Rank Company Location Year end Sales £m % annual growth Profit £m Staff Main shareholders
1 Alliance BootsRetailer and pharmaceutical wholesaler UK/Switzerland Mar 13 *22,406 -2.6 *1,505 74,645 Walgreens (45%), KKR, Stefano Pessina
2 INEOSChemicals manufacturer UK/Switzerland Dec 12 *18,398 9.3 *1,393 11,879 Jim Ratcliffe (75%), management and staff (25%)
3 GreenergyFuel supplier Central London Apr 13 *14,578 22.1 *31 303 Tesco (35%), Owens family (32%), Caradog (24%)
4 John Lewis PartnershipFood and general retailer Central London Jan 13 *8,466 9.1 *749 81,900 Employees (100%)
5 SwireConglomerate Central London Dec 12 *5,552 15.2 *1,378 73,941 Swire family (67%), others (33%)
6 StemcorSteel trader Central London Dec 12 *5,112 18.3 *15 2,009 Ralph Oppenheimer and family (71%), management and staff (29%)
7 Palmer and HarveyWholesale distributor East Sussex Apr 12 4,228 4.9 40 3,192 Management and employees (74%), former employees (26%)
8 WorldpayPayment processor Central London Dec 12 3,089 4.1 210 4,167 Advent International (36%), Bain Capital (36%), RBS (18%), Staff (10%)
9 European Metal RecyclingMetal recycler Warrington Dec 11 3,032 24.7 201 2,448 Sheppard family (99%)
10 Laing O’RourkeEngineering and construction group Dartford Mar 12 2,905 -3.3 108 14,747 Ray O’Rourke and Des O’Rourke through Suffolk Partners Corporation
11 Brakes GroupFood distributor Kent Dec 12 *2,898 3.9 *129 10,080 Bain Capital, management
12 Virgin AtlanticAirline and tour operator Crawley Feb 13 2,874 4.7 -35 9,666 Virgin Group (51%), Delta Air Lines (49%)
13 Rigby GroupIT infrastructure integrator Stratford-upon-Avon Mar 12 2,762 11 48 5,094 Sir Peter Rigby and family (100%)
14 JCBConstruction equipment manufacturer Staffordshire Dec 12 *2,712 -0.2 *365 10,000 Bamford family (100%)
15 ArcadiaFashion retailer Central London Aug 12 2,679 -0.1 330 43,368 Lady Tina Green and family, Lloyds Banking Group
16 IcelandFrozen food retailer North Wales Mar 13 *2,640 2.9 *226 14,435 Landmark Group and others (57%), Malcolm Walker, management (43%)
17 Bestway GroupConglomerate West London Jun 12 *2,496 6.8 *222 5,585 Sir Anwar Pervez and family (67%), management (33%)
18 Arnold Clark AutomobilesCar dealer Glasgow Dec 12 *2,484 10.3 *199 8,315 Clark family and trusts (100%)
19 2 Sisters Food GroupFood producer Birmingham Jul 12 2,339 70 194 14,968 Baljinder and Ranjit Boparan (100%)
20 AcromasConsumer services provider Kent Jan 12 2,113 15.1 590 24,930 Charterhouse, CVC, Permira, management & staff
21 Shop DirectInternet and catalogue retailer Liverpool Jun 12 2,097 -1.6 -25 14,338 Sir David Barclay and Sir Frederick Barclay (100%)
22 TI AutomotiveCar parts maker Oxford/USA Dec 12 1,970 5.1 230 18,425 More than 20 investors, including Oaktree and Pointstate Capital
23 Thames WaterWater services provider Reading Mar 13 *1,804 6.1 *1,028 4,699 Consortium led by Macquarie European Infrastructure Funds
24 SpecsaversOptical and hearing aid retailer Guernsey Feb 12 *1,779 18.6 n/a 30,000 Perkins family
25 Pentland GroupBrand manager and retailer Central London Dec 12 *1,740 14.2 *135 18,301 Rubin family (100%)
26 SSPTravel foodservice provider Weybridge Sep 12 1,738 1 139 29,796 EQT and management (85%), mezzanine lenders (15%)
27 BakkavorPrepared food producer Central London Dec 12 1,694 1 115 19,385 Gudmundsson brothers (39%), Arion Bank (26%), Icelandic institutions (34%)
28 WilkoValue retailer Nottinghamshire Jan 12 1,565 0.4 65 23,229 Wilkinson family (100%)
29 Anglian Water GroupWater services provider Cambridgeshire Mar 12 1,474 4.4 691 7,467 CPPIB (33%), CFSGAM (32%), IFM (20%), 3i Infrastructure (15%)
30 New LookFashion retailer Central London Mar 13 * †1,456 0.6 * †185 21,148 Permira (28%), Apax (28%), Tom Singh (23%), management (16%)
31 ClarksShoe retailer and wholesaler Somerset Jan 13 †1,433 2.5 †150 15,059 Clark family (84%), employees and institutions (16%)
32 Bibby Line GroupConglomerate Liverpool Dec 12 *1,408 8.7 *80 6,232 Sir Michael Bibby and family (88%), management and others (12%)
33 United BiscuitsBranded snack manufacturer West London Dec 11 1,334 5.2 229 8,156 PAI Partners (45%), Blackstone (45%), management (10%)
