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to £148m and profits rise sixteen-fold to£15.9m this year.

In August, its founders, Tom and RuthChapman, sold a majority stake in thebusiness to private equity firm Apax Part-ners, in a deal valuing the company at£800m. Private equity continues to exerta strong influence on the table, with 34%of the companies backed by external cap-ital — a similar level to last year’s cohort.

Company debts have increased,whether from bank lending or loans fromshareholders. The combined debt of the250 firms is £24.7bn, up from £22.3bn theyear before, with commodities and logis-tics group ED & F Man (No 30) owing £2bnand specialist lender Together (No 107)£1.45bn. Both are also among the top fivefirms with the largest operating profits.

Entrepreneurs remain in charge at 80firms, with families owning another 75.Five are employee-owned, including con-struction consultancy Turner & Towns-end (No 29). Others are moving in thatdirection, such as cosmetics firm Lush(No 38), whose founders are issuing 10%of new shares to employees, giving themmore of a say in the future ownership andethics of the business.

The companies added 36,400 peopleto their workforces, employing a total of384,200 — up 10%. The largest employeris health club operator Virgin Active (No22), with 12,555 staff in 2016. Services isthe best-represented sector, at 83, fol-lowed by retail (64), construction andmanufacturing (both 39).

Head offices are located across thecountry, as Tim Hinton from LloydsBanking Group notes on page 4, withseven of the top 10 companies with thelargest profits based outside London andsoutheast England. The capital retains itsallure for many: 68 firms are based there.

Men, rather than women, remaindominant in the boardrooms. Whilemore than half have two or more femaledirectors, as a proportion of all boardmembers, women make up just 14% ofthe total, with 208 directors, such asClare Gilmartin, chief executive at Train-line, and Footasylum’s Clare Nesbitt, theyoungest CEO on the table, aged 29.

Male or female, they are all focusing onthe future prospects of their companies.In doing so, they will help shape Britain’srole in a post-Brexit world, regardless ofwhat happens in Manchester over thenext four days.

Time to take first steps on the high road to success

2 IM GroupSales £626.9m U 10% Profit £96.0m V 17%Car sales, car financing and property make up the three elements of this Warwickshire business. Set up in 1976 by chairman Lord Edmiston, 70, IM Group owns franchises for Subaru, Isuzu and China’s Great Wall Motor Company. It sells cars in the Nordic regions as well as the UK and in 2016 increased European sales by 37% to £229.6m. Also last year, chief executive Andrew Edmiston, 48, led the sale of an industrial portfolio to Malaysia’s state pension scheme for £200m, which resulted in a £12m fall in rental income.

3 City Facilities ManagementSales £617.7m U 33% Profit £15.4m U 115%Lord Haughey, 61, a former director of Celtic FC, and his wife Susan, 65, set up this business in 1985. As well as installing and maintaining air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, the group now provides facilities management to supermarkets such as Asda. Growth in Australia and southeast Asia, as well as the acquisition last year of US facilities maintenance firm Baltic Trail, boosted sales by 33%. In March, the group acquired Atrium Maintenance, a French firm, which it hopes will provide a gateway to expand further into Europe.

4 Telereal TrilliumSales £616.2m V 6% Profit £189.2m U 67%Owning more than 8,000 properties, London’s Telereal Trillium furnishes an estimated 1% of Britain’s workforce with a place to work. Launched in 1997, it has grown through buying the estates of big employers, including BT and the DVLA. In 2015, it acquired Lands Improvement Group for £120m, and in 2016 sold High Holborn telephone exchange to a UK pension fund for £43m. Owned by the Pears family, of William Pears Group fame, it is led by chief executive Graham Edwards, 53. Its operating profits of £189.2m are the largest on the table.

5 Murphy Sales £613.9m V 2% Profit £15.4m U 512%This family-owned company was started in 1951 to help rebuild the UK’s electrical infrastructure after the Second World War. It is led by chief executive Steve Hollingshead, 61, and undertakes civil and mechanical engineering projects. It worked on a loss-making project in 2014, which dented profits, but they grew backmore than sixfold last year, to £15.4m, thanks to the successful completion of several long-term projects, including the £260m construction of the Crossrail Thames tunnel. The group plans to generate £2bn of sales by 2025.

Awards dinnercar partner

While Whitehall pauses as the prime min-ister opens today’s Conservative Partyconference in Manchester, the country’sbusiness leaders are pushing ahead withinvestment, deals and recruitment plans.

