Research report 2018 Britain's private companies with the fastest-growing profits - Fast Track
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Research report 2018 Profit Track 100 research report 2018 1 Britain's private companies with the fastest-growing profits Sponsored by
Profit Track 100 research report 2018 i
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
Top 10 Profit Track 100 companies 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2
KEY STATISTICS 3
Growth in profits 3
Margins 4
Sales 4
Staff and job creation 5
Regional breakdown 5
Foundation dates 5
Sector breakdown 6
Industry breakdown 7
Majority-ownership 7
NINETEEN YEARS OF PROFIT TRACK 100 8
KEY THEMES & SELECTED COMPANY PROFILES 10
International expansion 10
Regional strength 11
External capital 12
Building and construction 13
Manufacturing 14
Consumer spending 15
Well-known brands 16
2018 PROFIT TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE 17
ONES TO WATCH 21
METHODOLOGY 22
Qualification criteria 22
Research approach 22
Disclaimers 22
SPONSORS & MEDIA PARTNER 23
ABOUT FAST TRACK 25
Compiler and publisher 25
The authors 25
Fast Track 26
CONTACT DETAILS 26
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2018 1
INTRODUCTION
This is the 19th year of The Sunday Times Profit Track 100,
which has become the definitive league table of Britain’s private
companies with the fastest-growing profits. BDO is the title
sponsor and UBS Wealth Management is the main sponsor.
The 2018 Profit Track 100 ranks companies based on their
average operating profit growth over three years, either from
Bed manufacturer and retailer Dreams tops the Profit 2013 to 2016, or 2014 to 2017, depending on the companies’
Track 100 with an average profit growth over the past latest available accounts.
three years of 167% pa
Despite uncertainty around Brexit and a weak pound, this year’s
league table findings demonstrate that companies have benefitted
from a period of sustained economic stimulus and growth.
Average profit growth for the 100 companies over their latest
three years was 77% a year, with combined profits of £1.1bn.
Companies on the table include household names such as
sandwich shop chain Pret A Manger (No 68); online retailer The
Hut Group (No 87); gym operator PureGym (No 56), and noodle
bar chain Wagamama (No 82). The No 1 company is Dreams,
which makes and sells beds. After a turnaround, profits grew
167% a year from £1.8m in 2014 to £34.5m in 2017.
These figures illustrate the dynamic contribution of the Profit
Track 100 companies to the British economy, and are outlined in
more detail in the following pages.
Top 10 Profit Track 100 companies
3yr average Latest Latest
Rank Rank Company annual profit profits sales
2018 2017 Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Founded
Dreams
1 High Wycombe Dec 17 166.89% *34,505 *290,288 1,874 1985
Bed manufacturer & retailer
Motor Fuel Group
2 St Albans Dec 16 135.59% 58,486 1,464,061 61 2004
Fuel forecourt operator
Morrisroe Group
3 23 Borehamwood, Herts Oct 16 132.30% 14,280 162,795 177 1983
Groundworks & construction
Forest Holidays
4 Moira, Derbyshire Mar 17 130.50% †7,250 †35,520 635 1973
Holiday park operator
Big Motoring World
5 Addington, Kent Feb 17 128.19% 7,154 174,624 171 1986
Car dealer
Walter Watson
6 Co Down Dec 16 124.56% 6,226 55,348 247 1967
Steel fabricator
4most
7 Central London Sep 17 115.36% *6,600 *19,592 142 2011
Credit risk analytics consultancy
Apogee Corporation
8 Southwest London Dec 16 108.13% 12,468 112,673 424 1993
Document handling services provider
McGavigan
9 Glasgow Dec 16 106.75% 4,481 22,744 338 1861
Technical plastics manufacturer
blu-3
10 Croydon, Kent Mar 17 106.61% 5,349 93,461 127 2004
Infrastructure & civil engineering services
Profits = operating profit * supplied by company † annualised figure
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2018 2
Growth in profits EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Number of companies in each range of compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) of profits over latest 3 years Overview
• The Profit Track 100 companies, on average, increased
>=140% 1 their profits 77% a year over the last three years of
accounts, from a total of £210m to £1.1bn
115%–139% 6
• Profit growth across the companies has been driven mainly
85%–114% 20 by an improvement in reported margins. These have
50%–84% 73
increased to an average of 14.7% in their latest year, from
an average of 7.8% three years ago
• Combined sales of the 100 companies were up by 116%
over the last three years of available accounts, from a total
of £5.1bn to £10.9bn
• 55 of the companies are majority-owned by an
entrepreneur and/or founders, while 17 are family-owned
and 17 are owned by private equity
• Services (40%) and manufacturing (24%) are the dominant
sectors on the league table
Characteristics of an average • The majority of the companies are based in the southeast
Profit Track 100 company of England (28) and the Midlands (19)
Profits
Average growth over three years 77% pa
Profits in 2016/17 £10.5m
Profits in 2013/14 £2.1m
Key themes
Profit margin latest year 14.7% International expansion: more than half of the companies
Profit margin base year 7.8% (54) have benefited from operating overseas [page 10]
Sales Regional strength: more than half of the companies (58) are
based outside London and the southeast, with the Midlands home
Average growth over three years 34% pa
to more companies (19) than London for the first time [page 11]
Sales in 2016/17 £109m
Sales in 2013/14 £51m External capital: almost a quarter of companies (24) have
raised external capital, whether from private equity, venture
Staff capital firms or corporate investors [page 12]
Typical number of staff in 2016/17 530
Building and construction: there are 25 companies
Typical increase in staff over three years 17% pa
operating in a building-related industry, including seven
Company characteristics construction contractors and six housebuilders [page 13]
Region Southeast (28%)
Manufacturing: There are 24 manufacturers on the
Sector Services (40%) league table, the majority of which make some or all of their
Profits = operating profit products in the UK [page 14]
Consumer spending: There are 27 companies selling
products or services directly to consumers that have
benefited from increased household spending [page 15]
Well-known brands: The league table features a number of
household names, as well as emerging brands [page 16]
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2018 3
Range of profits KEY STATISTICS
Number of companies in each range
Growth in profits
>=£50m 3 • Profit Track 100 companies, on average, increased their
profits by 77% a year over their last three years, from a
£20m–£50m 8
combined £210m to £1.1bn
£10m–£20m 17
• Companies had to work hard to gain a place on this year’s
£5m–£10m 35 league table. Profits at the 100th ranked company grew an
average of 52.7% a year, the third highest growth threshold
£3m–£5m 37
in the history of Profit Track 100 – the highest was last year
when the minimum requirement was 57.3%
• The top-ranked company, bed manufacturer and retailer
Dreams, boosted profits an average 167% a year from
10 companies with the highest profits
£1.8m in 2014 to £34.5m in 2017
Latest
Company profits, • Housebuilder Miller Homes (No 61) achieved the highest
Rank Activity £m FYE profits on the table with £102.6m, on sales of £565.3m in
61
Miller Homes
102.6 Dec 16 2016. The Edinburgh business plans to build 4,000 homes a
Housebuilder
year by 2021, doubling its rate in 2014. In October last year,
Motor Fuel Group chief executive Chris Endsor led a buyout backed by private
2 58.5 Dec 16
Fuel forecourt operator
equity firm Bridgepoint, which acquired a majority stake
Pret A Manger
68
Sandwich shop operator
55.8 Dec 16 from GSO Capital Partners, in a £655m deal
PureGym • 28 companies had profits of £10m or more, including
56 37.1 Dec 17
Gym operator
healthcare software developer TPP (No 93) with £27.1m,
Dreams
1
Bed manufacturer & retailer
34.5 Dec 17 and fuel forecourt operator Motor Fuel Group (No 2) with
The Hut Group
£58.5m. Thirty five companies on the table had profits
87 30.4 Dec 16 between £5m and £10m
Online retailer
TPP
93
Healthcare software developer
27.2 Mar 17 • The company with the lowest profits was card retailer
Story Homes
Cardzone (No 63), with £3m in 2017. The Nottinghamshire
72 26.2 Mar 17 group has made strategic acquisitions, including 14
Housebuilder
AlphaSights Hallmark stores in 2016, and now trades from more than
79 22.8 Dec 16
Business information services 100 sites throughout the UK
Pinewood Studios
77 22.1 Mar 17
Film studio
Profits = operating profit
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2018 4
Profit margins Margins
Number of companies in each margin range • Profit growth across the companies has been mainly driven by
an improvement in reported margins. These increased to an
>=30% 7 average of 14.7% in their latest year, from an average of 7.8%
three years ago
20%–29% 16
10%–19%
• 84 companies increased profit margins by more than 2% points
39
over the three year growth period. This compares with 61
5%–9% 28 companies last year
0%–4% 10 • Seven companies had profit margins of more than 30%.
