Rank Company Location Year end % annual profit growth Latest profits £000 Latest sales £000 Staff Comment
1 Complete CommunicationsTV and film producer Central London 2000 177.50% 15,359 45,491 66 Maker of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? sells TV show in 76 countries
2 Amulet GroupPersonal injury insurer Manchester 2000 98.46% 4,587 16,904 242 Company went into administration in May 2003
3 Focus DIYDIY retailer Crewe 2000 92.15% 67,400 1,462,400 15,470 Britain’s second-largest DIY retailer has 428 stores and sales of £1.5bn
4 Machine MartDIY equipment retailer Nottingham 2000 88.50% 3,458 38,903 244 Chain of 43 shops sells equipment to DIY enthusiasts
5 MarshbrookMusic rights owner Central London 2000 87.54% 8,598 12,350 5 Company Eric Clapton started in his youth owns rights to all his hits
6 Food Brokers Food Brokers is in liquidation as of November 2005
7 BrandonsTurkey farmer Derbyshire 2001 81.42% 3,538 47,363 448 Produces more than 5m turkeys a year from 52 farms in the UK
8 The Officers ClubDiscount clothing retailer Northumberland 2001 80.90% 9,219 81,604 1,678 Founder recovered from receivership to build 180-store clothing chain
9 Central TrustLoan broker Norwich 2000 80.73% 3,851 12,315 113 Staff play 20 seconds of their favourite song on completing a deal
10 TravelexForeign exchange operator Central London 2000 80.32% 20,951 151,927 1,860 Banker builds currency-exchange empire from one shop to 650 outlets
11 Car GiantCar dealer West London 2000 74.74% 7,284 234,196 428 Claims to be UK’s top used-car supermarket with stock of 4,000 cars
12 Phoenix Petroleum ServicesOil industry engineer Aberdeenshire 2001 72.66% 4,926 16,820 65 Bought by the multinational Schlumberger in October 2001
13 ChemilinesPharmaceuticals distributor West London 2001 71.20% 3,408 29,559 61 Sells imported medicines from 85,000 sq feet warehouse in Wembley
14 BettercareNursing home operator Belfast 2000 70.81% 4,402 30,005 1,909 Cares for 1,900 patients in 29 nursing homes in London and Belfast
15 MicroleaseElectronic equipment provider Northwest London 2001 70.66% 9,548 35,008 128 Supplies network test equipment for Nortel and Ericsson
16 Rochdale Textile SuppliesWoven textile wholesaler Lancashire 2000 70.25% 5,364 43,444 207 Maker of cloth for squash racket handles now makes fabric for overalls
17 MorsonEngineering recruitment agency Manchester 2000 69.33% 4,994 110,118 104 Founder sold business to son and management for £55m in 1998
18 Computeach InternationalComputer training provider Birmingham 2000 69.19% 5,481 16,208 112 Offers online IT training to people planning career changes
19 Hazell CarrActuarial services provider Oxfordshire 2001 65.48% 31,873 93,170 372 Business boomed sorting out pensions mis-selling scandal of the 1990s
20 Abbey Manor GroupConstruction contractor Somerset 2000 65.14% 4,274 13,104 98 Won special Act of Parliament to fill in parts of Plymouth harbour
21 Crown Crest GroupGrocery/FMCG wholesaler Leicester 2001 63.19% 6,949 124,270 98 Founder, at 13, traded groceries in father’s Malawi warehouse
22 Forth HoldingsSpecialist electrical contractor Stirling 2001 62.44% 6,497 61,613 637 Installed electrics at Glasgow’s national Hampden Park stadium
23 Pets At HomePet products retailer Cheshire 2001 60.63% 7,066 178,292 1,976 Sells 3,000 hamsters a month from 145 pet superstores in Britain
24 BellwaterTelecoms contractor Surrey 2000 60.14% 4,518 93,009 190 Surrey firm now builds ‘internet hotels’ in Europe and Asia