They are doing so from a position ofstrength. The leading mid-market privategrowth companies ranking on the annualSunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track250 have achieved the highest profits inthe league table’s 13-year history.

Collectively, profits hit a record £5.4bnin their latest year of trading, typically in2016, up 34% on the year before. Totalsales rose more slowly, up 16% to £62.4bn— equivalent to 3.2% of GDP.

To build on this success and to con-tinue to thrive post-Brexit, the directorsof some of these companies said Britainhad to rediscover its can-do spirit andentrepreneurialism. For instance, SteveByrne, chief executive at Travel Counsel-lors (No 125), said business leadersshould look to raise “ambition levels”.This group’s views are explored furtherby Malcolm Gomersall and Shaun O’Cal-laghan of Grant Thornton on page 3.

More than half of the companies haveinternational operations, with 70 run-ning subsidiaries in Europe, 63 in NorthAmerica and 40 in east Asia. These firms’overseas sales have increased rapidly —up on average 29% a year. For instance,Matchesfashion.com (No 115), the luxuryfashion retailer that sells to 176 countries,saw its international revenues rocket 81%

Ambition drives profits to record highOur leading mid-market private companies are reaping the rewards of past investments and want to achieve more, says Richard Tyler

1 McLaren AutomotiveSales £649.8m U 44% Profit £65.8m U 179%McLaren Automotive completed its 10,000th sports car last December, only five years after the first rolled out of its hi-tech production centre. The Surrey-based manufacturer sold 3,286 vehicles during 2016, with demand from North America and Europe helping double profits to £65.8m on sales of £649.8m, up 44% from 2015.

The company is ranked on these sales, but in July it was brought together with McLaren Technology Group,

which owns the Formula One team, under the McLaren Group. The group then raised £564m in a bond offering, £200m of which was used to buy out former chairman Ron Dennis, 70. This left Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund with a 63% shareholding, Luxemburg’s Tag investment group with 16% and minority shareholders with the remainder. The group said its combined sales were almost £900m in 2016.

The automotive company’s chief executive, Mike Flewitt, 55, has said by 2022 it plans to release 15 new models

and derivatives, and incorporate hybrid technology in half of its cars. He has pledged £1bn for research and development over that period.

McLaren employs about 1,600 people and in February announced plans for the construction of a £50m factory in Sheffield. It is due to open in 2020 and is expected to create a further 200 jobs. Sheffield University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre will collaborate with the company to develop processes to make its carbon-fibre chassis at the facility.

Despite its focus on technology, McLaren Automotive has not embraced mass production, instead preferring a handcrafted approach — the hallmark of luxury. It produces up to 20 cars a day, ranging in price from £128,000 to £2m.

In March, McLaren launched the 720S. Capable of 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds, it sold out for the year after 1,500 orders were placed. With such high demand and four successive years of profitability, the automotive company shows no sign of slowing down.

Chief executive Mike Flewitt has steered McLaren Automotive into the fast lane, stepping up production of cars for the road and accelerating sales and profits

TOPTRACK 250250

Top Track 250 ranks Britain’s private mid-market growth companies by sales, with required growth in profit or sales. It is produced by Fast Track, the Oxford firm that researches Britain’s top-performing private companies and organises dinners for their owners and directors to network and meet its sponsors.

For full ranking criteria, see page 2

October 1, 2017 Researched and compiled by Fast Track

Title sponsor Main sponsorBRITAIN’S LEADING PRIVATE MID-MARKET GROWTHCOMPANIES

innovative company defining its own future. Its advanced prosthetics, orthotics products and rehabilitation services help improve the quality of its customers’ lives, and it is one of this year’s Ones to Watch. Last year it won the Royal Academy of Engineering’s prestigious MacRobert award for its fully integrated microprocessor-controlled limb system, Linx, beating finalists Jaguar Land Rover and Siemens Magnet Technology. The company’s executive chairman, Stephen Blatchford, views its latest year of trading, when sales hit £75m and profits £6m, as a “turning point” in its history.

Businesses also see the value of working collectively. Many, like pharmaceuticals maker Almac (No 34), are already collaborating with universities and research institutes to help bring new scientific ideas to market.

The work of such firms illustrates what post-Brexit

Britain could become known for: developing technology to solve real challenges; high-tech manufacturing; and world-class services. Coupled with our time zone, language, legal system and business practices, which have won for us a reputation as a trusted business partner, there are real grounds for optimism. It is a “Brand Britain” we could help foster, as we explore further on page 3.

