Rank Company Location Year end % annual profit growth Latest profits £000 Latest sales £000 Staff Comment
1 Virgin MoneyBank Edinburgh 2005 147.00% 9,117 258,221 371 Manages £2.6billion of savings and investments for customers
2 Special Steel GroupSteel processor Sheffield 2006 123.15% 8,979 30,120 154 Treats more than 1,000 tonnes of steel each week
3 City InnHotel chain operator Central London 2006 111.18% 6,410 32,096 485 Is building a £100m, 550-bed hotel in central Amsterdam
4 ABS Industrial ResourcesMetal processor and supplier South Yorkshire 2005 104.94% 8,159 83,230 128 Supplies raw materials for high-tech alloys used in the aerospace industry
5 McCann HomesHousebuilder Milton Keynes 2005 103.45% 7,154 48,649 87 Builds eco-friendly social housing in partnership with local authorities
6 Virgin ActiveHealth club operator Central London 2005 98.38% 29,797 154,378 4,084 Says its 165 clubs have more than 900,000 members worldwide
7 Caledonian AlloysMetal recycler West Lothian 2006 96.87% 9,195 53,591 209 Supplies the aircraft industry from 10 processing facilities around the world
8 GladedaleHousebuilder Dunfermline 2005 95.85% 77,849 474,879 924 Redeveloping Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary into homes, offices and restaurants
9 Pentland GroupBrand manager and retailer Central London 2005 94.71% 31,986 735,300 12,018 Owns brands such as Red or Dead, Speedo and Berghaus
10 ESRI (UK)Software developer Aylesbury 2005 93.29% 6,410 64,036 426 Remapped the tsunami disaster areas to help charities deliver aid
11 Barchester HealthcareCare home operator Southwest London 2005 93.01% 43,614 289,172 12,556 Says its new Irish care home will feature a bistro, a hairdresser and a chapel
12 ICS TriplexControl systems provider Essex 2006 91.81% 4,446 58,339 417 Supplies safety systems for oil rigs and power stations
13 Ping EuropeGolf club manufacturer Lincolnshire 2005 90.34% 3,847 34,800 185 Makes more than a million types of customised golf clubs
14 HT DrinksDrinks wholesaler Northwest London 2005 85.77% 3,244 100,570 39 Unusual imported drinks such as Bombay Pilsner have boosted profits
15 aquilaheywoodFinancial software developer Surrey 2006 85.56% 10,964 31,929 224 Provides software for nearly half the nation's 100 largest pension schemes
16 4D InteractiveDating services provider SW London 2006 85.18% 5,446 17,998 69 Claims to connect over 200m voice minutes a year
17 H&B FoodsFood wholesaler South London 2006 79.99% 3,149 36,769 223 Sells 8m blocks of farmhouse cheese a year
18 Caffè NeroCoffee house operator Central London 2006 77.45% 9,110 90,689 1,969 Owns 299 Italian-style coffee houses across Britain
19 Beal HoldingsHousebuilder Hull 2005 77.40% 6,742 24,990 82 Beal family boasts seven generations of entrepreneurial builders
20 Duck and Cover ClothingClothing manufacturer Northwest London 2005 76.86% 3,657 11,852 22 X Factor’s Leona Lewis sang her way to victory in Duck and Cover jeans
21 The Mottram GroupMetal recycler Cheshire 2005 76.44% 6,114 58,782 161 Has recycled drinks cans into metal used in Rolls-Royce cars
22 Fairline BoatsYacht builder Peterborough 2005 76.04% 5,472 95,367 1,130 Has built more than 11,000 boats since it was founded 40 years ago
23 SpreadexSpread betting operator St Albans 2006 75.82% 6,375 12,255 64 Average bet size has rocketed more than 20-fold to £300 since 2001
24 DysonAppliance manufacturer Wiltshire 2005 73.32% 128,107 470,410 1,679 Claims one in three British households now owns a Dyson
