1 |
Merlin EntertainmentsVisitor attraction operator |
Poole |
Dec 07 |
129.66% |
127,400 |
484,200 |
8,531 |
Only Disney attracts more visitors each year |
2 |
Graig Shipping GroupShip manager and owner |
Cardiff |
Dec 07 |
126.75% |
†14,131 |
†38,226 |
125 |
Sold its fleet of vessels during 2007 and 2008 for a large profit |
3 |
Mount AnvilProperty developer and contractor |
Central London |
Dec 07 |
116.99% |
6,743 |
65,669 |
88 |
Has donated about £250,000 to charitable causes in the past three years |
4 |
McLaren ConstructionBuilder |
Essex |
Jul 07 |
113.79% |
14,554 |
133,843 |
131 |
Its projects have included a £20m Asda store in Didcot in Oxfordshire |
5 |
SMDSubsea engineering specialist |
Newcastle |
Dec 07 |
110.47% |
6,798 |
40,502 |
71 |
Has sold machines to Boeing, AT&T and the Ministry of Defence |
6 |
WatesConstruction contractor |
Surrey |
Dec 07 |
108.11% |
28,841 |
948,695 |
2,212 |
Built education facilities for more than 7,000 students in 2008 |
7 |
Alliance MedicalDiagnostic imaging services |
Warwick |
Mar 08 |
105.56% |
11,755 |
166,224 |
1,164 |
Says its equipment scans up to 100,000 patients each month |
8 |
ActeonSubsea services provider |
Norwich |
Dec 07 |
104.46% |
37,755 |
194,690 |
1,041 |
Services range from mooring oil platforms to decommissioning them |
9 |
Giles InsuranceInsurance broker |
Central London |
Aug 07 |
102.50% |
5,239 |
30,724 |
402 |
Claims to negotiate and purchase policies worth over £300m in premiums per year |
10 |
United Agri ProductsAgrichemicals distributor |
Cambridgeshire |
Jul 07 |
101.99% |
†6,549 |
†96,957 |
243 |
Owns a network of weather stations used to help forecast pests and crop diseases |
11 |
Dunlop Aircraft TyresAircraft tyre manufacturer |
Birmingham |
Dec 07 |
101.58% |
4,194 |
25,353 |
281 |
Opening a tyre retreading facility in Jinjiang in China as part of a joint venture |
12 |
M & K MacLeodHousebuilder |
Argyll |
May 08 |
98.87% |
4,280 |
21,620 |
197 |
Helped to start a local construction college to train its apprentices |
13 |
Reid SteelSteel construction specialist |
Dorset |
Mar 08 |
97.21% |
4,056 |
34,822 |
119 |
Builds hurricane and tornado resistant structures for clients worldwide |
14 |
FramestoreVisual effects maker |
Central London |
Mar 08 |
96.25% |
5,623 |
57,026 |
724 |
Won the 2008 Oscar and Bafta awards for visual effects on The Golden Compass |
15 |
Richmond GroupFinancial services provider |
Bournemouth |
Mar 08 |
95.55% |
11,347 |
23,048 |
378 |
Has raised more than £300,000 for a local children’s hospice in the past 18 months |
16 |
Reservoir GroupOilfield services provider |
Aberdeen |
Dec 07 |
94.34% |
†7,407 |
†22,948 |
113 |
Completed five acquisitions in 2008 to double the size of the company |
17 |
Harkand GroupOffshore services provider |
Aberdeen |
Sep 07 |
93.19% |
10,114 |
56,198 |
322 |
Has expanded into regions including the Caspian Sea, the Caribbean and Egypt |
18 |
GreenergyFuel supplier |
Central London |
Mar 08 |
91.34% |
18,705 |
1,724,677 |
76 |
Supplies fuel to customers such as Tesco, Total and transport operator First Group |
19 |
Simply BizSupport services provider |
Huddersfield |
Dec 07 |
90.97% |
4,237 |
10,665 |
85 |
Chairman previously founded and sold a business for £75m |
20 |
RMJMArchitect |
Edinburgh |
Apr 08 |
89.57% |
11,123 |
99,877 |
1,125 |
Won contract to design Qatar’s tallest building, a 74-storey ‘green’ tower |