One reality of the Brexit negotiations is that the government will have limited capacity to deal with the pressing challenges faced by local economies and towns, from transport links to skills and business growth. We think companies can take the lead and work with civic society to find solutions.

Some are already doing just that. For example, as well as running St Austell Brewery (No 176), its chief executive, James Staughton, is chairman of the St Austell Bay

Economic Forum, and of the Independent Family Brewers of Britain. St Austell Brewery says it works closely with the local enterprise partnership and further education colleges to ensure young people in the area have the skills they need to apply for roles within its business.

The importance of such companies, embedded in the society they serve, should notbe underestimated. To foster Britain’s reputation as a place for innovation, for being outward-looking and attracting talent from around the world, we need more businesses like those listed in the Top Track 250 to act in this way. Imagine if all businesses rose to the challenge. The power of that collective effort to change ourlives for the better and to shape our future place in the world would be phenomenal.Sacha Romanovitchis chief executive ofGrant Thornton UK

As we prepare to leave the EU, Britain finds itself at a crossroads, with a choice to make about how it is viewed by the rest of world. Do we become a country in decline, resting on past achievements, increasingly inward-looking and protectionist? Or can we rediscover our sense of purpose, ready to become even more open to the world, able to attract talented people to live and work here,

Business has an important role to play in how Britain is perceived by the world

and to export our innovative, commercial and creative thinking beyond our nearest neighbours?

Evidence that the latter ispossible is shown in what our leading mid-market private companies are achieving. The 250 companies recognised on this year’s league table are not sitting on their hands, waiting for clarity from our politicians; they are grabbing opportunities that exist in the UK and overseas. The results are clear: as wider economic growth slows, these dynamic companies’ combined profits are up 34% to £5.4bn in their latest year, and their workforces have increased by 10% to 384,200 people.

They are also looking to the future. Typically more agile and bold in their decision-making than their larger peers, these businesses are investing today’s profits in research and innovations that will become the services and products of tomorrow. They

are equipping employees with the skills and working practices to ensure they will be able to deliver them.

For instance, Rotherham-based AESSEAL (No 180) has reinvested to develop its patented technology. While it may not be a household name, it is the world’s fourth-largest maker of mechanical seals, used in rotating machines involved in the manufacture of fluids, producing anything from chocolate to oil.

It makes 90% of its products in Britain, mainly from two modern factories in the Yorkshire town where it is based. Its chief executive and owner, Chris Rea, is among those seizing opportunities. “The decline in sterling we’ve seen gives us a more competitive currency, similar to the benefit Germany got by swapping the deutschmark for the euro,” he said.

Basingstoke-based Blatchford is another

SACHA ROMANOVITCH Grant Thornton

Blatchford won the MacRobert award for its innovative limb systems, Linx. See profile on page 9

2

TOP TRACK 250

The annual Top Track 250 league table, now in its 13th year, ranks Britain’s private mid-market growth companies by latest sales. It complements our Top Track 100 league table of Britain’s biggest private companies by listing the next 250 growth firms.Criteria: Companies must have operating margins that exceed 2%. Sales must be growing year-on-year by 10% or more for companies with the lowest sales; this proportion of growth is

graduated to 5% for the firms with the highest sales. If sales growth was insufficient, we considered profit growth by the same evaluation. Sales must be no more than £650m and are taken from the latest accounts, excluding shares from joint ventures and associate companies.

Profits are defined as operating profitsbefore exceptional items, joint ventures and impairment; in some exceptions, EBITDA was used. At least 19 companies made a pre-tax loss in their latest accounts.

For accounting periods not equal to ayear, financials have been presented in proportion on an annual basis. Only

companies reporting turnover for financial years ending on or after 31 December 2015 are included. Companies had to be registered in the UK and be independent, unquoted and ultimate holding companies.

Sales for recruitment, marketing or travel agencies include gross monies handled on behalf of clients. Companies that had sales below the 250th company, or did not meet the growth criteria, were considered for our Ones to Watch table (page 9). Exclusions: Quoted companies, subsidiaries, joint venture and consortium organisations, entities

majority-owned by quoted or other companies or that generate the majority of sales through quoted subsidiaries, not-for-profit companies, co-operative societies, mutual societies, housing associations, member-owned buying groups and partnership structures are excluded.Data collection: Sources used included Bureau van Dijk’s Fame, Companies House and Experian’s MarketIQ. Some companies nominated themselves, others were identified through desk research and draft accounts.

