1 |
HESCO BastionDefence barrier maker |
Leeds |
2005 |
236.04% |
35,598 |
105,038 |
218 |
Former miner protects soldiers worldwide with warzone barrier invention |
2 |
BinomialInsurance underwriter |
Surrey |
2005 |
175.06% |
16,718 |
80,671 |
408 |
Sold subsidiary BDML Connect to Capita Insurance for £35m last July |
3 |
Shoe Zone GroupShoe retailer |
Leicester |
2004 |
147.52% |
11,252 |
111,221 |
2,540 |
Claims to sell 30 pairs of shoes a minute at an average price of £8 |
4 |
BetfairOnline bookmaker |
West London |
2005 |
145.81% |
23,185 |
107,114 |
423 |
Says it processes 300 bets a second through its website |
5 |
Churchill Retirement LivingHousebuilder |
Hampshire |
2004 |
133.96% |
6,433 |
24,589 |
81 |
Profits boosted by switch from building thatched cottages to retirement flats |
6 |
Steel Plate & SectionsSteel processor |
West Midlands |
2005 |
125.98% |
11,087 |
63,823 |
81 |
Supplied 120,000 tonnes of steel on three continents last year |
7 |
Woodford GroupBrownfield land developer |
Lancashire |
2005 |
124.56% |
15,176 |
57,063 |
183 |
Sold decontaminated steelworks site to Wimpey for £12m last year |
8 |
Norwich City Football ClubFootball club |
Norwich |
2005 |
122.13% |
9,147 |
37,425 |
201 |
Co-owner Delia Smith caters for weddings and banquets at club premises |
9 |
ABICaravan maker |
East Yorkshire |
2005 |
113.08% |
*8,726 |
*52,131 |
341 |
Bought out of receivership in 1998, now makes 4,000 caravans a year |
10 |
Drive AssistCar lessor |
Tamworth |
2005 |
112.13% |
12,888 |
72,334 |
932 |
Hires out 10,000 vehicles a month, mainly to car accident victims |
11 |
Signature RestaurantsRestaurant operator |
Central London |
2004 |
110.39% |
4,731 |
42,040 |
1,101 |
Belgo and Strada chains bought from Channel 4 chairman for £57m |
12 |
RobertsonConstruction services provider |
Stirling |
2004 |
104.66% |
7,578 |
140,954 |
701 |
Has won 10 PFI contracts worth £245m to build local schools and hospitals |
13 |
Next Generation ClubsLeisure club operator |
Hatfield |
2004 |
104.37% |
8,194 |
35,360 |
892 |
David Lloyd’s second fitness chain is for sale at a reported £200m |
14 |
First OilOil and gas producer |
Aberdeen |
2005 |
103.40% |
6,863 |
22,730 |
10 |
Started with just one oilfield, now runs eight, supplying Total, BP and Shell |
15 |
Virgin ActiveHealth club operator |
Central London |
2005 |
101.75% |
*31,345 |
153,314 |
4,984 |
Returned £135m to Bridgepoint in 2005, three times its original investment |
16 |
GladedaleHousebuilder |
Dunfermline |
2004 |
100.90% |
55,444 |
348,286 |
639 |
Working on the £350m development of Edinburgh’s Quartermile |
17 |
Stead & SimpsonShoe retailer |
Leicester |
2004 |
97.54% |
10,468 |
140,318 |
3,544 |
£50m secondary buyout in December backed by Bank of Scotland |
18 |
Ossian Retail GroupClothing and homeware retailer |
Glasgow |
2005 |
93.60% |
5,117 |
112,567 |
2,412 |
Boosted sales and profits by investing £2m in refurbishing 44 stores |
19 |
PrometheanEducational technology developer |
Blackburn |
2004 |
91.81% |
11,269 |
69,366 |
313 |
Half a million children in 45 countries are taught using its whiteboard |
20 |
EVO Business SuppliesBusiness supplies distributor |
Sheffield |
2004 |
90.95% |
13,702 |
218,465 |
975 |