Companies include healthcare software developer TPP (No 93),
which has a 48.7% margin; and automotive engineer Integral
Powertrain (No 57), which has a 41.1% profit margin
5 companies with the highest profit margins
• The company with the lowest margins, at 2.1%, is corporate
Rank Company Profits Profit FYE travel management provider Click Travel (No 39), with profits of
Activity £m margin
£3.4m, and gross sales of £163.9m
The Qdos Group
55 7.1 51.5% Dec 17
Insurance broker & consultancy
TPP
93 27.2 48.7% Mar 17
Healthcare software developer
Nexus Underwriting
91
Insurance underwriter
10.0 41.9% Dec 17 Sales
57
Integral Powertrain
8.4 41.1% Dec 16
• Total combined sales were up by 115% from £5.1bn to £10.9bn
Automotive engineer
in 2016/17
AlphaSights
79 22.8 34.3% Dec 16
Business information servcies • All companies registered an increase in sales between 2013/14
and 2016/17. Payment services provider Optal (No 18) recorded
the highest growth in sales, which increased an average 163% a
year from £7.1m in 2013 to £129.1m in 2016
5 companies with the biggest sales
• The company with the biggest sales in its latest year was Motor
Rank Company Latest FYE
Activity sales £m Fuel Group (No 2). The fuel forecourt operator’s turnover
Motor Fuel Group reached £1.5bn in 2016
2 1,464.1 Dec 16
Fuel forecourt operator
• The company with the lowest sales on the league table was
Pret A Manger
68 776.2 Dec 16 business telecom services provider Network Telecom (No 35).
Sandwich shop operator
Miller Homes The Telford group reported sales of £11.2m in 2017, with profits
61 565.3 Dec 16
Housebuilder of £3.1m
The Hut Group
87 501.4 Dec 16
Online retailer
NG Bailey
34 500.3 Feb 17
Mechanical, electrical contractor
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2018 5
Number of employees Staff and job creation
Number of companies in each staff range • The 100 companies employ a total of 52,600 employees
(2017: 49,100), resulting in average profits per employee of
>=5,000 2 £20,000 in the latest financial year (2017: £20,900)
1,000–4,999 6 • Together, the 100 companies added 19,400 jobs during the
last three years, although in some cases, employees were
500–999 13
taken on as part of an acquisition. (2017: 18,000)
250–499 20
• The largest employer is sandwich retailer Pret A Manger (No
100–249 33 68), with 10,426 staff
Profit Track 100 research report 2018 6
Sector breakdown Sector breakdown
(last year's figures in brackets) • The two largest sectors are services, with 40 companies, and
Wholesale 5 (12) manufacturing with 24
• Services (40) businesses encompass a wide range of industries
Construction 17 (14) such as marketing services provider HH Global (No 45), charter
airline Titan Airways (No 70) and sporting events promoter
Matchroom Sport (No 81)
The service sector represents combined profits of £367m and
Retail 20 (12) employs 17,900 staff
• Manufacturers (including outsourced) (24) include pet
food maker Burns Pet Nutrition (No 60), all-terrain vehicle
Manufacturing 24 (25) manufacturer SC Group (No 88), and kitchen manufacturer
Services 40 (44) Ultima (No 66)
The manufacturing sector represents combined profits of
Note: where companies are deemed to operate in
more than one sector, a second sector is chosen. In
£159m and employs 7,100 staff
total 6 companies operate in two sectors. Each sector
• Retailers (20) range from online menswear retailer END. (No 47)
is given an equal weighting in the above analysis
to card retailer Cardzone (No 63) and online gold dealer
BullionByPost (No 92)
The retail sector represents combined profits of £305m and
employs 24,600 staff
Industry breakdown • Construction (17) includes housebuilder Story Homes (No 72),
construction contractor JRL Group (No 48), and structural
(last year's figures in brackets) steelwork contractor Caunton (No 38)
These companies represent combined profits of £229m and
employ 3,500 staff
• Wholesalers (5) include promotional clothing wholesaler
Building related 25 (28)
PenCarrie (No 27), seafood supplier DR Collin (No 83), and
hygiene products brand Natracare (No 65)
The wholesale sector represents combined profits of £22m
and 650 staff
Consumer goods 21 (14) Industry breakdown
• Building related (25). Examples include mechanical and
electrical contractor NG Bailey (No 34) and demolition
Computers & electronics 9 (9) contractor Erith Group (No 53)
These companies represent combined profits of £289m and
employ 8,200 staff
Food & drink 7 (8)
• Consumer goods (21). They include appliance manufacturer
Business services 7 (7) Gtech (No 85), childrenswear retailer Childrensalon (No 90) and
bathroom mirror manufacturer, HiB (No 51)
Media 5 (3)
League table companies in this industry represent combined
Engineering 4 (6)
profits of £212m and employ 9,000 people
Automotive 4 (5)
Finance 4 (5)
• Computers and electronics (9). These include payment
processing services provider Optal (No 18), network services
Leisure 3 (3)
provider Exponential-e (No 89), and healthcare software
developer TPP (No 93)
Other 11 (12)
These companies have combined profits of £86m and employ
1,900 staff
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2018 7
Ownership Ownership
Number of companies by majority ownership type • Entrepreneurs and founders have a majority ownership of 55
(last year's figures in brackets) companies (2017: 45) in the Profit Track 100
Management/ Examples include events and publishing business Media 10
employees 11 (17) (No 64), which was founded by Lee Newton, 52, and nine
fellow directors, in 2003; and corporate learning provider Mind
Gym (No 36), which was founded by Octavius Black, 49, and
PE and/or VC
17 (18)
Sebastian Bailey, 43, in 2000
• 17 companies on the league table are family owned i.e. they
remain owned by the founder’s children or other descendants
(2017: 20)
Family 17 (20) Examples include housebuilder C G Fry & Son (No 31), which
is owned by the Fry family and run by managing director Philip
Fry, the grandson of the founder; and tea maker Ahmad Tea
Entrepreneur and/or founder 55 (45) (No 32) which was founded by the Afshar family in 1986, and is
now owned and run by family
• 17 of the companies are owned by private equity (2017: 18)
Examples include film studio Pinewood Studios (No 77), which
is majority owned by Aermont Capital and led by chairman and
acting chief executive Paul Golding, 53. Others include holiday park
operator Forest Holidays (No 4), which is led by chief executive
Bruce McKendrick, 56, majority owned by LDC and Phoenix Equity
Partners. The latter paid £110m for a 42% stake last year
Sustained growth
• 16 companies appear on the league table for a second
consecutive year, and 4 make it a third consecutive
appearance, including business information services provider
Alphasights (No 79)
• Only one company appeared for four years in a row, Story
Homes (No 72). In total, the housebuilder has feature a record
seven times
The table below shows the four companies that have appeared
for three or more consecutive years:
Companies that have featured on Profit Track 100 in consecutive years
Company Activity Latest profits £m Rank 2018 Rank 2017 Rank 2016 Rank 2015
Story Homes Housebuilder 26.2 72 44 62 87
Symphony Furniture supplier 18.7 67 24 84
AlphaSights Business information services 22.8 79 71 17
Gtech Appliance manufacturer 18.2 85 11 2
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk
Profit Track 100 research report 2018 8
NINETEEN YEARS OF PROFIT TRACK 100
Profit Track 100 was launched 19 years ago to recognise the
success of Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing
profits. Since its launch, more than 1,400 different companies
have appeared on the league table. The vital statistics of the
league table companies have changed significantly over the last
19 years. The combined profits figure for all companies has
increased from £700m to £1.1bn, and profits per employee have
risen from £12,000 to £20,000.