34 Iglo GroupFrozen food producer West London Dec 12 *1,276 -6.1 *284 2,861 Permira, management
35 MRH (GB)Fuel retailer and distributor Essex Sep 12 1,270 18.8 31 185 Management (62%), Equistone Partners Europe (38%)
36 Gala CoralBetting and gaming operator Central London Sep 12 †1,167 4.5 †275 19,174 Apollo (26%), Cerberus (18%), Goldman Sachs (8%), others (48%)
37 AF Blakemore & SonFood distributor West Midlands Apr 12 1,148 28.3 25 7,879 Blakemore family (100%)
38 Phones 4uMobile phone retailer Staffordshire Dec 12 *1,141 16.9 *132 5,811 BC Partners (93%), management (7%)
39 Findus GroupFood producer Central London Dec 11 1,133 1.1 90 4,937 Lion Capital, Highbridge Capital, JPMorgan Chase, others
40 Just RetirementLife assurance specialist Surrey Jun 12 1,132 26.7 154 653 Permira, management
41 Marshall GroupConglomerate Cambridge Dec 12 *1,126 12.3 *44 4,188 Sir Michael Marshall, Robert Marshall & family trusts (71%), others (29%)
42 MatalanValue retailer Liverpool Feb 13 *1,125 0.7 *100 16,373 Hargreaves family (100%)
43 Healthcare at HomeHome healthcare provider Burton upon Trent Oct 12 1,109 13.1 17 1,295 Vitruvian Partners (majority), Hutton Collins, Management
44 Mott MacDonaldManagement and engineering consultancy Croydon Dec 12 1,104 2.8 67 13,249 Trust (40%), employees (60%)
45 WatesConstruction contractor Surrey Dec 12 1,097 6.1 21 2,367 Wates family (100%)
46 MaceConstruction project manager Central London Dec 12 *1,092 17.7 *32 3,327 Management (100%)
47 KCA DEUTAG GroupDrilling contractor Aberdeen Dec 12 1,075 16 163 6,975 Pamplona Capital, other investment funds
48 Merlin EntertainmentsVisitor attraction operator Poole Dec 12 *1,074 15.1 *346 14,836 Kirkbi, Blackstone, CVC, management
49 River IslandFashion retailer West London Dec 11 1,069 5.5 146 15,335 Bernard Lewis and family (100%)
50 William Grant & SonsSpirits distiller Banffshire Dec 12 *1,064 1.4 *149 1,696 Grant and Gordon families
51 DysonAppliance manufacturer Wiltshire Dec 11 *1,056 19.1 *306 4,000 Sir James Dyson and family (100%)
52 WestcoastElectronic products distributor Reading Dec 12 1,047 11.1 11 793 Joe Hemani (100%)
53 Watson PetroleumFuel distributor Wiltshire Apr 12 1,041 24.8 9 690 Watson family (100%)
54 Willmott Dixon GroupConstruction contractor Hertfordshire Dec 12 1,034 -1.7 21 3,138 Willmott family (60%), Dixon family (20%), management (20%)
55 ArupDesign and engineering consultancy Central London Mar 12 992 2.6 71 10,135 Employees, through three trusts
56 Kelda GroupWater services provider Bradford Mar 12 962 1.2 552 3,325 Consortium comprising Citigroup, GIC, RREEF Infrastructure and Infracapital
57 20:20 Mobile GroupMobile phone distributor Crewe Mar 13 *959 16.6 *19 1,045 Doughty Hanson (45%), consortium incl. RBS and Mizuho (45%), management (10%)
58 B&M RetailDiscount retailer Liverpool Dec 12 *935 31.2 *95 11,374 Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Arora family
59 TJ MorrisDiscount retailer Liverpool Jun 12 915 26.8 100 7,911 Tom Morris and family (100%)
60 Unipart GroupManufacturing, logistics and consultancy Oxford Dec 12 *906 14.8 *29 7,521 3i, Electra (27%), management & staff (52%), UGC Pension schemes and others (21%)
61 JCT600Car dealer Bradford Dec 12 *900 44.5 *19 1,802 Tordoff family (100%)
62 Formula OneMotor racing administrator Central London Dec 12 *897 11.8 *280 293 CVC, Waddell & Reed, Ecclestone family trusts, others
63 KeepmoatHousing regeneration specialist South Yorkshire Mar 13 *884 30.8 *52 3,000 Lloyds (50%), management (50%)
64 The Vita GroupFoam and plastics maker Central London Dec 12 *883 11.4 *33 4,227 TPG Capital, others
65 Rontec / Snax24Fuel forecourt operator Watford Sep 12 †882 n.a. †11 1,375 Investec (46%), Snax 24 (34%), Ronpartners LLP (7%), others (13%)
66 Virgin Rail GroupTrain operator Central London Mar 12 †871 9.2 †34 2,886 Virgin Group Holdings (51%), Stagecoach (49%)
67 Northgate Information SolutionsSoftware and services provider Hertfordshire Apr 12 851 4.3 154 10,064 KKR (80%), management (10%), other institutional investors (10%)