21 |
MandMDirect.comOnline discount retailer |
Herefordshire |
Feb 08 |
88.24% |
8,548 |
74,068 |
378 |
Sells more than 200 brands, including Adidas, Bench, Nike and Timberland |
22 |
JVM EquipmentIndustrial equipment supplier |
West Sussex |
Dec 07 |
86.94% |
13,585 |
120,523 |
500 |
Claims to be JCB’s biggest distributor outside Britain |
23 |
Tangerine ConfectioneryConfectionery manufacturer |
Blackpool |
Dec 07 |
86.56% |
3,545 |
63,499 |
662 |
Makes classic retro sweets including Fruit Salads and Black Jacks |
24 |
A&H Construction and DevelopmentsBuilder and civil engineer |
West Midlands |
Apr 08 |
86.32% |
5,141 |
60,699 |
60 |
Projects include a £48m milk production facility for Wisemans Dairies in Somerset |
25 |
Pure Leisure GroupHoliday park operator |
Lancashire |
Jan 08 |
86.13% |
4,074 |
34,939 |
379 |
Hosts a charity ball each year and has raised more than £125,000 to date |
26 |
innocentFruit drinks maker |
West London |
Dec 07 |
85.39% |
11,113 |
113,193 |
236 |
Publishes a guide to wellbeing entitled ‘Stay healthy. Be lazy.’ |
27 |
BW InteriorsCommercial building refurbisher |
Central London |
Sep 07 |
85.14% |
3,350 |
52,854 |
64 |
Recently completed a £5.1m refit of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly’s offices |
28 |
Move with UsResidential property broker |
Cambridgeshire |
Mar 08 |
85.05% |
3,303 |
27,900 |
201 |
Claims 1,000 estate agents put their properties on its website |
29 |
The Remet CompanyMetal merchant |
East London |
Jun 07 |
82.17% |
5,792 |
116,103 |
84 |
Subsidiary Avon Metals won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2007 |
30 |
BarbourClothing manufacturer |
South Shields |
Dec 07 |
79.83% |
12,317 |
62,724 |
578 |
Barbour’s wax jackets can be returned to be rewaxed or repaired at any time |
31 |
Capital ValvesValve distributor |
Wembley |
Dec 07 |
79.81% |
5,993 |
35,077 |
26 |
Won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in international trade in 2006 |
32 |
MiniclipOnline games developer |
Central London |
Dec 07 |
77.21% |
5,778 |
19,161 |
14 |
Claims to be one of world’s largest online games site, with 43m users |
33 |
GL HearnProperty consultancy |
Central London |
May 08 |
77.14% |
†3,743 |
†19,689 |
183 |
Bought land for High Speed 1, also known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link |
34 |
AnsonOilfield equipment maker |
Gateshead |
Sep 07 |
76.81% |
8,429 |
41,922 |
393 |
Its Gateshead manufacturing facilities cover a site bigger than 10 football pitches |
35 |
Pret A MangerSandwich shop operator |
Central London |
Dec 07 |
76.22% |
14,506 |
222,466 |
3,148 |
Gives millions of sandwiches to homeless charities every year |
36 |
Boulting GroupEngineering services provider |
Warrington |
Oct 07 |
76.14% |
4,936 |
77,928 |
618 |
Won a £10m contract last year for a new manufacturing facility in Lancashire |
37 |
Foster + PartnersArchitectural consultancy |
Southwest London |
Apr 08 |
76.00% |
34,589 |
142,432 |
1,163 |
Won the contract to build Virgin Galactic’s spaceport in New Mexico |
38 |
Flow GroupValve manufacturer |
Sheffield |
Oct 08 |
75.93% |
6,228 |
30,686 |
212 |
Products include water valves for military ships and submarines |
39 |
William Hare GroupStructural steel engineer |
Bury |
Dec 07 |
75.70% |
14,190 |
181,577 |
1,406 |
Has offices in Abu Dhabi and India to serve oil industry clients |
40 |
