Rank Company Location Year end Sales £m % annual growth Profit £m Staff Main shareholders
1 John Lewis PartnershipFood and general retailer Central London Jan 02 4,027 173 57,000 Employees
2 Palmer and HarveyWholesale distributor East Sussex Jul 01 3,212 23 3,665 Management and employees (75%)
3 Hogg RobinsonBusiness services provider Hampshire Mar 01 2,197 25 5,449 Permira (65%)
4 SwireConglomerate Central London Dec 01 2,113 388 130,147 Swire family (66%)
5 Shop DirectInternet and catalogue retailer Liverpool Apr 02 1,930 58 24,000 Moores family
6 RHMFood producer Marlow Apr 01 †1,805 †80 21,010 Doughty Hanson
7 MG RoverCar maker Birmingham Dec 01 1,697 -187 6,500 Management
8 Virgin AtlanticAirline and tour operator Crawley Apr 01 1,518 57 8,245 Virgin Investments (51%) and Singapore Airlines (49%)
9 Unipart GroupManufacturing, logistics and consultancy Oxford Dec 01 1,505 23 9,324 Employees and management (55%), institutional investors (45%)
10 Focus DIYDIY retailer Crewe Oct 01 1,462 65 15,994 Duke Street Capital (55%)
11 Memec GroupElectronics distributor Oxfordshire Dec 01 1,427 40 3,096 Permira (65%)
12 HomebaseDIY retailer Surrey Feb 02 †1,387 †42 16,800 Permira (82%) and J Sainsbury (18%)
13 Coral EurobetBetting shop operator Essex Sep 01 1,303 17 5,191 Deutsche Bank
14 United BiscuitsBranded snack manufacturer West London Dec 01 1,263 37 11,600 Cinven, Paribas Affaires Industrielle, DB Capital, Nabisco
15 LINPACPackaging maker West Yorkshire Dec 00 1,112 47 10,898 Cornish family
16 First Quench RetailingOff-licence operator Hertfordshire Feb 02 1,055 33 15,133 Terra Firma (Nomura)
17 Caudwell HoldingsMobile phone retailer Stoke-on-Trent Dec 00 1,053 18 2,511 John and Brian Caudwell
18 Premier FoodsFood producer St Albans Dec 00 1,050 63 6,590 Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst
19 StemcorSteel trader Central London Dec 01 952 13 289 Ralph Oppenheimer and family
20 ClarksShoe retailer and wholesaler Somerset Jan 02 937 48 15,270 Clark family (72%)
21 BhsDepartment store operator Central London Mar 02 876 128 13,950 Philip Green (94%), Tom Hunter (5%), Robin Saunders (1%)
22 Martin McCollConvenience store operator Essex Nov 00 871 40 13,192 Institutional investors including Electra, HSBC, L&G Ventures
23 Yell GroupBusiness directory operator Reading Mar 02 865 152 5,241 Apax Partners and Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst
24 Arnold Clark AutomobilesCar dealer Glasgow Dec 00 863 15 4,513 Arnold Clark and family
25 JCBConstruction equipment manufacturer Staffordshire Dec 00 855 17 4,133 Bamford family
26 Grampian Country Food GroupFood producer Livingston May 01 851 29 10,225 Alfred Duncan, management and HBOS
27 Specialist Computer HoldingsIT systems integrator Birmingham Mar 01 843 23 2,221 Sir Peter Rigby and family
28 WilkoValue retailer Nottinghamshire Feb 02 817 37 16,881 Wilkinson family
29 AveciaChemical products maker Manchester Dec 01 804 48 4,783 Cinven and Investcorp
30 CPL IndustriesSolid fuels supplier Chesterfield Mar 01 801 4 2,323 Investors led by L&G Ventures
31 Camden Motor GroupCar dealer Northampton Dec 01 768 9 1,383 Candover (64%) and management (36%)
32 Bestway HoldingsCash & carry wholesaler West London Jun 01 746 26 1,468 Pervez family
