Rank Company Location Year end % annual profit growth Latest profits £000 Latest sales £000 Staff Comment
1 R&R Ice CreamIce cream manufacturer North Yorkshire Dec 09 210.22% 43,439 367,601 1,875 Makes allergen-free dessert for a successful Dragons’ Den contestant
2 powerPerfectorEnergy-saving device distributor Central London Dec 09 157.45% 11,493 29,788 67 Has installed its electricity-saving technology in 1,000 Tesco stores
3 Moonpig.comOnline greeting card retailer Central London Apr 10 149.79% 11,570 31,285 73 Is reportedly up for sale
4 McLaren GroupRacing team and sports car maker Surrey Dec 09 146.09% 32,577 291,586 1,587 Its catering company runs restaurants in Chelsea Design Centre and Harvey Nichols
5 SupacatAll-terrain vehicle manufacturer Devon Aug 10 144.66% 8,564 108,468 117 Provides all-terrain vehicles used by the army’s special forces
6 Liquid CapitalFinancial services provider Central London Dec 09 142.24% 26,818 184,553 268 Has offices in Chengdu in China, Hong Kong, Sydney, Chicago and London
7 ADEY Heating SolutionsHeating filter manufacturer Cheltenham Mar 10 137.77% 7,908 20,524 20 Founder got idea for firm while servicing London Palladium’s central heating system
8 RamsdensPawnbroker and jeweller Middlesbrough Dec 09 132.08% 8,117 27,030 190 Opened its 80th pawnbroking store at the end of last year
9 UPPUniversity accommodation provider Central London Aug 10 125.01% 35,906 83,449 353 Builds and manages student housing across Britain
10 FridaysFood producer Kent Dec 09 123.76% 6,506 44,926 325 Produces and packs 7m eggs a week
11 B&M RetailDiscount retailer Liverpool Dec 09 114.97% 32,954 426,657 4,831 Has grown from 21 outlets six years ago to more than 200 this year
12 AppSenseSoftware developer Warrington Jul 10 109.61% 6,989 28,934 185 Goldman Sachs invested £43m for a minority stake in February
13 bet365Online bookmaker Stoke-on-Trent Mar 10 107.53% 103,042 419,750 1,313 Its website is available in 17 languages and 70% of sales are generated overseas
14 Charles Tyrwhitt ShirtsClothing retailer Central London Jul 10 105.54% 7,020 56,759 312 Company expects to sell 2m shirts this year
15 Crisp Malting GroupMalt producer Norfolk Dec 09 102.10% 14,365 100,682 232 Supplies malt to the maker of Glenlivet whisky
16 Bristol MaidMedical equipment manufacturer Dorset Sep 09 101.69% 4,325 20,435 195 Customers include military establishments and prisons
17 Clugston GroupConstruction contractor Scunthorpe Jan 10 98.24% 4,051 86,730 517 Its chief executive appeared in Channel 4’s Undercover Boss last year
18 JD ClassicsClassic car restorer Essex Apr 10 97.58% 4,317 24,326 28 Classic-car restoration enthusiast turned hobby into business
19 Airinmar HoldingsAircraft repair manager Berkshire Mar 10 95.68% 5,882 29,704 124 Clients include the Royal Air Force, Qantas Airways and United Airlines
20 Britax ChildcareChild car seat maker Surrey Dec 09 95.17% 22,865 202,872 1,010 Spends about £5m a year on research to ensure the safety of its products
21 Euro Car PartsCar parts retailer Wembley Dec 10 92.28% 16,732 271,562 2,530 Claims to stock more than 100,000 different car parts
22 Cath KidstonLifestyle retailer West London Mar 10 91.16% 12,186 50,369 383 Bought by US private-equity house last year in a deal valuing the firm at £100m
23 Dune LondonFootwear retailer Central London Jan 10 90.14% 9,260 136,409 2,608 Is looking to expand into America with first store planned for next year
24 Cleansing Service GroupWaste manager Southampton Dec 09 89.60% 3,435 49,463 374 Empties and repairs more than 70,000 sewage systems a year
25 SkrillOnline payment provider Central London Dec 09 88.53% 14,377 43,021 317 Postponed planned flotation last week due to adverse market conditions