Brothers Zuba and Mohsin Issa, co-founders of Euro
Garages, which first featured in 2008, merged with Stock market flotations
European Forecourt Retail in a £1.3bn deal in 2016; in
February they acquired 762 sites in the US for $2.15bn. 47 companies have floated on the stock market. Examples
include (in league table appearance order):
• ophos, the security software developer, first featured in 2002
S
with profits of £8m, floated in 2015 and is now valued at £2.1bn
• ineworld, the multiplex cinema operator, featured in 2003
C
with profits of £6m, floated in 2007 and is now valued at £3.2bn
• Moneysupermarket, the financial website operator, featured
in 2007 with profits of £23m, floated in the same year, and is
now valued at £1.5bn
• Virgin Money, the bank, first featured in 2007 with profits of
£9m, floated in 2014 and is now valued at £1.2bn
• B&M Retail, the discount retailer, first featured in 2010 with
profits of £13m, floated in 2014 and is now valued at £4.0bn
• oftcat, the IT reseller, featured in 2010 with profits of £7m,
S
2000 2018
floated in 2015 valued at £153m, and is now valued at £1.3bn
• Markit, the financial information services provider, first
Total profits
featured in 2012 with profits of £88.5m, floated on Nasdaq in
How Top Track 250 has changed 2014 and, following its merger with IHS in March last year, is
£700m £1.1bn
valued at £19.1bn
• Patisserie Valerie, the patisserie and café operator, featured
Total employees in 2012 with profits of £6m, floated in 2014 and is now valued
at £379m
57,700 52,600
• FDM Group, the IT services provider, first featured in 2013
with profits of £18m, floated in 2014 valued at £309m, and is
Average profit now valued at £1.1bn
growth pa
55% 77%
Acquisitions and mergers
Top company
growth rate pa
124% 167%
Other Profit Track 100 companies have been acquired, including
innocent, which sold a majority stake to Coca Cola in 2013, valuing
the company at £440m; Kelway, the IT services provider - American
IT wholesaler CDW acquired 65% in 2015 valuing the group at
£420m.
Among the leading mergers have been fuel forecort retailer Euro
Garages, which merged with European Forecourt Retail in 2016,
valuing the group at £1.3bn, and acquired 762 sites in the US in
February for $2.15bn; and money.co.uk which was acquired by
Zoopla for £140m in September last year.
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 9
The first Profit Track 100
Companies that appeared in the first Profit Track 100 league table
in 2000 include:
• Carphone Warehouse, the mobile phone retailer, featured
with profits of £15m, floated in the same year and is now
valued at £2.2bn, following its merger with Dixons
• Dunelm, the soft furnishings retailer, featured with profits of
£7m, floated in 2006 and is now valued at £1.1bn
• Dyson, the appliance manufacturer, featured with profits of
£24m, and last year featured on Top Track 100 with profits of
£572m on sales of £2.5bn
• Travelex, the foreign exchange operator, featured with profits
Dyson featured in the first Profit Track 100 with profits of of £6m and was acquired by the owner of UAE Exchange,
£24m, and featured on last year’s Top Track 100 with profits
of £572m on sales of £2.5bn
Bavaguthu Shetty, and Centurion, an Abu Dhabi-based
investment vehicle, for £1bn in 2014
Failures
Fewer than 10% of Profit Track 100 companies have gone bust
over the years. Companies that have failed include Focus DIY,
which featured in 2002 but fell into administration in 2011 after
having grown to be the fourth largest DIY retailer in the UK;
fashion retailer Republic, which featured in 2011 but fell into
administration in 2013, before being acquired by Sports Direct;
and Maplin, which featured in 2004 but fell into administration in
March this year.
Profit Track 100 alumni
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 10
KEY THEMES & SELECTED COMPANY
PROFILES
On the following pages we profile examples of companies
that demonstrate some of the key themes from this year’s
league table.
INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION
More than half of the companies (54) sell overseas. Examples
Matchroom Sport (No 81), MD Eddie Hearn, 38, with include online retailer The Hut Group (No 87), which has the
Anthony Joshua following his heavyweight boxing victory highest overseas sales of all the companies on the table at
over Carlos Takam in 2017
£317m, helped by the launch of 60 international websites;
and document handling services provider Apogee Corporation
(No 8), which services clients such as McDonalds from 26
offices across Europe.
Loch Duart Last year, its exports to Spain grew 100% to £1m, while sales
21 Salmon farmer to Italy rose 64% to £2m
Location Sutherland Loch Duart has been farming its distinctive torpedo-shaped
FYE Mar 17 Atlantic Salmon in Scotland’s Badcall Bay since 1999 when it
CAGR§ 90.77% was co-founded by sales director Andy Bing, 57. It attempts
Latest profits £8.8m to replicate the experience of fish living in the wild and was
Base profits £1.3m the first salmon farm in the world to be approved under the
RSPCA Assurance Scheme. Led by managing director Alban
Latest sales £42.5m
Denton, 54, profits hit £8.8m on sales of £42.5m in 2017,
Employees 109
helped by exports to 20 countries and sustained high prices
throughout the year.