33 bmiAirline operator Derby Dec 00 739 2 6,815 Sir Michael Bishop (50%), John Wolfe (25%) and Stuart Balmforth (25%)
34 Sir Robert McAlpineConstruction contractor Hertfordshire Oct 01 739 12 2,535 McAlpine family
35 Bristol Street GroupCar dealer Worcestershire Dec 00 714 8 2,329 Institutional investors including L&G Ventures (66%)
36 Specialist Computers InternationalIT systems integrator Birmingham Mar 01 †651 †14 1,702 Sir Peter Rigby and family
37 Lucite InternationalPlastics maker Southampton Dec 01 577 18 1,987 Charterhouse Development Capital
38 General Healthcare GroupPrivate healthcare provider Central London Dec 01 560 94 9,777 BC Partners (90%)
39 L BatleyFood wholesaler Huddersfield Apr 01 557 8 2,067 Batley family
40 Food Brokers Food Brokers is in liquidation as of November 2005
41 The Miller GroupHousebuilder & construction services Edinburgh Dec 01 548 39 1,517 Miller Family
42 Harrods GroupDepartment store operator Central London Jan 01 540 29 5,008 Mohamed Al Fayed
43 Shepherd GroupBuilder, manufacturer and developer York Jun 01 540 9 4,231 Shepherd family
44 Welcome BreakMotorway services operator Milton Keynes Sep 01 539 34 4,454 Investcorp
45 EWS RailwayRail freight operator Central London Mar 01 538 31 6,018 Canadian National (40%), institutional investors (43%)
46 PolestarContract printer Dunstable Sep 01 535 -11 6,240 Investcorp
47 Marshall GroupConglomerate Cambridge Dec 01 533 5 3,438 Marshall family
48 ASCOOil and gas services provider Aberdeen Dec 01 532 16 2,000 3i (62%), Wood Group (31%) and management (7%)
49 Virgin Rail GroupTrain operator Central London Mar 02 520 34 3,869 Virgin Group Investments (51%) and Stagecoach (49%)
50 The Dutton-Forshaw GroupCar dealer Oxfordshire Dec 01 517 8 2,027 Investors led by CVC (83%)
51 V-Shops (formerly Virgin Our Price)Home entertainment retailer Central London Jan 01 504 -26 3,897 Virgin Group Investments
52 Seton House GroupSpecialist engineer Surrey Dec 01 495 18 4,464 Royal Bank Private Equity (85%)
53 MansellConstruction and property developer Croydon Dec 01 492 9 2,926 3i (16%)
54 Pentland GroupBrand manager and retailer Central London Dec 00 489 24 2,373 Stephen Rubin and family
55 AF Blakemore & SonFood distributor West Midlands Apr 01 479 4 4,137 Peter Blakemore and family (70%)
56 Dalgety GroupAgricultural product supplier Gloucestershire Mar 01 475 -5 759 Management and Nat West
57 TrailfindersTravel organiser West London Feb 02 459 12 1,020 Mike Gooley and family
58 WatesConstruction contractor Surrey Dec 01 459 8 1,368 Wates family
59 LondisConvenience store franchisor Middlesex Jan 01 453 4 684 Each member has a single share
60 BrightHouseHousehold goods retailer Watford Mar 01 448 6 2,452 Terra Firma (Nomura)
61 Guardian Media GroupMultimedia publisher Central London Jan 01 440 10 3,102 Scott Trust
62 Virgin MoneyBank Edinburgh Dec 00 425 -7 479 AMP (50%) and Virgin Direct Holdings (50%)
63 NG BaileyMechanical, electrical contractor West Yorkshire Feb 01 416 1 4,479 Bailey family
64 Bowmer & KirklandConstruction contractor Derbyshire Aug 01 414 15 1,332 Kirkland family
65 River IslandFashion retailer West London Dec 00 406 31 4,361 Bernard Lewis and family
66 PA Consulting GroupManagement, IT consultancy Central London Dec 01 400 1 3,679 Employees
