 26-year-old with one secretary and a handful of clients
70 Cannon AVENTBaby product manufacturer Suffolk 1999 31.59% 10,226 61,439 801 Exports baby feeding products to 60 countries
71 Protec Fire DetectionSecurity products maker Lancashire 1999 30.47% 5,024 35,051 564 Provided £5m fire detection system for Millennium Dome
72 Satair Hardware GroupAviation parts distributor West Sussex 1999 30.18% 3,157 18,515 79 Recent merger with Danish company enables European expansion
73 ChancerealmStationery retailer Middlesex 2000 30.15% 4,015 58,533 1,298 Millwall FC chairman rescues lingerie chain and Rymans from receiver
74 PA Consulting GroupManagement, IT consultancy Central London 1999 30.09% 37,534 304,776 2,705 Bought American consultancy Hagler Bailly for $96m in October
75 Speed FrameDouble-glazing manufacturer South Yorkshire 1999 30.08% 4,064 22,646 321 Company builds fifth factory in Yorkshire for £7.5m
76 AllportLogistics operator West London 1999 29.76% 4,544 157,446 1,106 Freight-tracking software arm becomes stand-alone company
77 Independent Radio NewsRadio news provider Central London 2000 29.64% 4,883 17,198 3 Provides news to 250 radio stations and 27m people a week
78 Cumbrian IndustrialsBuilding contractor Cumbria 2000 29.38% 3,389 36,300 212 Innovative road-surface materials drive up profits
79 Teague Homes (Scotland)Building contractor Edinburgh 2000 29.22% 7,723 18,220 58 Five builder brothers benefit from Edinburgh housing boom
80 The Beer SellerDrinks distributor Somerset 2000 29.02% †4,173 †138,992 652 Former banker bought company for £125,000, sold it for £32m in 2000
81 WR RefrigerationRefrigeration engineer Leicester 2000 28.26% 3,146 45,614 427 Grows through acquisition and provides refrigeration for supermarkets
82 The Imagination GroupDesign consultancy Central London 1999 27.39% 8,387 101,512 317 ‘One-stop shop’ creative agency directs projects in over 20 countries
83 WilkoValue retailer Nottinghamshire 2000 27.35% 30,926 586,927 13,691 Started with single branch in Leicester, now has 187 stores nationwide
84 Hamptons GroupEstate agency SW London 2000 27.07% 8,527 49,187 910 MBI team rescued 125-year-old brand
85 Simclar InternationalElectronics assembler Fife 1999 26.56% 3,611 43,504 684 Started in Dunfermline garage, recently took stake in US-listed company
86 RaywareHousehold-goods supplier Liverpool 1999 26.53% 4,621 29,210 103 £1m advertising campaign for crockery targets Hello magazine readers
87 Westbridge InternationalClothing importer Nottingham 2000 26.48% 4,927 57,213 806 Began life as market stall, now run by founder’s son and grandson
88 Search ConsultancyRecruitment consultancy Glasgow 1999 26.43% 3,267 42,357 172 Helping army find 2,000 recruits in Scotland
89 Willmott Dixon GroupConstruction contractor Hertfordshire 1999 25.85% 4,116 245,071 1,151 Built Europe’s largest social-housing development in Oxford
90 Rainham Steel GroupSteel distributor Essex 2000 25.72% 6,680 35,805 103 Advertised pitchside at Albania v England World Cup qualifier
91 Bowmer & KirklandConstruction contractor Derbyshire 1999 25.70% 13,341 282,210 1,067 Claims to build supermarkets in record time for Sainsbury and Tesco
92 The Miller GroupHousebuilder & construction services Edinburgh 1999 25.66% 21,209 497,815 2,257 Playing key role in £450m scheme to redevelop central Birmingham
93 Alban CommunicationsOutdoor advertising agency W London 1999 24.95% 3,801 133,355 67 Projected image of David Beckham on Dover cliffs for advertising
94 Vanco GroupTelecoms network provider Middlesex 2000 24.11% 3,007 20,889 179 Links IT systems of Deutsche Börse and LSE for instantaneous news
95 Firmdale HotelsHotelier SW London 2000 24.01% 4,037 12,526 203 Transformed Central London backpackers’ hostel into designer hotel
96 Oscar FaberEngineering consultancy St Albans 2000 23.82% 3,956 43,075 818 Helped to restore Windsor Castle after 1992 fire
97 M&C Saatchi WorldwideAdvertising agency Central London 1999 23.81% 4,435 83,354 426 Saatchi brothers create new firm from ashes of old
98 William DavisBuilding contractor Leicestershire 2000 23.68% 6,676 62,664 409 Builds executive homes on land bought cheaply during last recession
99 Jelson HoldingsBuilding contractor Leicester 2000 23.37% 9,793 52,824 671 Started as undertaker, now builds 350 houses a year
100 Affinity HealthcareHealthcare provider Cheshire 1999 23.23% 3,061 16,439 554 Operates five private hospitals from Scotland to Canada

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