25 JumbogatePharmaceuticals distributor NW London 2001 60.08% 4,664 46,548 12 Husband-and-wife team distributes medicines across Britain
26 ExtecCrushing machinery maker Derbyshire 2001 60.04% 8,121 45,345 313 80% of the firm’s crushing machines are exported worldwide
27 John F Hunt DemolitionDemolition contractor Essex 2000 59.35% 3,917 20,863 116 Demolished old MI5 and Mirror Group headquarters in London
28 BUE MarineMarine services provider Edinburgh 2000 57.98% 4,519 30,393 668 Supplies oil rigs in North and Caspian seas with food and equipment
29 William DavisBuilding contractor Leicestershire 2001 56.62% 12,855 78,604 414 Profits windfall from successful planning applications
30 New Direction FinanceFinancial services provider St Albans 2001 55.83% 4,686 14,506 134 Claims to have sold 8,000 financial products in one day
31 Sigma PharmaceuticalsPharmaceutical distributor Watford 2000 54.19% 4,454 114,558 156 Distributes 4.5m packs of medicine a month to a third of UK chemists
32 Weston HomesHousebuilder Hertfordshire 2001 52.85% 5,526 34,202 85 Developed 104-apartment Solent House site in Norbury, south London
33 Toni & GuyHair stylists Central London 2000 52.48% 12,000 137,500 3,100 Italian brothers head international chain of 275 hair salons
34 EurochangeBureaux de change Central London 2000 51.51% 5,826 20,701 372 Provides obscure currencies from Fijian dollars to Malaysian ringgits
35 William Grant & SonsSpirits distiller Banffshire 2000 49.72% †61,161 †269,268 936 Sells 8m bottles of Glenfiddich malt whisky a year in 180 countries
36 Municipal Hire ServicesVehicle hirer Bristol 2001 49.38% 4,327 21,065 133 Hires public-works vehicles to 70% of UK local authorities
37 Carvill GroupHousebuilder Belfast 2000 48.36% 3,710 18,444 75 Building 400 houses on a former border-guard camp in East Berlin
38 FitzpatrickBuilding contractor Hertfordshire 2000 48.10% 5,053 157,938 508 Company that helped build M1 is to give Trafalgar Square a facelift
39 Phoenix IT GroupIT service provider Northampton 2001 44.23% 3,593 43,263 550 Provides 24/7 IT support for Ofsted and Crown Prosecution Service
40 ExpotelTravel services provider Manchester 2000 44.19% 5,992 57,991 515 Booked 1.5m hotel-room nights for business travellers last year
41 Cygnet Health CareHealthcare provider Surrey 2000 43.02% 4,301 18,219 448 Runs detox programmes for heroin users
42 Canute Haulage GroupHaulier Essex 2000 42.82% 7,070 34,795 524 340-vehicle fleet distributes goods all over Britain
43 MedlockTelecoms network engineer Manchester 2000 42.16% 3,331 32,435 231 Erected mobile-phone masts for Madonna’s 2000 Highlands wedding
44 Golley Slater GroupAdvertising agency Cardiff 2000 41.60% 5,204 69,802 179 Former Z-Cars actor makes ads for Givenchy and Christian Dior
45 RWM Food GroupMeat product wholesaler Somerset 2000 41.47% †6,823 †79,049 306 Supplies beef and lamb to Tesco and Safeway from two abattoirs
46 GlobalgrangeHotelier London 2001 41.12% 10,757 34,011 504 Converted old Ministry of Defence office building into five-star hotel
47 Ellis FairbankRecruitment agency Leeds 2001 40.99% 3,610 10,791 139 New management bought executive recruiter for £19m in 2001
48 CostcutterConvenience store operator York 2001 40.96% 4,274 299,895 1,008 Former Spar sales director builds network of 1,200 UK franchises
49 Seddon GroupBuilding contractor Cheshire 2000 40.96% 7,333 125,578 1,262 Group of 50 subsidiaries started by Manchester bricklayer brothers
50 Vivid ImaginationsToy marketer Surrey 2000 40.44% 6,543 72,041 63 Markets toys for hit films Harry Potter, Monsters Inc and Spiderman
