1 |
Apple CorpsMusic rights owner |
Central London |
2002 |
194.06% |
18,234 |
50,958 |
9 |
Sold 12m of The Beatles ‘1’ album in three weeks in December 2000 |
2 |
Food Brokers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Food Brokers is in liquidation as of November 2005 |
3 |
GladedaleHousebuilder |
Dunfermline |
2002 |
141.06% |
13,719 |
59,252 |
137 |
Founder builds third business through acquisitions after first went bust |
4 |
Alan Dick & CoTelecoms infrastructure engineer |
Cheltenham |
2002 |
126.22% |
7,614 |
61,759 |
265 |
Raised £17.5m in June 2002 to fund international expansion |
5 |
Amulet GroupPersonal injury insurer |
Manchester |
2002 |
117.28% |
17,022 |
243,133 |
2,366 |
Company went into administration in May 2003 |
6 |
Trade SalesCar dealer |
Slough |
2001 |
100.63% |
8,145 |
165,664 |
90 |
Car supermarket sells 22,000 cars a year at knock-down prices |
7 |
The Denholm GroupShipping and oilfield services provider |
Glasgow |
2001 |
98.60% |
6,870 |
105,279 |
1,429 |
Shipping company diversifies into maintenance of Kazahk oil refinery |
8 |
CineworldMultiplex cinema operator |
Central London |
2002 |
96.41% |
5,842 |
74,474 |
1,527 |
Former American cinema usher builds chain of 30 multiplexes in the UK |
9 |
Central TrustLoan broker |
Norwich |
2001 |
92.30% |
6,694 |
20,395 |
186 |
Fielded 210,000 customer inquiries last year |
10 |
JMLHousehold goods supplier |
North London |
2001 |
92.27% |
3,587 |
19,163 |
63 |
Runs more than 3,500 in-store video promotions in Britain |
11 |
TravelexForeign exchange operator |
Central London |
2001 |
86.72% |
38,083 |
397,851 |
5,304 |
World's second-largest issuer of traveller’s cheques runs 650 outlets |
12 |
Bon MarchéWomen's clothing retailer |
Huddersfield |
2002 |
86.25% |
†16,385 |
†149,751 |
2,707 |
Chain of 250 stores bought by Peacock Group for £51m in July 2002 |
13 |
Vital ResourcesIndustrial recruitment agency |
Manchester |
2001 |
83.90% |
6,383 |
52,542 |
101 |
Places 20,000 workers annually in contract and permanent jobs |
14 |
Andromeda EntertainmentComputer games reseller |
Hertfordshire |
2001 |
83.73% |
3,597 |
49,547 |
34 |
Former refugee supplies computer games to Littlewoods and Argos |
15 |
Snowie HoldingsWaste manager |
Stirling |
2001 |
81.52% |
8,020 |
56,679 |
291 |
Four brothers expand farming business to treat waste for Interbrew |
16 |
Laing O’RourkeEngineering and construction group |
Dartford |
2002 |
78.64% |
45,159 |
597,146 |
6,197 |
Bought Laing Construction for a token £1 in September 2001 |
17 |
Cygnet Health CareHealthcare provider |
Surrey |
2001 |
78.16% |
†7,266 |
†27,915 |
393 |
Runs 11 private hospitals and detox programmes for heroin addicts |
18 |
BettercareNursing home operator |
Belfast |
2001 |
75.74% |
5,722 |
37,954 |
2,603 |
Cares for 2,000 patients in 29 nursing homes across the country |
19 |
UltravoxHearing aid supplier |
Cheshire |
2001 |
74.18% |
4,140 |
38,697 |
537 |
Sells miniature hearing aids through 450 clinics and shops |
20 |
Besso HoldingsInsurance broker |
Central London |
2001 |
73.36% |
5,268 |
17,364 |
130 |