26 Audley TravelTour operator Oxfordshire Dec 09 83.07% 7,278 53,670 156 Offers tailor-made holidays to more than 80 countries
27 Momondo GroupTravel search Central London Dec 09 82.97% 7,344 30,161 113 Says its website has up to 100m visitors each year
28 Accrol PapersTissue products manufacturer Blackburn Apr 10 82.92% 5,002 38,172 77 Produces more than 1m toilet rolls and 250,000 kitchen rolls a day
29 G’sSalad and vegetable grower Cambridgeshire May 10 82.61% 14,283 293,368 2,971 Sells more than 6m packs of salad and vegetables every week
30 Meadow FoodsDairy product producer Chester Mar 10 78.54% 7,791 263,089 306 Makes condensed milk and chocolate crumb used by Mars and Walls
31 Severn GloconIndustrial valve manufacturer Gloucester Dec 09 78.48% 8,238 44,640 320 Managing director bought the business from former owners with £1m loan
32 Cellar TrendsAlcoholic drinks wholesaler Derbyshire May 10 77.98% 6,618 75,564 95 Hosts a marketing event for Jägermeister at Download, a heavy-metal rock festival
33 Sun MarkConsumer products wholesaler West London Aug 10 77.42% 5,469 82,501 41 Received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the past two consecutive years
34 Peacock SaltSalt distributor Ayr Apr 10 74.39% 3,545 22,670 36 Company logo depicts the last sailing ship built by the founder in 1885
35 Aston Manor BreweryBeer and cider brewery Birmingham Dec 09 68.97% 5,121 53,435 140 Says it is the largest independent cider maker in Britain
36 RixonwayKitchen maker West Yorkshire Feb 10 67.99% 4,397 28,811 430 August Equity backed the management team in a £27m buyout in 2006
37 PoundlandDiscount retailer West Midlands Mar 10 67.43% 22,670 509,791 6,702 Operates more than 300 stores nationwide selling products all priced at £1
38 Apex Credit ManagementDebt purchaser Stratford-upon-Avon Dec 09 66.49% 3,838 24,007 195 Collects debts on behalf of clients such as Lloyds Bank, HSBC and Barclays
39 GO OutdoorsOutdoor equipment retailer Sheffield Jan 10 65.28% †5,479 †74,005 497 3i acquired a minority stake last week in a £28m deal
40 LeasedriveVehicle hire and fleet manager Wokingham Dec 09 65.04% 3,146 56,832 138 Says the acquisition of a leading competitor in December will quadruple its size
41 PCMSIT services provider Coventry Sep 09 64.88% 5,962 38,825 390 Says its call centre dealt with more than one million inquiries last year
42 Wireless Infrastructure GroupWireless tower operator Lanarkshire Dec 09 63.62% 9,230 17,120 29 Sets up income share deals with landowners to put up telecoms towers
43 Pricecheck ToiletriesToiletries wholesaler Sheffield Apr 10 62.42% 3,306 26,277 36 Generates 20% of sales in mainland Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand
44 Regent GasCommercial gas supplier West London Mar 10 62.24% 7,214 37,536 11 Founded with an investment of £30,000, now makes profits of more than £7m
45 OfficeShoe retailer Central London Jan 10 61.90% †15,951 142,923 1,748 Founders began by selling shoes displayed on office furniture
46 Healthcare Development ServicesNursing home builder Gloucestershire Mar 10 61.89% 3,800 28,931 41 Builds care homes, two of which are shortlisted for design awards
47 MicroleaseElectronic equipment provider Northwest London Feb 10 61.89% 5,687 29,772 120 Supplies electronic testing and measuring equipment to clients such as Thales
48 IpecoAircraft seat manufacturer Essex Dec 09 61.82% 4,860 56,382 596 Grandfather of chief executive founded the company 40 years ago
49 ChessTelecoms services provider Cheshire Apr 10 61.55% 4,254 29,118 119 Founder set up company with £50,000 of his own money
50 Card FactoryGreeting card retailer Wakefield Jan 10 59.90% 51,520 215,641 5,298 Founders launched their business from the back of a van
51 Aesica PharmaceuticalsPharmaceuticals manufacturer Newcastle Dec 09 59.39% 12,900 84,600 615 Foreign acquisitions doubled company’s manufacturing capabilities