The research was concluded on July 21, 2017. Accounts filed later were

not necessarily considered, though, where possible, updates are provided inthe profiles.Incomplete data: Private company information can be incomplete and, while every effort is made to include companies, there may be omissions.Disclaimer: Featured companies are not endorsed or recommended by the sponsors or Fast Track. The league table is based on historical data and is not an indicator of present or future performance. Some exceptions were made to the qualification criteria. The compiler’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Sponsors: Fast Track’s sole source of revenue is our sponsors. We would like to thank Grant Thornton, our title sponsor for an eighth year, and Lloyds Banking Group, our main sponsor for a second year.Nominations: For submissions, see fasttrack.co.uk or info@fasttrack.co.uk.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

famecompanyinfo.com

Rank2017

Rank2016

Company Activity LocationYearend

Sales,£m

OperatingProfit, £m

Staff

1 19 McLaren Automotive Sports and supercar maker Woking, Surrey Dec 16 649.8 65.8 1,6062 7 IM Group Car distributor Coleshill, nr. Birmingham Dec 16 626.9 96.0 4603 City Facilities Management Facilities maintenance provider Glasgow Dec 16 617.7 15.4 11,8444 Telereal Trillium Property investor and developer Central London Mar 17 *616.2 *189.2 2705 Murphy Civil engineering contractor Central London Dec 16 *613.9 *15.4 3,2066 11 Harwoods Car dealer West Sussex Dec 16 612.6 12.7 8647 Holland & Barrett Health food and supplements retailer Warwickshire Sep 16 612.0 150.0 6,7268 10 Travelodge Budget hotel operator Oxfordshire Dec 16 597.8 61.0 10,3509 Aston Martin Sports car maker Warwickshire Dec 16 593.5 16.4 1,609

10 15 Cala Group Housebuilder Edinburgh Jun 16 587.1 83.7 81011 14 Helston Garages Car dealer Cornwall Dec 16 586.0 15.4 1,03312 BGL Group Insurance/price comparison provider Peterborough Jun 17 *585.2 *129.5 2,66713 LCC Group Energy distributor Co Tyrone Sep 16 584.7 21.0 23314 21 Robertson Construction services provider Stirling Mar 17 *579.0 *25.1 1,94315 Betfred Bookmaker Warrington Sep 16 578.7 40.0 6,12416 Graham Construction contractor Co Down Mar 17 565.9 15.9 1,84417 13 Miller Homes Housebuilder Edinburgh Dec 16 565.3 99.0 74018 17 Southall Travel Travel agency and tour operator West London Mar 17 *564.3 *22.2 4319 18 Car Giant Car dealer West London Dec 15 552.3 50.7 740