Management bought company from Italian immigrant founders in 1985 |
21 |
Lotus GroupTour operator |
South London |
2001 |
73.06% |
5,609 |
144,505 |
441 |
Claims its Dial-A-Flight service sells 650,000 flights a year |
22 |
Omitec GroupElectronic equipment maker |
Wiltshire |
2002 |
72.95% |
3,338 |
18,938 |
180 |
Uses F1 engine-testing technology to find faults on ordinary cars |
23 |
NSH TechlogisticsMobile phone repairer |
West Midlands |
2001 |
71.84% |
6,999 |
60,466 |
142 |
Provides after-sales support for Orange and Nokia phone retailers |
24 |
ChemilinesPharmaceuticals distributor |
West London |
2002 |
69.28% |
6,062 |
47,785 |
84 |
Two brothers import low-cost prescription medicines and cosmetics |
25 |
Landor & HawaTravel goods importer |
Essex |
2002 |
67.09% |
4,430 |
19,312 |
25 |
Imports 3,000 container loads of luggage and travel goods a year |
26 |
BUE MarineMarine services provider |
Edinburgh |
2001 |
66.67% |
5,918 |
42,070 |
896 |
Invested £20m developing a new ice-breaker for Caspian Sea |
27 |
Greenhous GroupCar dealer |
Shrewsbury |
2001 |
66.33% |
8,610 |
360,482 |
558 |
Operates four Vauxhall and two Daf truck dealerships |
28 |
Mabey HoldingsBridges, steel, plant hirer |
Reading |
2001 |
64.62% |
43,235 |
162,360 |
1,017 |
Company’s modular bridges used for emergencies in Eritrea and Ghana |
29 |
Modus GroupProperty services provider |
Central London |
2001 |
64.15% |
3,358 |
50,960 |
119 |
Redesigns offices for clients such as Hertz and Accenture |
30 |
Palgrave BrownTimber products maker |
Lancashire |
2002 |
63.79% |
3,954 |
54,378 |
755 |
Created through merger of three building-material suppliers |
31 |
World Class InternationalIT management consultancy |
Portsmouth |
2001 |
62.75% |
4,380 |
62,298 |
295 |
Advised NHS and Pfizer on adapting operations to the internet |
32 |
Telecom Service CentresCall-centre operator |
Isle of Bute |
2002 |
62.53% |
4,457 |
31,132 |
1,619 |
Largest employer on Isle of Bute bought out for £28m in February |
33 |
Hazell CarrActuarial services provider |
Oxfordshire |
2002 |
62.30% |
36,570 |
97,546 |
453 |
Diversifies into consultancy after pensions mis-selling review ends |
34 |
McLellandCheese maker |
Glasgow |
2002 |
61.61% |
8,745 |
126,616 |
170 |
Makes the Seriously Strong brand of cheddar for British supermarkets |
35 |
HalcrowEngineering consultancy |
West London |
2001 |
58.28% |
5,125 |
167,743 |
2,877 |
Designed King Abdullah Hospital in Jordan and UK embassy in Moscow |
36 |
UK Car GroupCar dealer |
Rochdale |
2001 |
56.73% |
27,223 |
169,535 |
706 |
Brothers bought out father’s car dealership in £50m deal in 1998 |
37 |
European Metal RecyclingMetal recycler |
Warrington |
2001 |
56.70% |
28,228 |
487,662 |
1,163 |
Recycles 1.2m scrapped cars every year, one every 30 seconds |
38 |
SHS GroupBrand owner |
Belfast |
2001 |
56.49% |
20,391 |
183,118 |
319 |
Markets Snapple fruit drinks and vodka-based WKD alcopops |
39 |
Stoneacre Motor GroupCar dealer |
Doncaster |
2002 |
55.35% |
3,844 |
87,128 |
391 |
North of England dealership claims to sell 350 cars each week |
40 |
Millgate HomesHousebuilder |
Berkshire |
2002 |
53.46% |
4,403 |