ECU GroupCurrency manager |
Central London |
Dec 07 |
73.12% |
4,525 |
9,143 |
34 |
The group’s chief economist writes a daily economic commentary blog |
41 |
Hagan HomesHousebuilder |
Northern Ireland |
Jun 07 |
72.51% |
8,342 |
21,986 |
39 |
Recently won an industry award for best brownfield land development |
42 |
FK Roofing ServicesRoofing services provider |
Manchester |
Mar 08 |
72.38% |
3,163 |
24,456 |
30 |
Sustainability initiatives include a £10m factory project in Lancashire |
43 |
MavigaSpecialty crop supplier |
Kent |
May 08 |
72.08% |
4,583 |
103,271 |
46 |
Sources and trades pulses and other speciality crops such as sesame seeds |
44 |
Fortel ServicesConstruction contractor |
Wolverhampton |
Sep 07 |
71.23% |
4,547 |
30,009 |
577 |
Its construction projects have included a shopping mall in Jalandar in India |
45 |
Parkam Food GroupFood manufacturer |
West Yorkshire |
Dec 07 |
71.12% |
3,978 |
94,292 |
833 |
Products include turkey pastrami and bramley apple ham |
46 |
MulalleyConstruction contractor |
Essex |
Mar 08 |
70.14% |
11,577 |
103,505 |
421 |
Clients include Islington council and the Camden School for Girls |
47 |
HillHousebuilder |
Waltham Abbey, Essex |
Dec 07 |
69.82% |
6,250 |
77,603 |
138 |
Is refurbishing its new HQ in historic Royal Gunpowder Mill in Waltham Abbey |
48 |
bet365Online bookmaker |
Stoke-on-Trent |
Mar 08 |
69.78% |
†24,589 |
1,815,022 |
858 |
Offers odds on everything from the Premier League to the Oscars |
49 |
RPVValve distributor |
Bury St Edmunds |
Jan 08 |
66.56% |
16,176 |
29,181 |
30 |
Stocks valves and gaskets ranging in price from £10 to almost £200,000 |
50 |
Bond Aviation GroupHelicopter operator |
Cheltenham |
Mar 08 |
66.50% |
6,836 |
62,656 |
299 |
Says the value of its fleet has grown from £5m to more than £200m in ten years |
51 |
Dawnus ConstructionCivil engineering contractor |
Swansea |
Dec 07 |
66.41% |
3,635 |
68,783 |
401 |
Has introduced a graduate scheme to train chartered engineers |
52 |
Mountain WarehouseOutdoor equipment retailer |
Central London |
Feb 08 |
66.18% |
3,773 |
20,207 |
305 |
Has opened 24 stores in the last year, including outlets in Inverness and Maidstone |
53 |
Pentland GroupBrand manager and retailer |
Central London |
Dec 07 |
65.73% |
62,781 |
972,600 |
12,768 |
Owns swimsuit brand Speedo, worn by Michael Phelps and Rebecca Adlington |
54 |
Wood MackenzieEnergy research consultancy |
Edinburgh |
Dec 07 |
65.68% |
25,649 |
79,651 |
508 |
Originally founded as a stockbroker in 1844 |
55 |
RP MartinWholesale money broker |
Central London |
Sep 08 |
64.18% |
11,497 |
65,635 |
244 |
Claims to be the oldest money broker in the world, founded in 1922 |
56 |
Matchroom SportSporting events promoter |
Essex |
Dec 07 |
63.30% |
3,637 |
13,223 |
31 |
Stages Prizefighter, a winner-stays-on boxing tournament, fought over one night |
57 |
JoulesClothing retailer |
Leicestershire |
Jan 08 |
62.09% |
3,220 |
22,225 |
187 |
Its website offers tips on growing vegetables and keeping chickens |
58 |
RBGEnergy services provider |
Aberdeen |
Dec 07 |
61.84% |
15,145 |
256,902 |
3,246 |
Is spending £5m on expanding its facilities in the Scottish Highlands |
59 |
Aston CarterRecruitment agency |
Central London |
Mar 08 |
61.41% |
†6,560 |
115,434 |
191 |
Serves clients in 16 countries from 9 international offices |
60 |
Greenshields JCBJCB equipment seller |
Surrey |