52 Mountain WarehouseOutdoor equipment retailer Central London Feb 10 58.88% 7,534 47,534 654 Has opened more than 50 stores in the past two years
53 JP KnightTug and barge company Kent Sep 09 58.15% 3,819 22,185 210 Company’s tugs towed captured German u-boats during second world war
54 HutchinsonsAgronomy adviser Cambridgeshire Dec 09 57.29% 8,152 132,414 307 Founded in 1938 by the chairman’s grandfather
55 Priory GroupSpecialist healthcare provider Surrey Dec 09 57.17% 67,070 256,680 5,521 Best known for treating celebrity patients for addictions to drugs and alcohol
56 Wilton GroupOffshore services provider Middlesbrough Jun 10 57.12% 4,769 38,292 227 Founders started the business with a £15,000 bank loan
57 Brace’s BakeryBaker South Wales Sep 09 57.07% 4,135 35,482 334 Supplies more than 3,000 locations with 40m loaves each year
58 FM ConwayInfrastructure services provider Dartford Mar 10 56.75% 11,772 124,967 698 Says it recycles up to 95% of construction waste from road building
59 Southall TravelTravel agency and tour operator West London Mar 10 56.72% 10,105 204,246 30 Organised trips and holidays for 300,000 people last year
60 Survitec GroupSurvival equipment maker Central London Mar 10 56.22% 30,667 161,951 1,270 Manufactures safety equipment, including submarine escape suits
61 JoulesClothing retailer Leicestershire May 10 56.07% 6,067 51,167 465 Has opened 21 new stores nationwide in the past 12 months, bringing the total to 55
62 Balhousie Care GroupCare home operator Forfar Apr 10 55.91% 3,984 15,897 649 Provides locally produced food as part of its nutritional policy
63 Access GroupSoftware consultancy and developer Central London Jun 10 55.75% 5,029 24,580 290 Underwent a management buyout in a £50m deal backed by Lyceum Capital in March
64 Raymond BrownCivil engineer Hampshire Mar 10 55.74% 3,830 60,196 348 Has worked on projects including the redevelopment of Ascot Racecourse
65 Center ParcsHoliday resort operator Newark Apr 10 55.15% 41,718 279,975 5,303 Is planning to open a fifth site in 2013, one hour north of London
66 RepublicFashion retailer Leeds Jan 10 54.79% 23,167 173,302 2,459 Private-equity firm TPG backed a £300m tertiary buyout of the company last year
67 Chain Reaction CyclesOnline bike retailer County Antrim Dec 09 53.58% 8,303 77,409 291 Sponsors its own downhill mountain bike racing team
68 White StuffFashion retailer South London May 10 51.73% 15,991 83,722 1,112 The fitting rooms in its Edinburgh store are themed on the film character ET
69 WeldexCrane hirer Inverness Nov 09 51.61% 10,442 27,201 128 Acquired by Dunedin Capital Partners in a £100m buyout last year
70 LexonPharmaceuticals distributor Redditch Apr 10 51.57% 5,114 87,000 298 Has recently set up a website to supply animal drugs to vets and the public
71 KelwayIT services provider Central London Mar 10 51.47% 7,182 178,140 355 Clients include Microsoft, Bank of America and Oxford University Press
72 Richmond GroupFinancial services provider Bournemouth Mar 10 51.37% 20,820 46,412 439 Founder walked 300km distributing promotional material in the firm’s first month
73 Thomsons Online BenefitsEmployee benefits software developer Central London Dec 09 51.30% 3,400 16,319 132 Customers include Royal Bank of Scotland and Cisco
74 BritpartCar parts supplier Shropshire Mar 10 51.06% 7,097 43,175 175 Founder set up company after travelling through Africa and Asia in a Land Rover
75 Rainham Industrial ServicesIndustrial services provider Essex Dec 09 50.81% 3,778 28,658 54 Two acquisitions and competitors going out of business have helped this firm grow
76 ColtVentilation systems provider Hampshire Dec 09 50.62% 7,240 169,513 971 Designed light-blocking factory ventilation used during second world war blackouts