20 Eastern Western Motor Group Car dealer West Lothian Dec 16 550.0 11.5 1,12921 Careys Specialist construction Wembley Mar 17 549.2 20.0 1,46322 1 Virgin Active Health club operator Central London Dec 16 535.0 53.9 12,55523 West Retail Group Kitchens/electronics retailer North Lincolnshire Dec 16 524.4 11.9 3,30224 CP Holdings Conglomerate Watford Dec 16 524.2 26.7 7,28525 Karro Food Group Pork processor North Yorkshire Dec 16 †514.8 †22.8 3,78026 40 The Hut Group Online retailer Cheshire Dec 16 501.4 30.4 1,83327 NG Bailey Mechanical, electrical contractor West Yorkshire Feb 17 500.3 12.0 2,77628 James Hall & Co Grocery wholesaler Preston Mar 16 485.7 10.3 2,62229 26 Turner & Townsend Construction consultancy Leeds Apr 17 *†482.2 *†45.6 4,67430 44 ED & F Man Commodities and logistics manager Central London Sep 16 481.1 126.9 6,88531 28 Dick Lovett Companies Car dealer Swindon Dec 16 475.5 9.5 71732 Winvic Construction Construction contractor Northampton Jan 17 *462.0 *28.7 17533 24 Glyn Hopkin Car dealer Romford Dec 16 455.6 10.0 85034 31 Almac Pharmaceuticals manufacturer Co Armagh Sep 16 447.2 27.1 3,97535 52 Hyperion Insurance Group Insurance broker and underwriter Central London Sep 16 433.9 65.3 3,58736 29 Parkdean Resorts Holiday parks operator Newcastle upon Tyne Dec 16 431.5 82.1 5,24837 Buckingham Group Contracting Civil engineering contractor Stowe, Bucks Dec 16 408.3 13.0 42738 43 Lush Cosmetics manufacturer and retailer Poole Jun 16 394.9 16.5 7,49839 30 Telent Infrastructure services provider Warwick Mar 17 391.5 24.5 1,80540 36 Tennants Consolidated Chemicals conglomerate Central London Dec 16 387.3 29.8 1,18541 Waterstones Book retailer Central London Apr 16 †387.3 †18.7 2,92242 33 Zenith Vehicle contract hire and leasing Leeds Mar 16 383.0 30.2 49743 Exterion Media Outdoor advertiser Central London Dec 16 381.3 14.7 89044 38 Robinsons Motor Group Car dealer Norwich Dec 16 *378.2 *8.9 67045 62 Keltbray Group Specialist engineering contractor Surrey Oct 16 369.4 24.2 1,32346 Avant Homes Housebuilder Chesterfield Apr 17 369.0 45.0 58847 51 Hill Housebuilder Waltham Abbey, Essex Dec 16 367.3 36.0 38148 74 Sky Betting and Gaming Bookmaker Leeds Jun 16 *363.6 n.a. 81849 50 Day Lewis Pharmaceuticals retailer Croydon Mar 17 *362.7 *21.1 2,38850 58 AvailableCar Car dealer Castle Donington Dec 16 340.8 7.7 71751 47 Study Group Education service provider Central London Dec 16 *340.3 *16.6 3,32552 David Lloyd Leisure Health club operator Hertfordshire Jan 16 335.5 43.9 4,16153 Dorchester Collection Luxury hotel operator Central London Dec 15 335.5 24.3 3,08254 59 Westover Group Car dealer Bournemouth Dec 16 333.0 7.9 80655 55 Kurt Geiger Shoe retailer Central London Dec 16 *330.0 *‡33.9 2,29156 Chelsea Football Club Football club Southwest London Jun 16 329.1 24.9 78557 53 Caffè Nero Coffee house operator Central London May 17 *328.9 *26.2 5,50058 66 Nisbets Catering equipment supplier Bristol Dec 16 328.3 36.1 1,64359 Turners (Soham) Distribution and warehousing Newmarket Jan 17 322.6 27.6 2,97960 60 William Jackson Food Group Food producer East Yorkshire Apr 16 315.3 18.3 2,09461 The Little Group Book, film and music wholesaler Eastbourne Feb 17 306.1 17.2 1,20762 133 Randall Parker Food Group Meat distributor Northamptonshire Sep 16 *303.3 *6.4 83063 109 LGC Life science tools provider Southwest London Mar 17 *302.7 *53.2 2,61364 145 Fairview Housebuilder North London Dec 16 298.1 76.7 21865 93 Baxters Food producer Moray Firth Apr 16 †293.8 †17.6 1,53966 Soho House Private members' clubs Central London Jan 17 *293.4 *‡31.7 4,04667 71 JRL Group Construction contractor Hertfordshire Dec 16 288.5 17.5 70668 RG Carter Building contractor Norwich Dec 16 286.4 6.7 1,11669 70 MKM Building Supplies Builders' merchant Hull Sep 16 284.3 20.8 1,02370 63 Morris Group Housebuilder Cheshire Mar 17 283.7 50.3 24971 76 CNG Gas and electricity supplier Harrogate Apr 16 282.4 10.9 11472 65 Voicevale Dried foods importer Edgware, Middlesex Dec 16 280.5 10.9 8573 81 Oak Furniture Land Furniture retailer Swindon Sep 16 279.7 15.9 1,17574 83 Wrights Group Bus manufacturer Ballymena, Co Antrim Dec 15 276.1 13.6 1,74575 57 Yeo Valley Yoghurt and dairy maker Somerset May 16 273.2 11.9 1,70976 113 Hatfields Car dealer Wakefield Jan 17 270.1 10.9 44077 95 Dreams Bed manufacturer and retailer High Wycombe Dec 16 269.5 32.6 1,73478 87 Civica Software and IT services Southwest London Sep 16 267.7 12.4 2,91279 82 Resource Solutions Group Recruitment consultancy Bristol Jun 16 267.0 12.8 22280 HH Global Marketing services provider Leatherhead Mar 17 266.8 11.2 82781 154 Arora Group Hotel operator West London Mar 17 *260.0 *115.0 2,00082 111 Whitworth Bros Flour miller Wellingborough Mar 17 258.7 10.6 52083 AllSaints Fashion retailer East London Jan 16 252.5 16.6 2,71484 72 FM Conway Infrastructure services provider Sevenoaks, Kent Mar 17 *252.5 *24.7 1,36085 107 The Swift Group Caravan and motorhome manufacturer East Yorkshire Aug 16 252.0 17.5 1,08886 100 Busy Bees Nurseries operator Staffordshire Dec 16 249.0 11.9 7,58587 116 O'Halloran & O'Brien Construction contractor Surrey Mar 17 247.8 21.6 13988 92 Marex Spectron Commodities and futures broker Central London Dec 16 244.6 19.5 50089 89 Martin-Baker Ejection seat manufacturer Nr. Uxbridge Mar 16 241.6 67.4 87090 80 The Emerson Group Builder, property developer Cheshire Apr 17 *240.3 *85.0 60691 102 Norbrook Laboratories Pharmaceuticals manufacturer Co Down Jul 16 238.7 38.5 2,22492 Addo Food Group Food producer Nottingham Mar 16 236.4 10.4 2,56493 99 ProCam Europe Crop protection specialist Cambridgeshire Dec 16 235.7 6.7 54494 106 TOM Vehicle Rental Commercial vehicle hire North Lanarkshire Mar 17 *235.5 *16.1 57495 94 Encon Insulation distributor West Yorkshire Jul 17 *230.0 *12.0 60096 90 Wagamama Noodle bar operator Central London Apr 16 229.9 17.7 4,48397 166 Kingsland Drinks Alcoholic drinks distributor Manchester Jun 16 229.1 4.9 32998 108 LA International IT recruitment consultancy Stoke-on-Trent Jun 17 *228.2 *12.2 10699 138 FP McCann Civil engineering contractor Londonderry Dec 16 227.0 19.6 1,319