51 ChartdaleHousebuilder Grimsby 2000 39.97% 4,037 15,816 59 Builds two to five bedroom homes throughout Lincolnshire
52 The Imagination GroupDesign consultancy Central London 2000 38.22% 10,589 119,195 367 Ran Samsung sponsor pavilion at Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City
53 Higgins GroupHousebuilder Essex 2001 38.05% 7,942 99,647 385 Founder and three sons help regenerate housing estates
54 BraveshireTextile maker Wakefield 2000 37.70% 5,185 30,270 331 Wakefield textile manufacturer diversifies from carpets to insulation felt
55 Detica GroupManagement consultancy Surrey 2001 37.68% 5,143 26,602 220 Former MoD systems designer now develops software for Lloyds TSB
56 SophosSecurity software developer Oxfordshire 2001 37.23% 7,839 22,625 198 Deals with 1,200 new viruses a month
57 Waymade HealthcarePharmaceuticals maker Essex 2000 35.79% 15,539 198,792 425 Pharmaceuticals distributor now makes own-brand drugs
58 JobserveInternet recruitment publisher Essex 2001 35.79% 12,111 15,788 71 Claims to post 35,000 vacancies a week on seven specialist websites
59 FarmfoodsFrozen food retailer Birmingham 2000 35.12% 9,619 198,950 1,960 Footballer Ally McCoist helps advertise Glasgow frozen-food retailer
60 Affinity HealthcareHealthcare provider Cheshire 2000 34.57% 3,430 19,163 809 Sold two of its five hospitals this year to competitor BMI Group
61 Gartland Whalley & BarkerBusiness developer West Yorkshire 2000 34.55% 25,101 190,812 2,594 Has built 12 businesses, floated six and sold three to date
62 TAG McLaren HoldingsRacing car maker Surrey 2000 34.47% 27,370 127,753 779 The group’s Formula One team has won 19 world championship titles
63 Bisley Office EquipmentOffice equipment maker Surrey 2000 34.10% 11,075 70,340 967 Claims to be Britain’s largest maker of steel office furniture
64 SteerpikeMusic producer London 2000 34.04% 18,563 30,887 17 Production company started and owned by Sting after 1979 hit Roxanne
65 Haygarth GroupMarketing agency London 2001 34.02% 4,612 22,918 127 Helped launch Tropicana fruit juice and Lavazza coffee in Britain
66 Mactaggart & MickelHousebuilder Glasgow 2001 33.99% 4,520 20,734 244 Builds starter flats and prestige houses in Glasgow and Edinburgh
67 Dunelm Soft FurnishingsSoft furnishings retailer Leicester 2001 33.88% 16,513 96,684 858 Leicester market stall was basis for 43-store home-furnishings chain
68 ArchantNewspaper, magazine publisher Norwich 2000 33.51% 25,108 130,605 2,198 Norwich publisher produces 40 magazines and 58 weekly papers
69 PeninsulaEmployment law consultancy Manchester 2001 33.47% 5,127 22,220 333 26 advocates represent clients in 2,500 employment tribunals
70 Necessity SuppliesPharmaceuticals importer W London 2000 32.73% 7,724 82,924 28 Holds 500 licences to import branded medicines to Britain
71 Prime Time RecruitmentRecruitment agency Northampton 2001 31.93% 4,198 58,244 324 Claims to place 5,000 people a week from 107 UK branches
72 SyscapComputer-equipment lessor SW London 2001 31.82% 4,897 72,559 138 Built £73m business by renting IT systems to schools and businesses
73 William Price & SonsBaker Walsall 2000 31.47% 5,137 106,556 1,499 Walsall baker makes 3m loaves a week for supermarkets
74 MediaforceMarketing services provider Central London 2001 31.25% 5,549 59,345 170 Subsidiary claims to distribute three billion advertising leaflets a year
75 Byrne GroupConcrete frame contractor Southwest London 2001 30.93% 6,051 82,564 350 Made concrete frames for HSBC Tower at Canary Wharf