25 Cumbrian SeafoodsSeafood supplier County Durham 2006 73.24% 6,338 116,171 596 Supplies seafood for Tesco’s Finest and Morrisons' Eat Smart brands
26 Wordsworth HoldingsMachinery manufacturer Lincolnshire 2005 71.48% 3,083 33,178 350 Makes everything from tipper trailers to prison furniture
27 Graig Shipping GroupShip manager and owner Cardiff 2006 70.11% 4,445 22,453 90 Commissioned the largest ship ever built in Vietnam
28 RMJMArchitect Edinburgh 2006 70.00% 3,142 34,358 596 Won the 2005 Stirling Prize for architecture for the Scottish Parliament building
29 Stan JamesBookmaker Oxfordshire 2005 69.88% 5,480 283,514 181 Claims to process half a million betting slips a month
30 Barrett Design & BuildSteelwork subcontractor Bradford 2006 69.73% 3,501 25,363 97 Made the steel frames for Leeds Bradford Airport’s new terminal
31 Wedge Group GalvanizingGalvanizer West Midlands 2006 69.30% 7,051 75,213 940 Galvanized parts for the Pepsi Max roller coaster in Blackpool
32 HalcrowEngineering consultancy West London 2005 69.24% 13,855 280,548 4,291 Is helping to plan the £10billion Crossrail link under central London
33 UKIP Media & EventsMagazine publisher Surrey 2005 68.73% 4,106 17,860 118 Promotes its niche magazines via exhibitions across three continents
34 MalthurstPetrol station operator Essex 2006 67.98% 11,810 498,193 67 Runs 155 petrol stations from Aberdeen to Plymouth
35 Southdale HomesHousebuilder Halifax 2006 66.90% 3,668 39,061 110 Has won three regeneration awards for its biggest housebuilding project
36 Care PrinciplesMental healthcare provider Newmarket 2006 66.16% †8,661 63,020 1,333 Its 1,500 staff care for patients with challenging behaviour
37 Titan AirwaysAirline Stansted Airport 2006 65.76% 6,526 41,041 177 Operates 13 planes carrying VIPs by day and mail by night
38 CastlebeckSpecialist healthcare provider Darlington 2005 65.61% 9,854 25,350 483 Runs 17 hospitals and treatment centres for adults with learning disabilities
39 IDISPharmaceuticals supplier Weybridge 2005 65.45% 4,438 29,142 81 Sources 20 new medicines a day from all parts of the world
40 BES ConsultingAsbestos risk consultancy Huddersfield 2005 64.87% 3,640 8,715 181 Manages asbestos data for more than 140,000 British properties
41 Azzurri CommunicationsTelecoms services provider Walsall 2006 64.72% 13,354 101,010 723 Has made 16 acquisitions in the past six years
42 Ossian Retail GroupClothing and homeware retailer Glasgow 2006 64.65% 6,000 124,438 2,453 Based in Scotland, it is now expanding its two store chains southward
43 Mark GroupEnergy efficiency specialist Leicester 2006 64.09% †4,670 36,097 491 Says it has insulated more than a million British homes
44 Incisive MediaMagazine publisher Central London 2005 64.02% 13,838 57,456 470 Doubled turnover in just six weeks by snapping up rivals
45 AardmanAnimated film producers Bristol 2005 62.91% 6,810 45,988 195 Won a fourth Oscar with Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
46 NP AerospaceProtective equipment maker Coventry 2005 62.62% 5,380 26,356 172 Keeps news crews safe in war zones with its protective materials
47 Argus MediaEnergy information provider Central London 2006 62.33% 4,004 15,377 187 Sells data on world energy prices to national governments
48 MoussaieffLuxury jeweller Central London 2006 62.04% 11,390 54,441 25 Owns the £3m Moussaieff Red, the world's largest red diamond
49 Fat FaceClothing retailer Hampshire 2006 61.69% 14,308 80,791 1,328 Named after a Val d'Isere black ski run, Le Face
50 Ceuta HealthcareSales and marketing agency Bournemouth 2006 61.57% 3,006 13,548 141 Puts Signal toothpaste, Pond’s cream and Brut onto supermarket shelves