Ahmad Tea Says it is among the top five international tea brands
32 worldwide
Tea maker
Location Hampshire Chairman Rahim Afshar, 68, and his two brothers founded this
FYE Dec 16 Hampshire firm in 1986, with support from their late father
CAGR§ 79.76% Ahmad. Focusing on international sales, it sells its speciality teas
Latest profits £3.8m in 80 countries and has become a household name in Russia
Base profits £0.6m and the Middle East. It also uses images referencing London’s
tea-importing past in its marketing to boost global appeal.
Latest sales £58.0m
Profits rose to £3.8m in 2016, helped by strong demand for
Employees 303
healthier teas and growth in the US and Eastern Europe.
Matchroom Sport Covers major sporting events and distributes its footage to
81 more than 130 countries worldwide
Sporting events promoter
Location Essex More than 2,000 hours of original sports footage, from
FYE Jun 17 snooker, darts and fishing to gymnastics and netball, are
CAGR§ 58.84% produced each year by Essex-based Matchroom Sport.
Latest profits £13.5m Chairman Barry Hearn, 69, founded the company, which
Base profits £3.4m stages, promotes and televises 11 sports, in 1982. Anthony
Joshua's heavyweight victory over Wladimir Klitschko in April
Latest sales £100.2m
2017 helped lift profits to £13.5m in the same year.
Employees 74
§ three year compound annual growth rate
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 11
REGIONAL STRENGTH
Britain’s deep pockets of expertise are based all around the
country, with more than half of the companies (58) based
outside London and the southeast. The Midlands is home
to more companies (19) than London (17) for the first time,
while three of the top five companies with the biggest sales
are located outside London and the southeast: housebuilder
Miller Homes (No 61) in Scotland; online retailer The Hut
Group (No 87) in the Northwest; and mechanical and electrical
Founded in 2012, Gymshark (No 46) sells to more than
contractor NG Bailey (No 34) in Yorkshire.
150 countries, including the US, where it makes about 40%
of its sales
Net World Sports Plans to provide 24/7 customer service to serve its growing
33 Asia-Pacific market
Online sports goods retailer
Location Wrexham Founder Alex Lovén, 30, has expanded this online sports
FYE Sep 17 goods retailer from a single website operated from his
CAGR§ 79.17% bedroom to seven international websites selling to sports
Latest profits £5.1m* clubs and schools as well as direct to consumers. It sells
Base profits £0.9m 100,000 football goals a year from its Wrexham warehouse
and its 1,000-strong product range covers sports from
Latest sales £18.2m*
cricket to lacrosse. Growth in its overseas business helped
Employees 87
the company increase profits to £5.1m in 2017.
46 Gymshark Has more than 20m social media followers in more than 150
Online sportswear retailer countries
Location Redditch Ben Francis, 25, started this Redditch-based fitness
FYE Jul 17 clothing brand in 2012. Its range of vests, T-shirts and
CAGR§ 73.18% leggings, designed to accentuate muscle and body shape,
Latest profits £8.2m has gone global. The company has sponsored popular
Base profits £1.6m YouTubers, Instagrammers and bloggers, and its savvy use
of social media has driven strong brand recognition, lifted
Latest sales £40.5m
international sales and helped profits hit £8.2m in 2017. Its
Employees 100
women’s range accounted for 40% of its £40.5m of sales last
year and is expected to exceed menswear soon.
Gtech
85 Has sold more than 22m domestic appliances in 19 countries
Appliance manufacturer
Location Worcester Inventor Nick Grey, 49, left the vacuum cleaner maker Vax
FYE Nov 17 in 2001 to design his own cordless floor sweeper. Taking on
CAGR§ 57.32% established brands such as Dyson and Hoover, his Worcester
Latest profits £18.2m* company makes the cordless AirRam vacuum cleaner as well
Base profits £4.7m as cordless garden tools and an electric bicycle. After profits
rose to £18.2m in 2017, the group announced plans to move
Latest sales £121.4m*
some of its production back to Worcestershire from China in
Employees 206
2019, creating 100 additional jobs.
§ three year compound annual growth rate * supplied by company
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 12
EXTERNAL CAPITAL
One in four companies (24) has received equity funding from
investors such as venture capital, private equity firms and/
or corporations to grow their businesses. Seven have sold
minority stakes to external investors. For example, Steve
Mathers, 56 and David Taylor, 54, led a buyout of technical
plastics manufacturer McGavigan (No 9) in 2009 from its US
parent, and sold a 37.5% stake Maven Capital Partners in 2011
for an undisclosed sum.
Turtle Bay (No 54) In 2013, Piper Private Equity paid £6m to
acquire a minority stake in the Caribbean restaurant chain
Forest Holidays
4 Phoenix Equity Partners paid £110m for a 42% stake in 2017
Holiday park operator
Location Moira, Derbyshire Founded in 1973, this Derbyshire leisure firm has 571 wood
FYE Mar 17 cabins available to hire in nine forest locations across the UK,
CAGR§ 130.50% from Cornwall to Argyll. All are situated within public forest
Latest profits £7.2m† estates and designed to blend in with the environment.
Base profits £0.6m Led by chief executive Bruce McKendrick, 56, annualised
profits rose to £7.2m in 2017, attracting Phoenix Equity
Latest sales £35.5m†
Partners, which paid £110m for a 42% stake in the business
Employees 635
in the same year. The group is part-owned by the Forestry
Commission, and has agreement to build two new sites this
year, in Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons.
Turtle Bay Piper Private Equity paid £6m to acquire a minority stake
54 in 2013
Caribbean restaurant chain
Location Bristol Inspired by beach shack and street food, this Caribbean
FYE Feb 17 restaurant chain is putting curried goat and jerk chicken on
CAGR§ 70.33% the menu, with 42 sites in the UK, and two in Germany. Chief
Latest profits £12m executive Ajith Jayawickrema, 55, used his experience setting
Base profits £2.4m up Latin American chain Las Iguanas, to create Bristol-
headquartered Turtle Bay in 2010. In the year to February
Latest sales £63.7m
2017, the group opened 11 new sites lifting profits to £12m.
Employees 1,390
Pinewood Studios Aermont Capital acquired a majority stake in a £323m deal
77 in 2016
Film studio
Location Buckinghamshire James Bond, Harry Potter and Star Wars are some of the
FYE Mar 17 blockbuster film franchises created at Pinewood. As well
CAGR§ 59.60% as film and TV production, the studio provides a range
Latest profits £22.1m of specialist services from motion capture to underwater
Base profits £5.4m filming. In 2016, private equity firm Aermont Capital delisted
the group from AIM, acquiring a majority stake in a £323m
Latest sales £98.3m
deal. Under chairman and acting chief executive Paul
Employees 278
Golding, 53, profits at the Buckinghamshire firm hit £22.1m
in 2017.
§ three year compound annual growth rate † annualised
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 13
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
There are 25 companies operating in the building industry
or construction sector. Sixteen of the companies are directly
involved in construction, including six housebuilders, while five
others manufacture products for use in the building trade,
such as concrete block manufacturer Lignacite (No 59). Four
others offer building-related services, such as MJM Group (No
62), which provides specialist joinery and fit-out services for
luxury hotels.