76 Richard GreenFine art dealer Central London 2001 30.70% 9,424 52,124 22 Mayfair gallery has stock of 2,500 paintings, including a Monet
77 WR RefrigerationRefrigeration engineer Leicester 2001 30.38% 3,207 54,683 475 Former Tory MP maintains refrigeration systems for Tesco
78 Katsouris (Fresh Foods)Food producer W London 2001 30.35% 13,683 70,263 1,375 Mediterranean food firm was bought by Iceland’s Bakkavor for £100m
79 ListersCar dealer Stratford-upon-Avon 2001 30.28% 7,028 168,004 536 19 Midland dealerships sell cars ranging from Mercedes to Honda
80 Rayner Food GroupFood producer London 2000 29.90% 5,255 36,799 342 MD swapped Mercedes for old Ford Fiesta to help finance 2000 MBI
81 Kent MessengerNewspaper publisher Kent 2000 29.74% 4,829 34,965 670 Prints 250,000 copies of Metro, London’s free daily newspaper
82 Titan AirwaysAirline Stansted Airport 2001 29.47% 4,733 25,040 143 Charters planes for Liverpool FC, Tony Blair and Consignia
83 Fisher EngineeringStructural steel fabricator Northern Ireland 2000 29.28% 5,484 19,358 158 Produces 20,000 tonnes of structural steel a year
84 InstemIT systems integrator Staffordshire 2000 29.18% 3,844 20,441 222 Provides IT systems for British Nuclear Fuels and utility companies
85 Cannon AVENTBaby product manufacturer Suffolk 2001 28.99% 16,080 92,856 960 Exports 80% of baby-feeding products to America and the Continent
86 HW Martin HoldingsFencing contractor Derbyshire 2001 28.60% 5,212 23,342 196 Builds specialist fencing for Railtrack and HM Prison Service
87 Camden Motor GroupCar dealer Northampton 2000 28.55% 9,909 630,859 1,371 Management buyout expands car dealer to national chain of 25 outlets
88 GWK GroupAutomotive parts maker Hertfordshire 2000 28.54% 4,916 57,897 391 Coventry and Letchworth plants make parts for Jaguar, Ford and Saab
89 Crown Timber GroupTimber importer Gloucestershire 2000 27.49% 3,444 67,134 23 Imports 500,000 cubic metres of timber a year from Sweden and US
90 Charles WellsBrewer Bedford 2000 26.60% 5,412 77,954 928 Fifth-generation brewer exports Red Stripe lager to France and Italy
91 EdringtonWhisky and rum distiller Glasgow 2001 26.41% †48,595 †183,033 864 Produces 90m bottles of whisky a year, including Famous Grouse
92 Oscar FaberEngineering consultancy St Albans 2001 26.08% 5,139 53,110 933 Engineering consultancy bought by Aecom Group in October 2001
93 Hitchen FoodsFresh-food supplier Wigan 2001 25.91% 3,614 26,786 510 Prepares pre-packed vegetables and salads for supermarkets
94 CPP HoldingsCard protection insurer York 2001 25.60% †9,398 71,737 1,005 Claims to have 7.3m credit-card insurance customers in 140 countries
95 The Rose PartnershipExecutive search consultancy Central London 2001 25.47% 7,552 12,601 52 Female founder was top financial headhunter in 2000 Economist poll
96 Specialist Computer HoldingsIT systems integrator Birmingham 2001 24.97% 22,693 843,832 2,221 Claims to be Europe’s largest private IT company
97 MouchelSupport services provider Surrey 2001 24.63% 4,722 71,474 1,292 Manages 32,000km of public roads in the UK
98 AcromasConsumer services provider Kent 2001 24.33% 37,296 311,860 2,249 Sells everything from Nile cruises to pet insurance to over-fifties
99 M&C Saatchi WorldwideAdvertising agency Central London 2000 23.55% 6,987 111,057 552 Saatchi brothers’ second agency has offices from New York to Dubai
100 Hillreed HoldingsHousebuilder Maidstone 2001 23.10% 5,246 41,224 118 Builds 2-5 bedroom houses in Kent with average price of £250,000