51 Firth RixsonAerospace manufacturer Sheffield 2006 61.50% *55,045 444,502 1,981 Provides aerospace components for the likes of GE and Rolls-Royce
52 Tuffnells Parcels ExpressExpress parcel courier Sheffield 2005 61.03% 4,810 78,187 1,695 Founded in 1914 by Harold Tuffnell, who made deliveries with a horse and cart
53 Mactaggart & MickelHousebuilder Glasgow 2006 61.02% 14,252 37,787 268 Has been building homes in Scotland for four generations
54 The Risk Advisory GroupRisk management consultancy Central London 2005 60.75% †4,137 18,096 72 Advises companies on risks from employee fraud to terrorism
55 BetfairOnline bookmaker West London 2006 60.70% 34,576 144,701 608 Claims to process 6m bets a day for online gamblers
56 2 Sisters Food GroupFood producer Birmingham 2005 60.36% 21,266 315,345 2,540 Processes free-range chicken at its state-of-the-art Scunthorpe plant
57 Park ResortsCaravan park operator Hemel Hempstead 2006 60.35% 26,555 152,559 1,427 Bought by GI Partners last month for a reported £440m
58 Wood MackenzieEnergy research consultancy Edinburgh 2005 59.62% 13,021 49,257 343 Stockbroker turns into research expert for the energy and life science sectors
59 ACISTransport software developer Buckinghamshire 2006 58.58% 3,261 17,894 122 Designs software that uses GPS to predict arrivals at bus stops
60 Yearsley GroupFrozen food supplier Lancashire 2006 58.29% 6,692 69,368 494 Supplies frozen foods to Tesco, Sainsbury's and the Prison Service
61 First OilOil and gas producer Aberdeen 2006 58.25% 12,475 27,185 8 Produces 5,000 barrels of oil a day for customers such as BP and Shell
62 RBGEnergy services provider Aberdeen 2005 57.82% 11,682 165,202 2,328 Created by merging three companies with a joint value of £45m
63 KeltruckTruck dealer West Bromwich 2005 57.60% 3,441 94,378 470 Claims to be Britain’s largest independent Scania dealer
64 Penta ConsultingRecruitment consultancy South London 2006 57.58% 3,245 45,633 72 Deploys IT and telecoms staff across five continents
65 EntecEnvironmental consultancy Newcastle upon Tyne 2006 57.13% 5,854 45,070 633 Has advised on 60 renewable energy projects, including wind and tidal power
66 ActeonSubsea services provider Norwich 2005 56.89% †8,298 67,139 417 Develops hydraulic hammers designed to work 2km underwater
67 KeepmoatHousing regeneration specialist South Yorkshire 2006 56.79% 41,255 468,737 2,550 Sponsors Doncaster Rovers’ new 15,000-seat stadium next door to its offices
68 RPVValve distributor Bury St Edmunds 2006 56.60% 5,919 15,458 24 Created on the back of a bright idea and a £6,000 redundancy cheque
69 Andrews Marbles & TilesTiling importer, contractor Leeds 2005 56.42% 4,389 14,948 118 Tiled the Millennium Grandstand at Newmarket racecourse
70 Yeo ValleyYoghurt and dairy maker Bristol 2005 56.18% †6,027 120,317 973 Sells 8m pots of yoghurt each week
71 John Lawrie GroupMetal recycler and trader Aberdeen 2005 56.10% 6,379 54,864 89 Trades enough metal each year to build four QE2 cruise liners
72 MaximuscleSports nutrition supplier Watford 2006 55.55% 3,320 13,986 41 Sells high protein sports foods to athletes and 'body beautiful' enthusiasts
73 CCGBuilding contractor Glasgow 2006 54.26% 6,640 90,510 565 Heats its own HQ with sawdust from joinery and construction operations
74 J&J HaslettFood wholesaler Belfast 2005 53.97% 3,237 188,908 359 Opened the first Mace store in Northern Ireland in 1960
75 DCKJewellery retailer Essex 2006 53.78% 17,233 128,652 1,683 Operates more than 3,000 concessions in 22 countries