Dec 07 |
61.03% |
3,587 |
90,669 |
179 |
Provides machine maintenance at Thames Water’s mobile water-treatment plants |
61 |
VSGSecurity provider |
Northampton |
Mar 08 |
60.79% |
4,151 |
92,927 |
4,000 |
Protected Leona Lewis at the 2008 opening of London’s Westfield shopping centre |
62 |
Howie GroupTimber merchant |
Scotland |
Dec 07 |
60.69% |
4,596 |
32,925 |
193 |
Says it operates the largest sawmill in Britain, processing 400,000 logs a year |
63 |
LK BennettWomen's fashion retailer |
Central London |
Jul 08 |
60.12% |
11,079 |
57,493 |
545 |
Opened its first shoe store in Wimbledon in 1990 |
64 |
Venn GroupRecruitment agency |
Central London |
Dec 07 |
58.80% |
4,593 |
74,137 |
265 |
Founder Alexander Badenoch sold his previous recruitment business for £72m |
65 |
The Car PeopleCar dealer |
Wakefield |
Apr 08 |
58.59% |
3,102 |
136,899 |
387 |
Set up by brothers who had previously founded and sold a car franchise business |
66 |
Erith GroupDemolition contractor |
Southeast London |
Sep 08 |
58.53% |
4,195 |
61,474 |
175 |
Won the contract to demolish Lafarge’s cement works in Northfleet, Kent |
67 |
Towergate InsuranceInsurance underwriter and broker |
Maidstone |
Dec 07 |
58.16% |
76,198 |
268,931 |
3,299 |
Made 17 acquisitions in 2008, taking its total to almost 160 since it was founded |
68 |
MardixSwitchgear manufacturer |
Kendal |
Mar 08 |
57.68% |
6,586 |
26,517 |
173 |
Uses innovative 3D modelling techniques to design its products |
69 |
WaremossPharmacy retail chain |
East Sussex |
Aug 07 |
57.34% |
3,746 |
37,118 |
275 |
Runs 32 pharmacies across southeast England |
70 |
Springfield PropertiesHousebuilder |
Moray |
May 08 |
57.16% |
5,974 |
23,830 |
207 |
Recently agreed a 3-5 year contract with a local housing authority worth up to £50m |
71 |
HamiltonsArchitectural consultancy |
Central London |
Oct 07 |
56.83% |
6,026 |
19,471 |
194 |
Employs 160 people in its London studios |
72 |
TIS GroupEndowment policy reseller |
Edgware |
Jun 08 |
56.77% |
†19,710 |
307,129 |
106 |
Claims to have sold endowment policies worth more than £1 billion |
73 |
RadiusPlastic pipe manufacturer |
Derbyshire |
Dec 07 |
56.39% |
12,011 |
120,746 |
531 |
In June 2008, 3i backed a £100m buyout from company’s Finnish parent |
74 |
Pims GroupPump station service provider |
Hampshire |
Apr 08 |
55.51% |
3,754 |
17,528 |
125 |
Provides rainwater harvesting systems that allow users to cut water bills by up to 60% |
75 |
Neural TechnologiesArtificial intelligence software developer |
Hampshire |
Mar 08 |
55.27% |
3,234 |
7,579 |
80 |
Says it protects one in seven of the world’s mobile-phone users from fraud |
76 |
CPP GroupConsumer protection insurer |
York |
Dec 07 |
55.05% |
26,575 |
225,239 |
1,685 |
Founder Hamish Ogston traded cocoa futures while still a student |
77 |
LoganairAirline |
Paisley |
Mar 08 |
54.82% |
4,271 |
52,801 |
349 |
Runs the world’s shortest scheduled flight: a two-minute hop in the Orkneys |
78 |
Benson GroupPackaging products supplier |
Leicestershire |
May 08 |
54.71% |
4,355 |
73,141 |
887 |
Supplies 5m pieces of sustainable packaging a day |
79 |
SSPInsurance software provider |
Halifax |
Mar 08 |
54.66% |
15,000 |
64,405 |
583 |
Delisted in a deal that valued the company at £198m in September |
80 |
QHotelsHotel operator |
Leeds |
Dec 07 |
54.28% |
22,682 |
123,035 |
2,034 |