100 Ambassador Theatre Group Theatre operator Woking, Surrey Mar 16 226.4 14.1 3,860101 Maritime Group Container transport and logistics Suffolk Dec 16 226.1 10.7 2,036102 Lagan Construction Group Builder and civil engineer Belfast Mar 16 225.6 6.8 527103 HKS Retail Fuel forecourt operator Leicester May 17 *225.0 *6.5 653104 Fat Face Clothing retailer Hampshire May 16 220.7 23.7 2,814105 Lucy Group Electrical control technology Oxford Dec 15 217.1 15.7 1,322106 LWC Drinks distributor Manchester Sep 16 215.3 10.3 669107 163 Together Specialist lender Cheshire Jun 16 215.2 104.1 424108 144 Element Testing & certification services provider Central London Dec 16 212.8 47.2 1,832109 135 Charles Tyrwhitt Clothing retailer Central London Jul 17 *211.5 *‡12.3 1,048110 134 DCS Group (UK) Toiletry products distributor Banbury Dec 16 *211.0 *5.0 298111 104 Imagination Creative agency Central London Aug 16 210.4 7.1 675112 148 QA Training and education provider Central London Jun 17 *†210.1 *†37.9 1,778113 125 TGI Friday's Restaurant operator Luton Jan 17 †207.0 †20.6 5,239114 Seddon Solutions Housebuilding and construction Bolton Dec 16 204.8 5.2 720115 Matchesfashion.com Luxury fashion retailer Central London Jan 17 203.7 15.9 527116 124 Timpson Retail services provider Manchester Oct 16 †201.3 †19.0 3,774117 156 Callcredit Information Group Consumer data analyst Leeds Dec 16 *201.0 *41.8 1,177118 184 Lexon Pharmaceuticals supplier Redditch Apr 16 200.0 13.3 820119 140 Yeomans Car dealer Worthing Dec 16 199.1 4.5 401

120 139 Symphony Furniture supplier Barnsley Dec 16 199.0 19.6 1,569121 218 Lanes Group Wastewater services provider Leeds Jul 17 197.0 7.7 2,084122 Rocco Forte Hotels Luxury hotel owner and manager Central London Apr 17 193.8 16.4 2,240123 Sabre Insurance underwriter Surrey Dec 16 191.3 65.6 153124 CH&Co Group Catering group Reading Dec 16 191.2 6.4 4,688125 162 Travel Counsellors Travel services provider Manchester Oct 16 188.3 12.1 284