MBO of founding family for £85m in 2004, backed by L&G Ventures |
21 |
Pret A MangerSandwich shop operator |
Central London |
2004 |
88.89% |
9,494 |
152,515 |
2,958 |
Runs 130 sandwich shops worldwide, including 10 in America |
22 |
InvotecCircuit board maker |
Staffordshire |
2004 |
88.30% |
3,443 |
28,362 |
431 |
Sold 3m circuit boards last year to customers including BAE Systems |
23 |
E-netDigital media wholesaler |
Edinburgh |
2005 |
87.21% |
4,645 |
67,249 |
60 |
Bonuses to top sales staff include weekends in Dubai |
24 |
Constantine HoldingsConglomerate |
Surrey |
2004 |
86.72% |
7,258 |
68,581 |
549 |
Fourth-generation family business has 19th-century origins in shipping |
25 |
HampdenInsurance consultancy |
Central London |
2004 |
86.13% |
6,139 |
18,318 |
66 |
Manages insurance firms that are in the process of closing down |
26 |
UnicomTelecoms services provider |
Manchester |
2004 |
85.64% |
3,270 |
13,186 |
555 |
Claims to supply 350m telephone minutes to 50,000 small firms each year |
27 |
Salford Van HireVehicle hirer |
Manchester |
2004 |
85.37% |
5,395 |
40,645 |
161 |
Founder moved from Italy and started out by running lamp factory |
28 |
Elite HomesHousebuilder |
Merseyside |
2005 |
85.10% |
10,826 |
46,375 |
83 |
Merseyside builder redeveloped old Skelmersdale United ground for houses |
29 |
KeepmoatHousing regeneration specialist |
South Yorkshire |
2005 |
84.03% |
34,234 |
334,685 |
1,967 |
Refurbished 35,000 houses last year for the Decent Homes scheme |
30 |
Elta GroupFan maker |
West Midlands |
2005 |
83.87% |
3,277 |
31,465 |
291 |
More than 75% of sales are generated overseas |
31 |
LWCDrinks distributor |
Manchester |
2004 |
80.72% |
4,362 |
68,033 |
243 |
Is building a £4m, 5-acre drinks warehouse in Manchester |
32 |
Ardmore ConstructionBuilder |
North London |
2004 |
80.33% |
11,939 |
145,886 |
176 |
Secured a £7m contract to extend Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum |
33 |
Albon EngineeringAutomotive component maker |
Essex |
2004 |
80.04% |
7,733 |
46,516 |
338 |
Launched from a cattle shed and now supplies Volvo and JCB |
34 |
SpreadexSpread betting operator |
St Albans |
2005 |
79.34% |
6,073 |
13,827 |
58 |
Founder started out as his school’s unofficial bookie |
35 |
DysonAppliance manufacturer |
Wiltshire |
2004 |
78.85% |
97,331 |
426,240 |
1,437 |
Sold its G Force cleaner for £1,200 apiece in Japan 20 years ago |
36 |
O’Halloran & O’BrienConstruction contractor |
Surrey |
2005 |
78.72% |
3,041 |
38,441 |
50 |
Prepares building sites for clients such as Bovis Homes, Wimpey, Barratt |
37 |
ESRI (UK)Software developer |
Aylesbury |
2004 |
78.68% |
5,181 |
69,970 |
402 |
Created 3D models of ancient sites for Channel 4’s Big Roman Dig |
38 |
Caledonian Building SystemsModular builder |
Nottinghamshire |
2005 |
78.49% |
8,006 |
81,362 |
300 |
Has contract with MoD to build high-security accommodation units |
39 |
Bolton Wanderers FCFootball club |
Bolton |
2005 |
78.17% |
†5,718 |
†52,067 |
190 |
Almost went bust eight years ago, now playing in Premiership |
40 |
Greeting Card GroupGreeting card retailer |
Peterborough |
2004 |
78.10% |
6,211 |
83,330 |
2,660 |
Acquired larger rival Card Warehouse in 2003 for £45m |
41 |