Spent £7m refurbishing the Stratford hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon |
81 |
Thompson Motor CompanyCar dealer |
Preston |
Dec 07 |
54.11% |
3,138 |
96,255 |
162 |
Audi dealership in northwest England also acts as a Volkswagen agent in Carlisle |
82 |
BonhamsAuctioneer |
Central London |
Dec 07 |
53.96% |
14,042 |
68,781 |
674 |
Sold a Korean jar in San Francisco for $4.2m last year |
83 |
Blaze SignsRetail sign manufacturer |
Kent |
Mar 08 |
53.35% |
3,518 |
22,214 |
284 |
Supplied 2.5 metre high neon lettering for Disney’s Paris Adventure Park |
84 |
Farr VintnersWine merchant |
Southwest London |
Oct 08 |
52.73% |
14,520 |
120,542 |
22 |
Founded in 1978 and now sells French wine in Britain and around the world |
85 |
VelcourtFarm manager |
Herefordshire |
Sep 07 |
52.49% |
3,111 |
21,321 |
112 |
Has an R&D team dedicated to innovations in crop and animal husbandry |
86 |
OptilanTelecoms systems integrator |
Coventry |
Oct 07 |
52.45% |
3,336 |
26,748 |
156 |
Designed and installed the Channel Tunnel Rail Link’s communication systems |
87 |
Garrad Hassan GroupRenewable energy consultancy |
Bristol |
Apr 08 |
52.35% |
4,907 |
20,335 |
222 |
Recently provided consultancy services to Europe’s largest onshore wind project |
88 |
EcotricityGreen electricity supplier |
Gloucestershire |
Apr 08 |
51.85% |
4,393 |
28,046 |
104 |
Says it is developing an electric sportscar |
89 |
Noble DentonOffshore and marine consultancy |
Central London |
Dec 07 |
51.40% |
8,165 |
49,315 |
341 |
Recently won a £15m contract to manage the installation of an offshore wind farm |
90 |
Barwood DevelopmentsProperty developer |
Northampton |
Feb 08 |
51.33% |
7,394 |
25,767 |
17 |
Developed a warehouse for Cadbury nine times the size of Trafalgar Square |
91 |
Currie & Brown GroupConstruction consultancy |
Central London |
Sep 07 |
51.25% |
4,526 |
63,336 |
852 |
Is overseeing the redevelopment of Broadcasting House for the BBC |
92 |
Think MoneyFinancial services provider |
Manchester |
Jan 08 |
51.11% |
12,564 |
48,313 |
595 |
Alchemy Partners led a £110m secondary buyout in July 2007 |
93 |
Virgin Rail GroupTrain operator |
Central London |
Mar 08 |
50.63% |
73,077 |
840,736 |
3,968 |
Claims 4m people a year use its routes from London to Birmingham or Manchester |
94 |
White StuffFashion retailer |
South London |
May 08 |
50.48% |
†8,868 |
†43,816 |
614 |
Its logo is a Chinese symbol meaning simply ‘clothes’ |
95 |
mydentistDental care provider |
Kearsley, Bolton |
Apr 08 |
50.09% |
16,000 |
124,411 |
1,674 |
Says it cares for the teeth of more than 2m Britons |
96 |
Findus GroupFood producer |
Central London |
Sep 07 |
49.81% |
54,012 |
894,412 |
6,426 |
Says its Young’s Admiral’s Pie is Britain’s best-selling ready meal |
97 |
Designers GuildFabric designer |
Central London |
Mar 08 |
49.45% |
5,634 |
43,250 |
232 |
Claims to process orders for more than 6m metres of fabric and wallpaper a year |
98 |
Collins ConstructionFit-out contractor |
Croydon |
Mar 08 |
48.86% |
3,771 |
28,085 |
38 |
Company claims that 70% of its work is repeat business from existing customers |
99 |
Van ElleEngineering contractor |
Nottingham |
Apr 08 |
48.60% |
4,187 |
46,571 |
368 |
Currently assisting with the widening of the M1 |
100 |
Patersons QuarriesQuarry operator |
Glasgow |
Nov 07 |
48.20% |
9,273 |
55,238 |
667 |
Managing director is the fifth generation of the family to run a business |