The Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 100 league table ranks Britain’s 100 private companies with the biggest sales. It is compiled by Fast Track and published in The Sunday Times each July, with a series of associated dinners in the autumn.
The 19th annual Top Track 100 supplement was published on 5 July as a special Covid-19 edition, sponsored by HSBC and Linklaters. It highlighted how the UK’s biggest private companies have supported the country during the crisis, how it has impacted their industries, and how they are adapting.
We hope this special edition recognises the impressive past performance of all these companies, their contribution to the economy and role in paying the taxes that help fund vital public services, such as the NHS, as well as their responses to the pandemic.
The closing date for nominations for the 20th anniversary league table is 28 May 2021, with publication in July 2021.
Top Track 100 entry criteria
The closing date for nominations for the 2021 league table is 28 May 2021, with publication in July 2021.
Sales £750m – £25bn
- UK registered, unquoted, and not subsidiaries
- Sales are taken as total turnover, net of VAT
- Companies are not required to be in profit
- Trading weeks in the latest year have to exceed 25
- Companies must have at least 100 staff (average full-time equivalents for the year)
- Bookmakers, betting and gaming companies should provide net revenue
- Companies may have their ultimate holding company offshore
- Sales are typically between £750m and £25bn
Exclusions
- Companies that are equal joint ventures, or majority-owned by quoted or other companies
- Pure trading companies and companies with fewer than 100 staff (average full-time equivalents for the year)
- Not-for-profit companies, including co-operative societies, mutual societies, provident associations, and member-owned buying groups
- We reserve the right to change the qualification criteria set out above and to make exceptions. This is not a competition; the compiler’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into
Congratulations to all the award winners at this year’s @ST_FastTrack awards https://t.co/ZfNZsJlTEq #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 https://t.co/HiopJ4DOty
Congratulations to @cultbeauty, winner of the Excellence in international e-commerce award, presented by Abi Brodie of DHL at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event
@dhlexpressuk @AlexiaInge
Congratulations to @TropicSkincare, winner of the Outstanding achievement award, presented by Megan Paul of Charles Russell Speechlys at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @CRS_Lawyers @susanma
Congratulations to @Chillysbottles, winner of the Fastest-growing company award, presented by Juha Jarvinen of @VirginAtlantic at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @juhahelsinki
Congratulations to @Mowglistfood, winner of the Emerging brand award, presented by @olivershah of @thesundaytimes at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @NishaKatona
Congratulations to Needle & Thread, winner of the SME Export award, presented by Ross Baker of Heathrow at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @needlethreadltd @HeathrowAirport
Congratulations to @cultbeauty, winner of the Excellence in international commerce award, presented by Abi Brodie of DHL at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @dhlexpressuk @AlexiaInge
Congratulations to @boxpark, winner of the Effective use of capital award, presented by Stephen Welton of BGF at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @sfwelton @MrBoxpark
Congratulations to Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, winner of the Best management team award, presented by Stuart Lisle of @bdoaccountant at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @CTilburyMakeup
Congratulations to @TokamakEnergy, winner of the Disruptors to Watch award, presented by Ben Davey of Barclays UK Ventures at the #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 virtual event @Barclays
Types of company
Total sales
£750m - £25bnProfits
up to £2.5bnStaff
100 - 20,000Top Track 100 is a real kitemark of business excellence. Being part of it makes us all proud Sir Michael Bibby, managing director, Bibby Line Group
A first class example of how to support vibrant, growing businesses Tim Stone CBE, non-executive director, Arup
Opportunity to meet the best private companies in the UK Stefano Pessina, executive chairman, Alliance Boots
We’re very proud of the fact that we’re number 1 Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder & chairman, INEOS
Excellent mix of very interesting people, motivating and inspiring every time Patrick Lewis, group finance director, John Lewis
Alumni success stories
First featured in 2002 with sales of £1.3bn, it was sold to Turkish biscuit maker Yildiz for £2bn in 2014
First featured with sales of £713m. Floated in 2014 at valuation of £3.4bn
First featured with sales of £3.1bn. Floated in October 2015 at valuation of £6.2bn & was sold to US rival Vantiv in 2017 in £9.3bn deal
Sponsors