76 Ogilvie GroupVehicle lessor Stirling 2006 53.64% 7,057 176,635 453 Set up by the Ogilvie family 60 years ago with just £100
77 Simons GroupBuilding contractor Lincoln 2006 53.27% 7,039 203,748 684 Founded to repair RAF runways in the second world war
78 Senad GroupSpecial education provider Derbyshire 2006 52.88% *6,716 32,870 956 Cares for children on behalf of 125 local authorities
79 Moneysupermarket.comFinancial website operator Wales 2005 51.94% 23,424 68,036 306 Claims it can save customers up to £7,000 on a new car
80 NisbetsCatering equipment supplier Bristol 2005 51.06% 10,158 70,112 386 Handles 3,000 orders a day for a broad range of catering equipment
81 SorexPest control manufacturer Cheshire 2005 50.25% 6,811 49,069 192 Sells its pest control products to customers in 45 countries
82 RobertsonConstruction services provider Stirling 2005 50.02% 11,303 159,134 703 Won an environmental award for building the Scottish Natural Heritage HQ
83 TJ HughesDepartment store operator Liverpool 2006 49.82% 11,988 214,528 1,725 Will sell you a video recorder for £35 or a toaster for a tenner
84 WSHCatering & restaurant business Reading 2005 48.58% 5,885 122,902 3,675 Its consultant chef John Campbell holds two Michelin stars
85 Regard PartnershipCare home operator Southwest London 2006 48.05% 5,465 32,444 1,115 Runs 101 residential care homes for people with learning disabilities
86 Watson PetroleumFuel distributor Wiltshire 2006 48.03% 5,844 307,784 353 Supplies fuel to customers from households to hen hatcheries
87 Drive AssistCar lessor Tamworth 2006 47.85% 18,699 85,664 1,102 Recently bought by Charterhouse for a reported £250m
88 Allam MarineGenerator/football club Hull 2005 47.24% 3,580 40,001 27 Its generators helped restore power across Asia after the 2005 tsunami
89 British SeafoodSeafood wholesaler Central London 2005 46.89% 11,868 135,379 60 Sources fish from 27 locations throughout Asia and eastern Europe
90 SPC HoldingsMetal recycler and trader Norwich 2006 46.46% 9,444 95,512 401 Is one of Britain’s largest metal recyclers, with 13 sites nationwide
91 TJ MorrisDiscount retailer Liverpool 2006 46.38% 22,801 273,404 2,732 Sells brands from Lego to Vidal Sassoon at bargain prices
92 Hanbury HoldingsHaulier Suffolk 2006 46.15% 4,132 55,683 614 Transports nearly a quarter of a million shipping containers a year
93 LFF GroupOil equipment supplier Basildon, Essex 2005 45.48% 5,762 82,504 132 Opened offices in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to boost overseas business
94 FircroftTechnical Recruitment Specialist Warrington 2005 45.26% 4,097 149,778 136 Has 21 offices worldwide, including five branches in Kazakhstan
95 ReissBranded fashion retailer Central London 2006 44.42% 7,213 44,518 587 Aspirational clothing retailer has plans for 250 stores worldwide
96 UnicomTelecoms services provider Manchester 2006 44.36% 5,156 30,976 466 Says it supplies more than 400m minutes of calls a year to 60,000 small firms
97 Superglass InsulationInsulation manufacturer Stirling 2005 44.14% 8,374 38,047 213 Makes insulation products using 80% recycled glass
98 Jimmy ChooLuxury accessories designer Central London 2005 43.77% 3,674 36,943 72 Plans to expand the brand beyond shoes and bags into perfume and eyewear
99 Retlan ManufacturingTrailer manufacturer Antrim 2006 43.21% 8,282 92,254 511 Recently signed a £13m deal to supply Eddie Stobart with 700 trailers
100 BayfordFuel distributor West Yorkshire 2006 43.07% 3,520 392,135 201 Has introduced an eco-friendly heating oil with a scent of vanilla