Story Homes (No 72) founder Fred Story, 61—the
housebuilder features for a record seventh time this year
Morrisroe Group
3 Is helping to build Tottenham Hotspur's new football stadium
Groundworks and construction
Location Borehamwood, Herts This Hertfordshire construction firm was founded by its
FYE Oct 16 chief executive and chairman Brian Morrisroe, 62, in 1983. It
CAGR§ 132.30% operates as a subcontractor, providing groundwork, concrete
Latest profits £14.3m frames and joinery services to major construction projects
Base profits £1.1m including the new Tottenham Hotspur FC stadium in London,
the “Can of Ham” skyscraper in the City and the Atlas
Latest sales £162.8m
residential tower close to Shoreditch. Growing demand for
Employees 177
offices and a resilient London property market helped profits
rise to £14.3m in 2016.
Erith Group Demolished Killingholme power station using explosives in
53 November last year
Demolition contractor
Location Erith, Kent Kent-based Erith Group carries out asbestos removal,
FYE Sep 17 demolition and decommissioning on contaminated
CAGR§ 70.74% former industrial sites, including the turbine hall at the
Latest profits £10.6m decommissioned Dungeness nuclear power station. Led by
Base profits £2.1m brothers Steve, 59, Tony, 57, and David Darsey, 48, it secured
framework agreements with National Grid and Northern Gas
Latest sales £152.9m
Networks in May last year. Profits climbed to £10.6m in the
Employees 582
year ending September 2017.
Story Homes Completed 807 new homes in 2017, up 43% on the
72 Housebuilder previous year
Location Carlisle Fred Story, 61, founded this Carlisle housebuilder in 1987.
FYE Mar 17 He puts recent growth down to the quality of its buildings
CAGR§ 60.96% and high levels of customer satisfaction. Under chief
Latest profits £26.2m executive Steve Errington, 48, the group completed more
Base profits £6.3m than 800 new homes in 2017, up 43% on the previous year,
helping profits rise to £26.2m and securing a record seventh
Latest sales £173.8m
year in this league table. It has increased the proportion of
Employees 354
affordable homes from 14% to 23% of its £173.8m turnover.
§ three year compound annual growth rate
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 14
MANUFACTURING
There are 24 manufacturers on the league table, the majority
of which make some or all of their products in the UK,
including kitchen manufacturer Ultima (No 66) and electrical
component manufacturer Rockford (No 76). Those with
factories overseas include industrial fastener manufacturer
Cooper & Turner (No 86), with a factory in China, and tea
maker Ahmad Tea (No 32), with production facilities in Russia,
UAE and China.
West-Midlands based Elta Group (No 37) designs and
manufactures fans and other equipment used to move air
McGavigan Manufactures decorative assemblies and interior parts in
9 Glasgow and China supplying the global automotive industry
Technical plastics manufacturer
Location Glasgow Starting out as a screen-printing business in 1861, this Glasgow
FYE Dec 16 firm now manufactures decorative plastic components and
CAGR§ 106.75% assemblies, supplying major car manufacturers globally. It has
Latest profits £4.5m production sites in the UK and China, as well as regional offices
Base profits £0.5m in Japan and Germany. Steve Mathers, 56 and David Taylor, 54,
bought the business in 2009, selling 37.5% of their shares to
Latest sales £22.7m
Maven Capital Partners in 2011 for an undisclosed sum. Strong
Employees 338
performance in its Asia operations helped lift profits to £4.5m
in 2016. After our research closed, the company reported 2017
profits rose to £4.7m.
Elta Group Its 19 companies operate in seven countries across Europe,
37 Africa, Asia and Australasia
Air movement equipment manufacturer
Location West Midlands West-Midlands based Elta Group designs and manufactures fans
FYE Mar 17 and other equipment used to move air. It was founded in 1996,
CAGR§ 76.58% when British-based Elta Fans and South African firm AMS were
Latest profits £3.6m bought out of Air Movement Group. In the past 22 years, the
Base profits £0.6m company has made a series of acquisitions and today the group
comprises 19 companies operating in seven countries across
Latest sales £109.8m
Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. Chairman David Ball, 50,
Employees 775
oversaw a rise in profits to £3.6m in 2017.
Omar Group
50 Park home manufacturer
Makes 650 park homes a year at factories in Hull and Suffolk
Location Suffolk An increase in people holidaying at home and ‘last-time buyers’
FYE Apr 17 looking to downsize has helped to treble sales of Omar’s park
CAGR§ 71.61% homes and lodges since 2010. The company produces 650
Latest profits £5.5m homes a year from its headquarters in Brandon, Suffolk, and
Base profits £1.1m a second factory in Hull. In April 2017, the group received
undisclosed investment to fund further expansion from private
Latest sales £39.4m
equity fund Rutland Partners, which acquired a majority stake.
Employees 375
Profits grew to £5.5m in the same year under chairman and
chief executive Dean Westmoreland, 54.
§ three year compound annual growth rate
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 15
CONSUMER SPENDING
Companies (27) selling products or services directly to
consumers feature strongly on the league table, reflecting
recent robust strength in household spending. The companies
include fuel forecourt retailer HKS Retail (No 49), which has
seen grocery and non-fuel sales increase; and pre-owned
luxury watch retailer Watchfinder (No 52), which was a purely
online business, but is now planning to add to its seven UK
stores with additional outlets in Germany and France.
Childrenswear retailer Childrensalon (No 90) is now a global
online retailer, stocking childrenswear from 280 brands, such as
Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana
END.
47 Is planning to open a flagship store in London's Soho this year
Online menswear retailer
Location Newcastle upon Tyne This online retailer of menswear brands such as Comme
FYE Mar 17 des Garçons, Barbour and Stone Island started life as a
CAGR§ 73.16% shop in Newcastle in 2005. After 12 months its co-founders,
Latest profits £16.2m university friends John Parker, 36, and Christiaan Ashworth,
Base profits £3.1m 35, saw the potential of the internet and set up an online
store. In 2014, the private-equity firm Index Ventures
Latest sales £69.6m
bought a minority stake for an undisclosed sum. It opened
Employees 192
a Glasgow store in 2016, helping last year's profits grow to
£16.2m, and plans to launch a flagship London store in Soho
this year.
Childrensalon
90 Its customer service staff speak more than 30 languages
Childrenswear retailer
Location Tunbridge Wells Childrensalon was started in 1952 by Sybil Harriman with a
FYE Dec 16 shop in Tunbridge Wells selling children’s clothes. It is now
CAGR§ 56.32% a global online retailer, stocking childrenswear from 280
Latest profits £14.7m brands, such as Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana. With sales of
Base profits £3.9m traditional styles surging since the births of Prince George
and Princess Charlotte, the firm has opened a second
Latest sales £61.0m
warehouse and increased exports, helping profits hit £14.7m
Employees 235
in 2016. It is headed by the founder’s daughter, Michele
Harriman-Smith, 66, and her husband George Smith, 70.
Beautybay.com Stocks more than 10,000 beauty products ranging from
99 eyebrow pomade to glycolic acid toner
Online cosmetics retailer
Location Manchester More than 10,000 makeup, skincare and haircare products
FYE Dec 16 from cult beauty brands such as Anastasia Beverley Hills,
CAGR§ 53.76% Jeffree Star Cosmetics and The Ordinary can be purchased
Latest profits £4.2m on this Manchester e-tailer’s website. Founded in 1999
Base profits £1.2m by David Gabbie, 36, the firm rebranded in 2005 and has
since grown by stocking hard-to-get products from popular
Latest sales £51.1m
international brands, and by expanding its social media
Employees 117
presence to include some 2m followers. It scaled up its
distribution capabilities in 2016 to help cope with increased
demand, seeing profits hit £4.2m in the same year.