Azzurri CommunicationsTelecoms services provider |
Walsall |
2005 |
77.24% |
7,957 |
81,681 |
556 |
Has bought 15 companies in five years with backing from 3i |
42 |
Draper ToolsTool wholesaler |
Hampshire |
2004 |
77.02% |
7,785 |
54,067 |
395 |
Founder started out selling tools from a barrow in London markets |
43 |
Footwork ProductionsManagement of Beckham brand |
Central London |
2004 |
76.88% |
13,435 |
17,336 |
3 |
Endorsements make Beckham one of Britain’s highest-paid sportsmen |
44 |
River IslandFashion retailer |
West London |
2004 |
76.37% |
111,011 |
595,449 |
10,179 |
Started as small East End shop selling womenswear, now runs 220 stores |
45 |
Regard PartnershipCare home operator |
Southwest London |
2005 |
76.10% |
4,021 |
25,108 |
792 |
Two former nurses run 120 care homes for mentally handicapped |
46 |
LFF GroupOil equipment supplier |
Basildon, Essex |
2004 |
75.22% |
4,876 |
74,916 |
111 |
Set up subsidiary in Kazakhstan to supply Caspian Sea area |
47 |
MalthurstPetrol station operator |
Essex |
2005 |
74.96% |
6,649 |
330,486 |
58 |
Acquired 25 petrol stations from struggling operator Fuelforce last year |
48 |
Jacobson GroupFootwear manufacturer and distributor |
Lancashire |
2004 |
74.49% |
13,616 |
63,635 |
254 |
Owns footwear brands Gola, Lotus and Frank Wright |
49 |
Sterling InsuranceInsurance underwriter |
Southwest London |
2004 |
74.25% |
8,507 |
150,963 |
308 |
Tripling customers paying by direct debit in three years has boosted profits |
50 |
Spearhead InternationalIntegrated food and agricultural business |
Cambridgeshire |
2004 |
74.19% |
5,248 |
52,527 |
949 |
More than 50% of milk and produce comes from its east European farms |
51 |
Watkin Jones GroupProperty developer |
Gwynedd |
2004 |
73.80% |
5,770 |
62,448 |
237 |
Redirection of business halved sales to £60m but doubled profits |
52 |
The Stationery OfficePublisher |
Norwich |
2004 |
73.45% |
9,537 |
79,700 |
639 |
Publishes 15,000 titles for government annually, including Highway Code |
53 |
Hallco 1812Steel stockholder |
Cheshire |
2005 |
72.39% |
8,914 |
95,752 |
289 |
Supplies 230,000 tonnes of steel a year to customers including JCB |
54= |
McCann HomesHousebuilder |
Milton Keynes |
2004 |
72.19% |
5,870 |
35,493 |
80 |
Secured a government EcoHomes rating for its social housing |
54= |
The C. Brown Steel GroupSteel processor |
Dudley |
2005 |
72.19% |
5,365 |
38,002 |
187 |
Midlands steel processor now run by founder’s son and three grandsons |
56 |
DCT Civil EngineeringCivil engineering contractor |
Greater Manchester |
2004 |
71.13% |
3,205 |
27,293 |
124 |
Won a £30m sewerage contract last year with Severn Trent Water |
57 |
Control RisksRisk management consultancy |
Central London |
2005 |
70.49% |
14,718 |
110,520 |
480 |
Government contracts in Iraq account for 30% of £110m sales |
58 |
PaymentshieldInsurance underwriter |
Merseyside |
2005 |
68.04% |
11,525 |
63,360 |
202 |
Founders exited in 2004 in an MBI backed by Bank of Scotland |
59 |
Yuill GroupHousebuilder |
Hartlepool |
2005 |
66.66% |
14,521 |
58,484 |
220 |
Bought in February for a reported £60m by the Irish builder Taggart |
60 |
BodenClothing retailer |
Northwest London |
2004 |
66.41% |
11,690 |
85,975 |
441 |