18,074 |
22 |
Builds 100 homes a year in Surrey and Berkshire commuter belt |
41 |
C A Blackwell GroupCivil engineer |
Essex |
2001 |
53.42% |
6,107 |
41,208 |
358 |
Completed earthwork on a 32km bypass on Anglesey |
42 |
The Miller GroupHousebuilder & construction services |
Edinburgh |
2001 |
53.19% |
33,300 |
547,700 |
1,517 |
Isle of Skye bridge builder also constructs 2,000 homes a year |
43 |
Murray InternationalConglomerate |
Edinburgh |
2002 |
51.96% |
17,890 |
221,474 |
1,534 |
Founder retires as Glasgow Rangers chairman to focus on business |
44 |
P D HookPoultry producer |
Oxfordshire |
2001 |
50.92% |
3,767 |
40,161 |
432 |
Oxfordshire poultry farm hatches 4m eggs a week |
45 |
Millwood HomesHousebuilder |
Devon |
2001 |
50.61% |
3,108 |
13,768 |
101 |
Husband and wife awarded design prize for riverside project |
46 |
Reeves Oilfield ServicesOilfield services provider |
Loughborough |
2002 |
50.04% |
12,552 |
38,221 |
434 |
Equipment is used to locate oil and gas in boreholes |
47 |
Crown Crest GroupGrocery/FMCG wholesaler |
Leicester |
2002 |
49.86% |
8,865 |
142,901 |
80 |
At age 13 founder traded groceries in father’s Malawi warehouse |
48 |
SophosSecurity software developer |
Oxfordshire |
2002 |
49.58% |
9,709 |
31,582 |
301 |
Designs software that fights 500 new viruses every month |
49 |
John Fowler HolidaysCaravan park operator |
Devon |
2001 |
48.52% |
3,126 |
13,100 |
373 |
Former merchant seaman runs 14 West Country holiday camps |
50 |
Burgess GroupPet food maker |
North Yorkshire |
2001 |
47.87% |
4,171 |
14,258 |
100 |
Family-run flour miller now produces Supa pet food |
51 |
The RangeDiscount retailer |
Plymouth |
2002 |
47.03% |
3,073 |
32,739 |
404 |
Operates eight The Range discount stores in southern Britain |
52 |
Morris HomesHousebuilder |
Merseyside |
2002 |
46.93% |
13,386 |
101,929 |
281 |
Builds one-bedroom flats as well as six-bedroom mansions |
53 |
Berry Bros & RuddWine and spirit merchant |
Central London |
2002 |
46.35% |
7,741 |
168,774 |
287 |
Seventh-generation wine merchant also owns Cutty Sark whisky |
54 |
CostcutterConvenience store operator |
York |
2002 |
46.27% |
5,276 |
360,373 |
1,023 |
Runs franchise network of 1,300 stores in UK, Ireland and Poland |
55 |
ArupDesign and engineering consultancy |
Central London |
2002 |
45.40% |
14,703 |
402,696 |
6,132 |
Engineered Sydney Opera House, Millennium Bridge and Eden Project |
56 |
The Best ConnectionRecruitment consultancy |
Birmingham |
2001 |
44.96% |
3,547 |
57,946 |
253 |
36 UK branches process more than 6,000 timesheets every week |
57 |
WR RefrigerationRefrigeration engineer |
Leicester |
2002 |
44.42% |
5,561 |
64,106 |
571 |
Ex-Tory MP sold majority shareholding to management in October 2002 |
58 |
AYHConstruction consultancy |
Central London |
2001 |
44.37% |
4,544 |
22,192 |
230 |
Project manager for Arsenal’s new 60,000-seat stadium |
59 |
Anwyl ConstructionHousebuilder |
Rhyl |
2001 |
44.30% |
4,237 |
23,849 |
161 |
Family-run company that built 20 houses in 1990 now builds 250 a year |
60 |
Ainscough Crane HireCrane hirer |
Wigan |
2002 |
44.16% |
7,880 |
55,210 |