§ three year compound annual growth rate
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 16
WELL-KNOWN BRANDS
Household names that feature on the league table include
bed manufacturer and retailer Dreams (No 1), appliance
manufacturer Gtech (No 85), noodle bar operator Wagamama
(No 82), and Pinewood Studios (No 77).
Emerging brands that feature include the online sportswear
retailer Gymshark (No 46), holiday park operator Forest
Holidays (No 4), and the cosmetics retailer Beautybay.com (No
The Hut Group (No 87) has more than 140 branded websites
99).
such as Myprotein, backed by its proprietary technology
PureGym Was sold last year in a deal valuing the business at more
56 than £600m
Gym operator
Location Leeds Most of PureGym’s 200 sites are open 24 hours a day, seven
FYE Dec 17 days a week, and all offer low-cost membership and on-site
CAGR§ 69.17% personal trainers without tying members to fixed-term
Latest profits £37.1m* contracts. In 2015, the Leeds-headquarted firm acquired all
Base profits £7.7m 43 LA Fitness gyms in a £74m deal, and in November last
year, chief executive Humphrey Cobbold, 53, led a buyout
Latest sales £198.0m*
backed by US private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners,
Employees 833
which acquired a majority stake. The deal valued the group
at more than £600m. Profits were boosted to £37.1m in the
year to December 2017.
Pret A Manger Opened its first store in Singapore last year, adding to its 440
68 outlets in six countries
Sandwich shop operator
Location Central London This London-based chain serves fresh food and organic coffee
FYE Dec 16 to almost half a million customers a day, operating 440 outlets
CAGR§ 61.77% in six countries. Profits hit £55.8m in 2016, when it opened
Latest profits £55.8m its first Dubai store, its first vegetarian-only Veggie Pret store,
Base profits £13.2m and sales in the US exceeded $200m for the first time. The
following year it was reported that the group was mulling
Latest sales £776.2m
a flotation on the New York Stock Exchange. Led by chief
Employees 10,426
executive Clive Schlee, 59, it has this year announced a raft of
initiatives to boost its eco-credentials, such as a ban on plastic
straws and the introduction of a bottle deposit scheme.
The Hut Group Created 1,400 new jobs last year and continued its brand
87 acquisitions and proprietary tech investments
Online retailer
Location Manchester This Manchester-based online retailer sells premium goods
FYE Dec 16 in the health and beauty sector, via more than 140 branded
CAGR§ 56.78% websites such as Myprotein and lookfantastic, backed by
Latest profits £30.4m its proprietary technology. The group announced profits
Base profits £7.9m of £30.4m on sales of £501.4m in 2016, and was valued at
£2.5bn last August, when asset management firm Old Mutual
Latest sales £501.4m
Global Investors acquired a 5% stake. Founders Matthew
Employees 1,853
Moulding, 46, and John Gallemore, 49, oversaw acquisitions
of cosmetics brand Illamasqua, beauty subscription service
Glossybox and skincare brand Espa last year.
§ three year compound annual growth rate * supplied by company
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 17
2018 PROFIT TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE
3yr average
annual Latest Latest
Rank Rank Company profit profits sales
2018 2017 Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Comment
Dreams Its spin-off company Hyde & Sleep is boxer
1 High Wycombe Dec 17 166.89% *34,505 *290,288 1,874
Bed manufacturer & retailer Anthony Joshua's official sleep partner
Motor Fuel Group A series of acquisitions lifted sales six-fold
2 St Albans Dec 16 135.59% 58,486 1,464,061 61
Fuel forecourt operator to £1.5bn in the three years to 2016
Morrisroe Group Borehamwood, Is helping to build Tottenham Hotspur's
3 23 Oct 16 132.30% 14,280 162,795 177
Groundworks & construction Herts new football stadium
Forest Holidays Moira, Offers a ‘love-nest’ forest cabin with hot
4 Mar 17 130.50% †7,250 †35,520 635
Holiday park operator Derbyshire tub, wood burner and sunken bath
Big Motoring World Has sold more than 145,000 cars since it
5 Addington, Kent Feb 17 128.19% 7,154 174,624 171
Car dealer was founded in 1986
Walter Watson Provided steel for Belfast’s Waterfront Hall
6 Co Down Dec 16 124.56% 6,226 55,348 247
Steel fabricator conference centre
4most Founder Mark Sisson began his career
7 Central London Sep 17 115.36% *6,600 *19,592 142
Credit risk analytics consultancy selling mainframe computers to banks
Apogee Corporation Has been the official print partner of the
8 Maidstone Dec 16 108.13% 12,468 112,673 424
Document handling services provider London Marathon since 2016
McGavigan Has opened regional offices in Japan and
9 Glasgow Dec 16 106.75% 4,481 22,744 338
Technical plastics manufacturer Germany to support further export growth
blu-3 Is building a £225m data centre in Dublin
10 Kent Mar 17 106.61% 5,349 93,461 127
Infrastructure & engineering services powered entirely by renewable energy
World of Books Reuses and recycles over 70m books every
11 West Sussex Oct 17 105.85% *4,872 *57,360 592
Books & media reseller year, saving 26,000 tonnes from landfill
Lioncourt Homes Completed the sale of 290 homes in 2017,
12 16 Worcester Mar 17 104.62% 9,526 56,217 71
Housebuilder five times more than in 2014
Readie Construction Secured a £37m contract to build a car
13 42 Romford Mar 17 103.57% 6,004 104,923 90
Construction contractor parts factory, its largest to date
HG Construction Hitchin, Is developing a 432-bed student
14 Dec 16 103.43% 4,807 71,861 58
Construction services Hertfordshire accommodation in Euston, London
Llanmoor Homes Last year it completed on a record 159 properties,
15 Glamorganshire Jan 17 103.41% 5,317 32,907 67
Housebuilder selling three quarters to first time buyers
Grundon Its waste plant near Heathrow generates enough
16 Oxfordshire Sep 16 102.62% 5,598 108,557 768
Waste manager renewable energy to power 50,000 homes
Carpenter & Paterson Its products support and protect pipelines
17 Powys Dec 16 98.77% 4,426 23,141 341
Pipe support manufacturer from earthquakes and harsh weather
Optal Offers payment processing in 34 different
18 Central London Dec 16 97.24% 12,207 129,061 38
Payment services provider currencies
TTP Group Made a £4.1m profit on the sale of its
19 Hertfordshire Mar 17 95.37% 10,790 68,416 413
R&D consultancy printer technology company, Meteor Inkjet
Vanarama Hemel Its catchy adverts are broadcast on Sky
20 Dec 16 92.41% 4,527 39,131 151
Van leasing broker Hempstead Sports, BT Sport and Dave
Loch Duart Is the first fish farmer in the northern hemisphere
21 Sutherland Mar 17 90.77% 8,819 42,503 109
Salmon farmer to use forensic analysis to prevent fraud
The Hillhouse Quarry Group Its quarry can produce more than 1m tons
22 Ayrshire Mar 17 88.34% 8,748 52,895 178