One year after American launch, exports account for 15% of sales |
61 |
Simons GroupBuilding contractor |
Lincoln |
2005 |
65.99% |
4,839 |
205,526 |
768 |
Leading a £175m retail development of Wakefield city centre |
62 |
WSHCatering & restaurant business |
Reading |
2004 |
65.59% |
4,081 |
81,494 |
2,876 |
Manages restaurants and staff canteens for Daily Mail, Cisco and Nokia |
63 |
British SeafoodSeafood wholesaler |
Central London |
2004 |
64.35% |
11,551 |
108,206 |
87 |
Operates seafood processing units in the Far East and eastern Europe |
64 |
NSDSteel stockholder |
Scunthorpe |
2004 |
62.75% |
6,271 |
49,490 |
105 |
Management team bought company out of steel firm Samac in 1993 |
65 |
StructadeneProperty investor |
Central London |
2004 |
62.70% |
26,748 |
35,211 |
63 |
Bought 22 buildings from the BBC last year for £42m |
66 |
York MailingCommercial printer |
York |
2005 |
62.26% |
3,377 |
26,011 |
224 |
Prints 200 tonnes of flyers and newspaper inserts every day |
67 |
SymphonyFurniture supplier |
Barnsley |
2004 |
61.71% |
9,612 |
113,652 |
1,240 |
Sells through 1,100 retail outlets worldwide from Reykjavik to Hong Kong |
68 |
NG BaileyMechanical, electrical contractor |
West Yorkshire |
2005 |
60.29% |
13,571 |
406,615 |
3,990 |
Refitted Safeway stores to Morrisons’ format across Britain |
69 |
C G Fry & SonHousebuilder |
Dorchester |
2004 |
60.19% |
11,535 |
39,409 |
88 |
Helped build the Prince of Wales’s model town at Poundbury |
70 |
Barchester HealthcareCare home operator |
Southwest London |
2004 |
59.84% |
18,275 |
130,429 |
6,850 |
Founder started company after failing to find home for elderly aunt |
71 |
Central TrustLoan broker |
Norwich |
2004 |
59.52% |
27,170 |
67,261 |
413 |
Brokered 50,000 new mortgages and other loans last year |
72 |
Tingdene HomesModular builder |
Northamptonshire |
2005 |
58.81% |
5,811 |
32,351 |
382 |
Launched home called Fast Track 20 as it takes 20 days to construct |
73 |
Hobbycraft GroupCraft goods retailer |
Dorset |
2005 |
57.67% |
4,135 |
44,046 |
883 |
Founder launched first shop in family’s garden centre, now runs 25 stores |
74 |
McDermott DevelopmentsHousebuilder |
Lancashire |
2004 |
57.51% |
7,037 |
18,282 |
39 |
Company started from founder’s bedroom, now builds 200 houses a year |
75 |
Hanbury HoldingsHaulier |
Suffolk |
2005 |
57.45% |
3,698 |
44,208 |
437 |
520 vehicles distribute goods for customers including food group Mueller |
76 |
South Lakeland CaravansCaravan park operator |
Lancashire |
2005 |
57.24% |
11,497 |
30,896 |
217 |
Acquired the Royal Westmoreland resort in Barbados for £53m |
77 |
Allam MarineGenerator/football club |
Hull |
2004 |
56.92% |
3,460 |
41,822 |
26 |
Sells 8,000 generators a year to customers such as the UN and Siemens |
78 |
CBC GroupConstruction contractor |
Glasgow |
2004 |
56.70% |
3,175 |
33,926 |
188 |
Founder started out with a decorating business in the 1950s |
79 |
StemcorSteel trader |
Central London |
2004 |
56.25% |
58,191 |
2,777,774 |
383 |
Second-generation firm last year sold 8m tonnes of steel on six continents |
80 |
DCKJewellery retailer |
Essex |
2005 |
55.90% |
7,855 |
78,769 |
1,365 |
Runs 3,400 jewellery concessions in stores including Top Shop and Wallis |
81 |
IngeniousInvestor and adviser |