77 Zenith LeasedriveVehicle lessor Leeds Mar 10 49.06% 9,274 125,387 157 Completed its fourth buyout, worth a reported £85m, in August last year
78 Airline ServicesAirline services provider Manchester Oct 09 48.12% 3,346 32,465 400 Provides de-icing services for aircraft at 10 airports in Britain
79 Jack WillsFashion retailer Northwest London Jan 10 47.85% 8,574 64,764 1,286 Sponsors ‘brand ambassadors’ at ski resorts as part of its marketing strategy
80 Argus MediaEnergy information provider Central London Jun 10 47.75% 17,358 41,880 300 Started out as a single weekly paper tracking oil prices in European markets
81 Currie & Brown GroupConstruction consultancy Central London Sep 09 47.12% 4,972 73,544 903 Founded in 1876 as a quantity surveying partnership based in Scotland
82 OPALFinancial services provider St. Albans Jun 10 46.64% 3,844 9,370 92 Handles the administration of financial products for clients such as Direct Line
83 Farrow & BallWallpaper and paint manufacturer Dorset Mar 10 45.61% 5,921 38,091 288 Its paints were used in the restoration of St Paul’s Cathedral
84 XLN Business ServicesBusiness services provider Central London Mar 10 44.86% 9,751 54,862 153 ECI Partners backed a £78m secondary buyout in September
85 CraegmoorCare home operator Worcester Dec 09 44.78% 24,010 167,325 6,077 Was acquired by Priory Group (No 55 on the league table) this month
86 Holyhead GroupWorkboat builder and operator North Wales Sep 09 44.74% 7,770 29,801 207 Designed and built the vessel that transported Airbus A380 wings along River Dee
87 Briggs & Forrester GroupBuilding services engineers Northampton Oct 09 44.64% 6,025 129,728 605 Won six consecutive awards from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
88 Tangerine ConfectioneryConfectionery manufacturer Blackpool Dec 09 44.63% 9,321 154,549 1,343 Produces sweets and popcorn at seven sites employing more than 1,300 staff
89 Air EnergiRecruitment consultancy Manchester Dec 09 44.54% 6,026 133,291 119 Underwent a £30m buyout backed by Zeus Private Equity in 2009
90 The RangeDiscount retailer Plymouth Jan 10 44.53% 21,123 211,681 2,652 Cast Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson as chief elf in its 2010 Christmas ad
91 Benfield Motor GroupCar dealer Newcastle upon Tyne Dec 09 44.52% 9,308 313,167 1,094 Uses mystery video shoppers to monitor and assess staff
92 Beardow AdamsAdhesive supplier Milton Keynes Dec 09 44.51% 4,303 42,004 112 Has one of the largest production facilities of its kind in Europe
93 Hobbycraft GroupCraft goods retailer Dorset Feb 10 44.16% 11,535 84,366 1,538 Sells more than 35,000 different items used in framing, tapestry and knitting
94 Marlborough CommunicationsMilitary communications provider Surrey Sep 09 43.83% 3,673 16,798 29 Supplied equipment to British forces during the Falklands conflict
95 The ConsortiumEducational, care products supplier Wiltshire Sep 09 43.12% 5,362 43,795 227 Also runs a website selling fun products to eco-friendly families
96 PraterConstruction contractor Surrey Dec 09 42.90% 7,901 63,140 279 Installed waterproofing membrane for the roof of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium
97 Morgan Law RecruitmentRecruitment consultancy Central London Sep 09 42.71% 4,259 36,266 52 Places more than 1,200 senior managers across 500 organisations a year
98 Bond Aviation GroupHelicopter operator Cheltenham Mar 10 42.32% 18,357 91,287 404 Listed on the Profit Track 100 league table for the third consecutive year
99 Joe BrownsMail-order fashion retailer Leeds Jun 10 42.27% 4,470 18,605 67 Says it sends out 800,000 catalogues a month to its customers
100 Thunderhead.comCommunications software developer Northeast London Dec 09 42.12% 3,619 18,289 98 Has recently opened offices in Düsseldorf and Canada to boost expansion