Quarry operator of basalt-based products a year
TWMA Targeting sales of £200m after being acquired by
23 Aberdeen Dec 16 87.47% 6,206 49,245 312
Environmental services provider private equity firm Buckthorn Partners in May last year
Leach Designs and builds commercial steel structures
24 Lancashire Mar 17 87.04% 3,591 21,696 136
Structural steel engineer that range between 100 and 2,000 tons
MCS Group Has built new outlets for Next, Costa
25 Warwickshire Dec 16 86.62% 4,265 82,899 44
Construction contractor Coffee and Starbucks
Profits = operating profit * supplied by company † annualised figure
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 18
2018 PROFIT TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE
3yr average
annual Latest Latest
Rank Rank Company profit profits sales
2018 2017 Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Comment
Sudlows Has provided mechanical and electrical
26 Manchester Oct 16 86.34% 4,129 48,831 176
IT & facilities maintenance services engineering services for more than a century
PenCarrie Handles 94 clothing brands from
27 Sowton, Exeter Dec 16 85.06% †5,411 †60,316 191
Promotional clothing wholesaler Craghoppers to BabyBugz
Fred Champion Group One of the contractors providing
Liskeard,
28 Groundworks contractor Sep 16 83.78% 7,317 45,729 218 groundworks for new county town of
Cornwall
Sherford in Devon
West One Technology Waltham Abbey, Says it has Europe's largest remanufacturing
29 Oct 16 83.09% 3,572 49,467 175
Mobile phone refurbisher Essex facility for electronic devices
Activpayroll Its 1,000 clients in more than 140
30 Aberdeen Mar 17 82.11% 3,781 13,134 100
Accountancy service provider countries include Tesla and Skyscanner
C G Fry & Son Has built more than 600 homes in the
31 Dorchester Dec 16 80.97% 4,343 60,443 144
Housebuilder Prince of Wales’s model town of Poundbury
Ahmad Tea Says it is among the top five international
32 Hampshire Dec 16 79.76% 3,765 58,006 303
Tea maker tea brands worldwide
Net World Sports Plans to provide 24/7 customer service to
33 66 Wrexham Sep 17 79.17% *5,097 *18,230 87
Online sports goods retailer serve its growing Asia-Pacific market
NG Bailey Last year, it completed the installation of a
34 West Yorkshire Feb 17 78.78% 12,000 500,300 2,776
Mechanical, electrical contractor £97m supercomputer for the Met Office
Network Telecom Provides scripts and samples so companies
35 Telford Dec 17 78.18% *3,092 *11,228 92
Business telecom services can produce their own on-hold music
Mind Gym Delivers 500 bite-size training courses
36 Central London Mar 17 77.68% 4,614 30,613 195
Corporate learning provider every week to improve work performance
Elta Group Its 19 companies operate across four
37 West Midlands Mar 17 76.58% 3,573 109,816 775
Air movement equipment manufacturer continents
Caunton Has its own accredited academy for
38 Nottingham Jan 17 76.20% 7,060 58,736 247
Structural steelwork contractor training welders and fabricators
Click Travel Clients such as Red Bull and TalkTalk book and
39 Birmingham Mar 17 75.75% 3,444 163,871 164
Corporate travel management manage travel using its online booking tool
MVF Acquired US technology news brand Tech.
40 50 North London Mar 17 75.56% 10,681 54,257 319
Customer generation services co in January
CH&Co Group Its Brookwood catering business serves
41 Reading Dec 16 75.25% 6,366 191,231 4,688
Catering group 45,000 meals a day in 90 schools
Wykes Engineering Its waste-to-energy power plant generates around
42 Northamptonshire Aug 16 74.68% 3,764 33,915 73
Manufacturing engineer 54,000 megawatt hours of electricity a year
Edenhouse Says it has completed 800 SAP software
43 Warwickshire Mar 17 73.95% 8,788 40,726 234
IT services provider projects to date
OCL Facades Installed panels that are 200 times tougher
44 Laindon, Essex Jun 17 73.43% 5,423 40,403 38
Building facade contractor than glass at Redbridge College
HH Global Its clients include Google, Lloyds Banking
45 9 Leatherhead Mar 17 73.23% 11,255 266,826 827
Marketing services provider Group and Bayer
Gymshark Has more than 20m social media followers
46 Solihull Jul 17 73.18% 8,150 40,525 100
Online sportswear retailer in more than 130 countries
END. Newcastle upon Is planning to open a flagship store in
47 Mar 17 73.16% 16,189 69,627 192
Online menswear retailer Tyne London's Soho this year
JRL Group Its services include demolition, groundworks,
48 North London Dec 16 73.03% 17,507 288,500 706
Construction contractor concrete frames and plant hire
HKS Retail Operates from more than 70 forecourts and
49 Leicester May 17 72.12% 6,447 221,271 573
Fuel forecourt operator partners with brands including Subway and Greggs
Omar Group
Makes 650 holiday homes a year at
50 45 Park home manufacturer Suffolk Apr 17 71.61% 5,500 39,375 375
factories in Hull and Suffolk
Profits = operating profit * supplied by company † annualised figure
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 19
2018 PROFIT TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE
3yr average
annual Latest Latest
Rank Rank Company profit profits sales
2018 2017 Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Comment
HiB Its bathroom mirrors and cabinets feature LED
51 North London Jun 17 71.44% 4,216 21,572 86
Bathroom mirror manufacturer lighting, heated pads and colour changing technology
Watchfinder Sells a watch every 20 minutes, each worth
52 48 Maidstone, Kent Mar 17 71.05% 5,534 86,653 157
Pre-owned watch retailer an average of over £5,000
Erith Group Demolished Killingholme power station
53 Erith, Kent Sep 17 70.74% 10,568 152,870 582
Demolition contractor using explosives in November last year
Turtle Bay Has put goat curry and jerk chicken on the
54 Bristol Feb 17 70.33% 11,990 63,693 1,390
Caribbean restaurant chain menu in 42 UK outlets
The Qdos Group Is targeting growth in Europe as part of its
55 Leicestershire Dec 17 69.64% *7,057 *13,716 70
Insurance broker & consultancy plans for overseas expansion
PureGym Acquired by US private equity firm Leonard Green last
56 60 Leeds Dec 17 69.17% *37,062 *198,032 833
Gym operator year in a deal valuing the business at more than £600m
Integral Powertrain Develops powertrains for new generation
57 Bletchley, Bucks Dec 16 68.22% 8,413 20,489 96
Automotive engineer electric cars
Optima Contracting Designed and installed glass partitions for
58 High Wycombe Jan 17 67.70% 5,316 55,310 340
Glass partitioning manufacturer Bloomberg's European headquarters in London
Lignacite Manufactures a carbon negative concrete
59 Suffolk Dec 16 66.02% 4,307 27,811 74
Concrete block manufacturer block
Burns Pet Nutrition Its pet food recipes include ingredients
60 Carmarthenshire Jul 16 65.89% 3,872 25,912 107
Pet food maker grown on its organic farm in Wales
Miller Homes Acquired by Bridgepoint in October last
61 Edinburgh Dec 16 65.83% 102,600 565,300 740