812 |
Former scrap dealer builds Britain’s largest fleet of 600 mobile cranes |
61 |
SynsealPVCu component maker |
Nottinghamshire |
2002 |
43.66% |
7,172 |
36,943 |
277 |
Manufactures 21,000km of PVC for windows each year |
62 |
Alfred Franks & BartlettSunglasses supplier |
St Albans |
2001 |
43.60% |
3,934 |
26,899 |
49 |
Imports Winnie the Pooh and Barbie sunglasses |
63 |
Vitacress SaladsWatercress grower |
Andover |
2001 |
43.32% |
3,789 |
63,361 |
813 |
Produces one million bags of salad a week for supermarkets |
64 |
Weston HomesHousebuilder |
Hertfordshire |
2002 |
43.31% |
8,043 |
46,574 |
97 |
Building a complex of 352 luxury apartments in London’s Docklands |
65 |
Jane NormanWomen’s clothing retailer |
Central London |
2002 |
43.26% |
10,706 |
43,778 |
438 |
£70m buyout in January funds expansion of 46-store chain |
66 |
Barchester HealthcareCare home operator |
Southwest London |
2001 |
43.23% |
4,475 |
27,527 |
1,642 |
Founder starts company after failing to find home for elderly aunt |
67 |
Municipal Hire ServicesVehicle hirer |
Bristol |
2002 |
42.60% |
5,779 |
31,636 |
201 |
Rents out 3,500 specialised vehicles for up to 15 years |
68 |
Byrne GroupConcrete frame contractor |
Southwest London |
2002 |
42.16% |
9,966 |
123,497 |
389 |
Constructed the Great Glass House at Welsh National Botanic Gardens |
69 |
ChartdaleHousebuilder |
Grimsby |
2001 |
41.87% |
4,911 |
19,482 |
67 |
Founded by management buyout from Alfred McAlpine in 1985 |
70 |
SchuhShoe retailer |
Livingston |
2002 |
41.26% |
5,051 |
51,770 |
558 |
Founder bought back company from receiver in 1990 |
71 |
Bewley HomesHousebuilder |
Hampshire |
2002 |
40.83% |
14,081 |
75,503 |
85 |
Founder led management buy-in of luxury homebuilder in December |
72 |
DSM DemolitionDemolition contractor |
Birmingham |
2001 |
40.77% |
4,322 |
18,166 |
89 |
Demolished Milburn Stand at Newcastle’s St James’ Park stadium |
73 |
Cooper Gay Swett & CrawfordInsurance broker |
Central London |
2001 |
40.34% |
5,116 |
24,098 |
276 |
Yacht insurance specialist has offices in Bahamas and Peru |
73 |
Story HomesHousebuilder |
Carlisle |
2002 |
40.34% |
4,308 |
29,412 |
398 |
Company builds £4m warehouse for Pirelli |
75 |
Paragon LabelsPackaging and label maker |
Lincolnshire |
2001 |
38.99% |
3,098 |
36,225 |
290 |
Manufactures labels for ready-to-eat supermarket food |
76 |
GraphicElectronics maker |
Devon |
2001 |
38.01% |
3,780 |
8,890 |
149 |
Makes circuit boards for F1 teams, Boeing and Airbus |
77 |
ExtecCrushing machinery maker |
Derbyshire |
2002 |
37.76% |
10,204 |
50,196 |
321 |
Irish brothers completed £56m management buyout in December |
78 |
LK BennettWomen's fashion retailer |
Central London |
2001 |
37.61% |
3,272 |
17,467 |
229 |
Linda Bennett’s kitten heels and stilettos help chain grow to 32 stores |
79 |
Beaverbrooks the JewellersJewellery retailer |
Lancashire |
2002 |
37.57% |
12,544 |
60,083 |
503 |
Third-generation family-owned jeweller runs 49 UK stores |
80 |
Desmond & SonsClothing maker |
Londonderry |
2001 |
37.47% |
9,664 |
128,369 |
2,057 |
Has supplied clothes to Marks & Spencer for 60 years |