Central London |
2005 |
55.81% |
35,693 |
54,895 |
64 |
Helped production company behind Footballers’ Wives to float last year |
82 |
INEOSChemicals manufacturer |
UK/Switzerland |
2004 |
55.58% |
191,184 |
2,409,197 |
2,439 |
Bought BP’s Innovene chemicals business for £5bn last year |
83 |
Nicholl Food PackagingFoil container maker |
Staffordshire |
2005 |
55.48% |
5,457 |
55,249 |
302 |
Makes 2bn aluminium foil containers annually for clients including Tesco |
84 |
GraffJeweller |
Central London |
2004 |
55.37% |
29,104 |
124,465 |
80 |
Cuts and polishes diamonds worn by celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey |
85 |
Esh GroupConstruction contractor |
Durham |
2004 |
55.05% |
13,348 |
86,215 |
679 |
Offers work experience to 120 pupils a year, taking on 20 as apprentices |
86 |
European Metal RecyclingMetal recycler |
Warrington |
2004 |
54.47% |
104,042 |
1,146,245 |
1,416 |
Claims to recycle half of the 2m cars scrapped in Britain each year |
87 |
PindarPrinter |
Scarborough |
2004 |
54.36% |
7,831 |
103,931 |
1,295 |
Printed Harley Davidson’s 100th-anniversary parts catalogue |
88 |
James Jones & SonsTimber processor |
Stirling |
2004 |
52.52% |
5,219 |
61,468 |
481 |
Processed 700,000 tonnes of logs at six sawmills last year |
89 |
Scaid InvestmentsMobile home maker |
Hull |
2004 |
52.43% |
23,730 |
180,276 |
1,506 |
Taken private in 2004 in a £102m buyout backed by Bank of Scotland |
90 |
Ogilvie GroupVehicle lessor |
Stirling |
2005 |
52.28% |
4,711 |
147,417 |
443 |
Tendering as part of a consortium for £100m contract from Stirling Council |
91 |
Bennett HomesHousebuilder |
Suffolk |
2004 |
51.83% |
5,480 |
16,823 |
67 |
Builds on problem plots bought at big discounts |
92 |
ABS Industrial ResourcesMetal processor and supplier |
South Yorkshire |
2004 |
51.62% |
5,298 |
57,728 |
119 |
With offices in Germany and South Africa, it generates 70% of sales overseas |
93 |
ReissBranded fashion retailer |
Central London |
2005 |
51.58% |
5,711 |
34,606 |
456 |
Started overseas expansion by opening flagship store in New York last year |
94 |
Phase EightFashion retailer |
West London |
2005 |
51.12% |
4,028 |
30,126 |
574 |
Completed £28m buyout last year backed by Barclays Private Equity |
95 |
Fat FaceClothing retailer |
Hampshire |
2005 |
50.99% |
8,881 |
60,707 |
1,081 |
Private-equity firm Advent backed MBO last year for a reported £100m |
96 |
MasstockAgricultural products supplier |
Cheltenham |
2004 |
50.26% |
6,013 |
143,263 |
406 |
Bought part of Dalgety, once UK’s largest agri products supplier, for £16m |
97 |
Industrial Metal ServicesSteel stockholder |
Essex |
2004 |
49.76% |
4,654 |
42,042 |
223 |
A near doubling of worldwide steel prices has driven up profits |
98 |
McArthur GroupIndustrial products supplier |
Bristol |
2004 |
49.51% |
3,339 |
92,231 |
496 |
Started in the 1830s by making shovels for Cornish miners |
99 |
American GolfGolf equipment retailer |
Warrington |
2005 |
48.92% |
7,979 |
66,812 |
447 |
Says its 73 shops are staffed by golfers with an average handicap of seven |
100 |
Bennetts RetailElectrical goods retailer |
Norwich |
2005 |
48.76% |
3,043 |
53,491 |
389 |
Underwent a £4.5m secondary management buyout in 2001 |