Housebuilder year in a £655m deal
MJM Group Says it has provided fit-out services to 49%
62 89 Newry, Co Down Dec 16 64.82% 7,063 61,503 215
Specialist joiner of all cruise ships globally
Cardzone In 15 years it has expanded to operate more
63 Nottinghamshire Jul 17 64.76% 3,048 25,193 502
Card retailer than 100 card and gift stores across the UK
Media 10 Says that one in 55 people in the UK will
64 Essex Feb 17 62.99% 4,290 39,056 264
Events & publishing attend one of its shows this year
Natracare Says it produced the world's first certified
65 Bristol Mar 17 62.73% 4,541 14,464 15
Hygiene products brand organic cotton tampons
Ultima All its kitchens are manufactured at its
66 Pontefract May 17 62.50% 9,380 39,342 271
Kitchen manufacturer factory in Pontefract, West Yorkshire
Symphony Has 750,000 sq ft of manufacturing and
67 24 Barnsley Dec 16 62.47% 18,747 198,970 1,569
Furniture supplier warehousing capacity in Barnsley and Rotherham
Pret A Manger Opened its first store in Singapore last year,
68 Central London Dec 16 61.77% 55,829 776,195 10,426
Sandwich shop operator adding to its 440 outlets in six countries
Bew Electrical Distributors
69 Chelmsford Apr 17 61.53% 4,196 71,924 259 Is targeting sales of £100m by 2021
Electrical goods wholesaler
Titan Airways Two fully-crewed aircraft on standby at all times
70 Stansted Mar 17 61.03% 9,608 89,469 277
Airline means it can launch flights within an hour of booking
Kampa Its patented AirFrame tents can be set up
71 Essex Dec 16 60.97% 4,305 23,333 24
Camping gear supplier in less than five minutes
Story Homes Completed 807 new homes in 2017, up
72 44 Carlisle Mar 17 60.96% 26,178 173,841 354
Housebuilder 43% on the previous year
Benniman Has worked on developments for Birmingham
73 Bromsgrove Dec 16 60.94% 3,717 47,150 37
Construction services Airport and West Bromwich Albion FC
Optilan Its security sensors help to guard oil and gas
74 Coventry Dec 16 60.83% 5,512 44,197 187
Telecoms systems integrator installations in the Middle East, Russia and Turkey
Highway Care Group Supplies steel crash cushions and barrier
75 Kent Dec 16 60.53% 6,344 27,358 82
Road safety product manufacturer guards designed to save lives on roads
Profits = operating profit * supplied by company † annualised figure
© 2018 Profit Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.ukProfit Track 100 research report 2018 20
2018 PROFIT TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE
3yr average
annual Latest Latest
Rank Rank Company profit profits sales
2018 2017 Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Comment
Rockford Its electrical components and systems are used by
76 Suffolk Dec 16 60.29% 3,281 16,087 283
Electrical component manufacturer aerospace and defence firms in the EU and Middle East
Pinewood Studios Its studios were used to produce hit movies
77 Buckinghamshire Mar 17 59.60% 22,081 98,348 278
Film studio including Wonder Woman and T2 Trainspotting
Adaptive Increased staff from five to 116 in under
78 Central London Jun 17 59.52% *4,127 *15,198 116
Financial software developer five years
AlphaSights Thirty-seven languages are spoken across
79 71 Central London Dec 16 59.40% 22,845 66,524 320
Business information services its eight international offices
Roc Technologies Has a joint venture with Oxford University
80 Newbury Mar 17 59.17% 3,470 24,535 58
IT services provider academics to improve performance of IT projects
Matchroom Sport Covers major sporting events and distributes its
81 Essex Jun 17 58.84% 13,488 100,247 74
Sporting events promoter footage to more than 130 countries worldwide
Wagamama Launched an 11-dish vegan menu at its
82 Central London Apr 17 57.73% 21,326 266,109 5,078
Noodle bar operator Japanese-inspired restaurants in October
D R Collin Is a worldwide exporter of live shellfish,
83 Berwickshire Apr 17 57.61% 3,639 43,915 160
Seafood supplier including lobster, crab and langoustines
Alba Power Has customers in 16 countries, including
84 Aberdeenshire Dec 16 57.51% 3,743 17,789 57
Turbine maintenance services the US, Canada and the Middle East
Gtech Has sold more than 22m domestic
85 11 Worcester Nov 17 57.32% *18,208 *121,449 206
Appliance manufacturer appliances in 19 countries
Cooper & Turner In August last year was acquired by US PE firm
86 Sheffield Feb 17 57.08% 9,151 52,566 376
Industrial fastener manufacturer Watermill Group for an undisclosed sum
The Hut Group Last year it acquired cosmetics brand Illamasqua
87 Manchester Dec 16 56.78% 30,396 501,376 1,853
Online retailer and beauty subscription service Glossybox
SC Group Received approval this year to supply the New
88 Devon Aug 16 56.41% 3,760 43,086 207
All-terrain vehicle manufacturer Zealand army with special operations vehicles
Exponential-e Its clients include Channel 4, Fulham FC
89 Central London Jan 17 56.40% 10,240 97,435 398
Network service provider and The Montcalm luxury hotels
Childrensalon Its customer service staff speak more than
90 Tunbridge Wells Dec 16 56.32% 14,731 60,984 235
Childrenswear retailer 30 languages
Nexus Underwriting Made four strategic acquisitons last year
91 Central London Dec 17 56.30% *10,023 *23,932 125
Insurance underwriter including marine cargo insurer Vectura
BullionByPost Sold £10m worth of bullion when Donald Trump
92 Birmingham Apr 17 56.27% 4,187 125,122 40
Online gold dealer won the US election, 20 times its typical daily sales
TPP Its clinical software holds more than 44m
93 Leeds Mar 17 56.23% 27,185 55,846 207
Healthcare software developer UK patient records
Wasdell Group Has invested €30m in a purpose-built
94 Swindon Apr 17 55.50% 5,712 36,007 612
Outsourced pharmaceutical services pharmaceutical facility in Dundalk, Ireland
Longleat Enterprises Its 9,000-acre safari park is home to 500
95 Wiltshire Dec 16 55.33% 3,533 31,935 707
Tourist sites operator animals
Shaylor Group Aldridge, West Carried out the conversion of Cadbury’s
96 Sep 16 55.22% 3,717 100,841 197
Construction contractor Midlands former HQ in Bournville into apartments
Bennett Homes Offers rent-free accommodation to customers who
97 57 Suffolk Dec 16 55.01% 4,041 18,726 43
Housebuilder have sold their home and are waiting to move
Evolution Funding Invested £1m in lighting and rigging hire specialist
98 22 Chesterfield Dec 17 54.81% *7,860 *100,000 280
Motor finance intermediary Nexus Dry Hire last year, taking a 50% stake
Beautybay.com Stocks more than 10,000 beauty products ranging
99 Manchester Dec 16 53.76% 4,216 51,059 117
Online cosmetics retailer from eyebrow pomade to glycolic acid toner
Victorian Plumbing
100 Merseyside Sep 17 52.69% *5,629 *100,579 240 Attracts more than 3m monthly visits to its website
Online bathroom retailer
Profits = operating profit * supplied by company † annualised figure
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