67 DewhirstClothing manufacturer East Yorkshire Jan 01 400 23 16,387 Dewhirst family and management
68 TravelexForeign exchange operator Central London Dec 01 398 35 5,304 Lloyd Dorfmann (62%), 3i (33%), Clive Kahn (3%)
69 Perkins FoodsFood producer Dartford Dec 01 †397 †17 3,745 Investors led by ABN AMRO (77.5%)
70 Bloor InvestmentsBuilder and motorcycle maker Derbyshire Jun 01 395 34 1,420 John Bloor
71 OCS GroupFacilities services provider Gatwick Mar 01 387 14 43,375 Goodliffe family
72 Christie-TylerFurniture maker Wales Dec 00 384 24 6,602 Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst
73 Dunlop Standard Aerospace GroupAerospace equipment maker Coventry Dec 00 384 69 3,894 Doughty Hanson
74 Bartle Bogle HegartyAdvertising agent Central London Dec 00 †384 †8 441 Nigel Bogle (10%), John Hegarty (10%)
75 City Electrical FactorsElectrical parts wholesaler Warwickshire Apr 01 380 21 3,168 Management
76 Gala GroupBingo and casino operator Nottingham Sep 01 371 72 9,401 CSFB (70%)
77 Bernard Matthews FarmsFood producer Norwich Dec 00 362 36 6,309 Matthews family
78 Greenhous GroupCar dealer Shrewsbury Dec 01 360 6 558 Management (78%)
79 Caparo GroupMetal engineer Central London Dec 00 358 10 2,921 Lord Paul and family
80 SthreeRecruitment agency Central London Nov 01 357 -14 1,220 Founders (50%), Barclays Private Equity (20%)
81 WeetabixBreakfast cereal maker Northamptonshire Jul 01 349 45 2,755 George family
82 Fairview New HomesHousebuilder North London Dec 01 349 112 915 3i (67%)
83 European Metal RecyclingMetal recycler Warrington Dec 00 †344 †24 965 Sheppard family (65%)
84 McNicholasInfrastructure service provider Elstree, Herts Mar 01 330 6 2,610 McNicholas family
85 Vestey GroupFood distributor, farmer Central London Dec 01 327 -19 962 Vestey family
86 Sports World InternationalSports goods retailer Bedfordshire Apr 01 325 36 4,392 Mike Ashley
87 ArupDesign and engineering consultancy Central London Mar 01 320 9 5,008 Employees
88 St Merryn MeatMeat wholesaler Cornwall Mar 01 319 9 2,701 Terry Johnson (69%), 3i (25%)
89 Findus GroupFood producer Central London Dec 01 318 12 3,257 CapVest and management
90 AcromasConsumer services provider Kent Jan 01 312 26 2,249 De Haan family
91 DoncastersEngineering components maker Burton upon Trent Dec 00 311 27 4,051 Royal Bank Private Equity
92 Inmarsat VenturesSatellite communications provider Central London Dec 01 307 88 635 Telenor Satellite Services (15%), Comsat (14%), BT (8%)
93 Flagship FoodsFood producer Cornwall Dec 00 303 11 2,586 Graham Roach (75%)
94 Willmott Dixon GroupConstruction contractor Hertfordshire Dec 01 302 6 1,324 Willmott and Dixon families
95 CostcutterConvenience store operator York Apr 01 300 3 1,008 Colin Graves and family
96 Pertemps Network GroupRecruitment consultancy Warwickshire Dec 00 288 3 1,052 Tim Watts (66%)
97 IM GroupCar distributor West Midlands Dec 01 286 14 390 Bob Edmiston
98 JCT600Car dealer Bradford Dec 01 275 7 759 Royal Trust of Canada (65%), Tordoff family
99 William Grant & SonsSpirits distiller Banffshire Dec 00 274 45 936 Grant family
100 Anglian GroupHome products supplier Norwich Mar 01 266 23 3,582 Alchemy Partners (90%)

* supplied by company   † annualised figure