81 |
GissingsBenefits consultancy |
Central London |
2002 |
37.00% |
7,077 |
28,774 |
272 |
Advises clients like Blockbuster on benefits for 7,000 British staff |
82 |
Dove ValleyPoultry producer |
Derbyshire |
2001 |
36.60% |
4,084 |
55,625 |
599 |
Chicken breeder and processor has grown through acquisition |
83 |
Sigma PharmaceuticalsPharmaceutical distributor |
Watford |
2001 |
36.50% |
4,608 |
133,369 |
179 |
Founder began company at back of chemist’s shop |
84 |
Great Bear DistributionWarehouser and distributor |
Chester |
2001 |
36.46% |
3,159 |
33,613 |
429 |
Delivers more than 21,500 lorry-loads a year to Sainsbury |
85 |
LakelandKitchen accessory retailer |
Cumbria |
2001 |
36.45% |
10,845 |
85,220 |
840 |
Founder’s three sons expand business to 25 stores nationwide |
86 |
Bowie-CastlebankDry cleaner and film processor |
Glasgow |
2001 |
35.60% |
11,003 |
87,240 |
2,664 |
Runs 579 Munro Cleaners and Klick Photopoint stores in UK |
87 |
Paul SmithFashion retailer and designer |
Nottingham |
2001 |
35.57% |
10,958 |
54,312 |
420 |
Counts Tony Blair and Daniel Day-Lewis among its clients |
88 |
Blue Anchor LeisureCaravan park operator |
Lincolnshire |
2001 |
34.67% |
9,799 |
23,585 |
260 |
Fantasy Island leisure park in Skegness attracts 5m visitors a year |
89 |
Fisher EngineeringStructural steel fabricator |
Northern Ireland |
2001 |
33.98% |
8,310 |
26,824 |
188 |
Produces 20,000 tonnes of structural steel a year |
90 |
RWM Food GroupMeat product wholesaler |
Somerset |
2001 |
33.94% |
9,685 |
77,432 |
295 |
Meat supplier also runs only pub in Poundbury model village in Dorset |
91 |
Carvill GroupHousebuilder |
Belfast |
2001 |
32.76% |
4,102 |
30,572 |
85 |
Builds homes for first-time buyers in Belfast, Dublin and Glasgow |
92 |
The Automation PartnershipDrug equipment maker |
Hertfordshire |
2002 |
32.68% |
3,777 |
22,541 |
183 |
Makes robotic drug discovery equipment costing up to £10m apiece |
93 |
WeldexCrane hirer |
Inverness |
2001 |
32.58% |
3,349 |
12,775 |
133 |
Hires out cranes weighing from 15 to 650 tonnes |
94 |
Owen MumfordMedical device manufacturer |
Oxfordshire |
2001 |
32.56% |
4,110 |
23,217 |
315 |
Maker of plastic car parts now produces blood-testing equipment |
95 |
Montgomery TomlinsonSoft furnishings maker |
Chester |
2001 |
32.41% |
3,027 |
32,545 |
844 |
Former cushion-factory owner now sells curtains in 750 outlets |
95 |
BraveshireTextile maker |
Wakefield |
2001 |
32.41% |
5,414 |
31,989 |
312 |
Textile maker expands from carpets to insulation felt |
97 |
Brett GroupBuilding materials supplier |
Canterbury |
2001 |
32.20% |
11,533 |
130,325 |
810 |
Family-owned company also operates five quarries in America |
98 |
Richard GreenFine art dealer |
Central London |
2002 |
31.65% |
10,013 |
56,815 |
21 |
Galleries’ stock includes works by Sisley, Turner and Canaletto |
99 |
GAP GroupPlant and tool hire |
Glasgow |
2002 |
31.15% |
6,332 |
34,082 |
466 |
Claims to be Britain’s largest independent plant hirer |
100 |
Higgins GroupHousebuilder |
Essex |
2002 |
31.07% |
10,512 |
114,202 |
441 |
Founder and three sons run Essex building group |