68 MotoMotorway services operator Bedfordshire Dec 12 849 -1.7 77 4,789 Macquarie, Equity Partners Infrastructure, Australian funds, management
69 Martin McCollConvenience store operator Essex Nov 12 *845 5 *36 11,070 Management (80%), Caird Capital (20%)
70 BiffaIntegrated waste manager High Wycombe Mar 12 843 9.4 129 6,376 Angelo Gordon, Avenue Capital Group, Sankaty Advisors
71 Bourne LeisureCaravan park operator Hertfordshire Dec 12 *839 3.1 *190 12,197 Peter Harris, family of the late John Cook, David Allen, management
72 ArqivaCommunications services provider Winchester Jun 12 832 0.6 402 1,898 Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (48%), other investors (52%)
73 Monarch HoldingsAirline and tour operator Luton Airport Oct 12 825 8.9 27 2,847 Amerald Investments (88%), Atlantic Financial (7%), Abaco Holdings (4%)
74 John LaingInfrastructure investor and manager Central London Dec 12 *815 13.5 *69 1,286 Henderson Equity Partners
75 AMC GroupMetal processor and trader Central London Dec 12 773 38.4 13 710 Harold Sher (26%), Giles Robbins (11%), Charles Rowan (11%), others (52%)
76 PoundlandDiscount retailer West Midlands Apr 12 †765 19.3 †39 10,038 Warburg Pincus (76%), management (24%)
77 Radius Payment SolutionsFuel card manager Crewe Mar 13 *761 0.9 *4 242 Bill Holmes (55%), Roy Sciortino (11%), John Atkinson (8%), management (26%)
78 Expro InternationalOilfield services provider Reading Mar 13 *758 19.6 *184 4,939 Goldman Sachs (37%), Arle Capital Partners (32%), Alpinvest (12%), others (19%)
79 Samworth BrothersFood producer Leicestershire Dec 11 745 4 73 7,323 Samworth family trusts (100%)
80 LINPACPackaging maker West Yorkshire Dec 12 *744 30.6 n/a 4,262 Various, including Deutsche Bank and Strategic Value Partners
81 DoncastersEngineering components maker Burton upon Trent Dec 12 741 -0.5 118 4,736 Dubai International Capital (51%), management (49%)
82 Spire HealthcarePrivate hospital operator Central London Dec 12 *739 9.6 *202 6,732 Cinven, management
83 Sir Robert McAlpineConstruction contractor Hertfordshire Oct 12 732 -7.1 26 1,963 McAlpine family (100%)
84 Bloor InvestmentsBuilder and motorcycle maker Derbyshire Jun 12 727 11 69 2,420 John Bloor (100%)
85 FircroftTechnical Recruitment Specialist Warrington Aug 12 725 29.1 20 404 Johnson family and management (63%), Equistone Partners (37%)
86 Odeon & UCI Cinemas GroupCinema operator Central London Dec 12 724 -0.2 91 9,407 Terra Firma (>99%), Management (<1%)
87 bet365Online bookmaker Stoke-on-Trent Mar 12 722 44 154 2,151 Coates family (93%), Will Roseff (7%)
88 DunbiaRed meat processor County Tyrone Mar 13 *719 2.3 n/a 3,156 Jack and James Dobson (100%)
89 Langley HoldingsEngineering equipment maker Nottinghamshire Dec 12 *718 71.7 *152 4,004 Tony Langley (100%)
90 Southern WaterWater services provider West Sussex Mar 12 716 10.7 478 1,742 UBS Global (39%) and JP Morgan (28%), others (33%)
91 OCS GroupFacilities services provider Gatwick Mar 12 711 3.2 33 55,585 Goodliffe family (100%)
92 ListersCar dealer Stratford-upon-Avon Mar 13 *707 9.5 *18 1,729 Terry Lister (27%), Keith Bradshaw (25%), Geoff Lister (15%), others (33%)
93 Hanover AcceptancesConglomerate Central London Dec 12 706 2.8 56 1,766 Gorvy family
94 Harrods GroupDepartment store operator Central London Jan 12 696 11.7 144 3,607 Qatar Holding (100%)
95 House of FraserDepartment store operator Central London Jan 13 695 1.4 61 5,065 Landsbanki, Don McCarthy, Glitnir, West Coast Capital, Caird Capital
96 Northern & Shell Media GroupPublisher & broadcaster Central London Dec 11 689 38.8 77 1,347 Richard Desmond (100%)
97 Telereal TrilliumProperty investor and manager Central London Mar 12 687 -1.2 165 662 Pears family and management (100%)
98 Lamex Food GroupFood importer and exporter Hertfordshire Mar 12 676 26.5 15 236 Steve Anderson (21%), Phillip Wallace (12%), Colin Dicker (12%), others (55%)
99 ASCOOil and gas services provider Aberdeen Dec 12 675 8.2 37 2,032 Doughty Hanson (80%), management (20%)
100 Bowmer & KirklandConstruction contractor Derbyshire Aug 12 675 -4.6 30 1,405 Kirkland family and family trusts

* supplied by company   † annualised figure