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 |