BRITAIN’S 250 PRIVATE MID-MARKET GROWTH COMPANIESRank2017

Rank2016

Company Activity LocationYearend

Sales,£m

OperatingProfit, £m

Staff

126 Converse Pharma Pharmaceuticals distributor Doncaster Mar 16 187.0 4.1 495127 Michael J Lonsdale Engineering contractor Slough Sep 16 186.3 6.5 154128 132 Control Risks Risk management consultancy Central London Mar 16 186.5 10.9 2,544129 158 Howarth Timber Builders' merchant Leeds Mar 17 186.3 10.1 980130 143 Brett Group Building materials supplier Canterbury Dec 16 184.8 11.0 711131 193 Mountain Warehouse Outdoor clothing brand Central London Feb 17 *184.8 *17.6 1,850132 136 The White Company Lifestyle retailer Central London Mar 16 184.3 17.3 1,437133 190 Steven Eagell Car dealer Milton Keynes Dec 16 *183.0 *4.0 458134 Southampton Football Club Football club Southampton Jun 17 *182.7 *34.8 388135 United Living Building contractor Kent Mar 17 180.7 8.8 506136 152 The Car People Car dealer Wakefield Apr 16 178.7 6.5 440137 183 Acorn Stairlifts Stairlift manufacturer West Yorkshire Sep 16 177.2 18.9 1,307138 207 Peninsula Employment law consultancy Manchester Mar 17 *177.2 *24.8 2,148139 Ethigen Pharmaceuticals supplier East Kilbride May 16 176.6 4.0 261140 169 Country Style Foods Baker Leeds Apr 16 175.8 8.0 1,866141 John Grose Motor dealer Ipswich Dec 16 175.7 3.6 404142 170 Gap Group Plant and tool hire Glasgow Mar 17 175.0 20.0 1,566143 Big Motoring World Car dealer Addington, Kent Feb 16 174.6 7.2 171144 Story Homes Housebuilder Carlisle Mar 17 173.8 26.2 354145 205 GRS Roadstone Group Aggregate distributor and waste removal Nuneaton Dec 16 173.6 6.5 369146 178 Audley Travel Tour operator Oxfordshire Dec 16 173.5 20.6 402147 Bridgetown Holdings Civil engineer and plant hire Birmingham May 16 173.2 18.1 90148 168 John Cotton Group Bedding and bed-fillings manufacturer West Yorkshire Mar 16 171.9 15.0 1,158149 Berry Bros. & Rudd Wine and spirit merchant Central London Mar 17 *170.5 *6.3 352150 173 Hadleigh Timber Group Wood panel distributor Blythe Bridge, Stoke-on-Trent Dec 16 169.4 11.4 345151 Pitch International Sports marketing agency West London Mar 16 168.8 14.8 51152 GreenTech Distribution Mobile phone recycler and distributor High Wycombe Feb 17 168.4 4.4 28153 177 Wain Group Housebuilder Carrington, Manchester Jun 16 168.0 40.6 223154 Croudace Homes Housebuilder Surrey Dec 16 167.9 19.9 266155 RJ McLeod Building contractor Glasgow Nov 16 165.7 17.0 459156 181 James Walker Timber merchant West Lothian Mar 17 *164.6 *13.5 640157 187 Edinburgh Airport Airport operator Edinburgh Dec 16 164.1 61.6 602158 Click Travel Corporate travel management Birmingham Mar 17 *164.0 *3.4 176159 Morrisroe Group Groundworks and construction Borehamwood, Hertfordshire Oct 16 162.8 14.2 177160 211 Belfield Furnishings Furniture and furnishings manufacturer Derbyshire Dec 16 *161.9 *8.4 1,888161 Myriad Healthcare Care home operator Colchester Mar 16 161.5 5.8 5,828162 Brewers Decorating materials retailer Eastbourne Dec 16 161.3 7.9 1,124163 Sun Mark Consumer products wholesaler West London Aug 16 161.1 6.3 73164 Ridgeons Timber and builders' merchant Cambridge Dec 16 160.3 4.9 841165 225 PureGym Gym operator Leeds Dec 16 159.9 15.4 676166 Fourfront Group Workplace consultants Surrey Apr 16 158.6 5.3 263167 Endava IT services provider Central London Jun 17 *158.5 *22.0 3,471168 192 Colt Ventilation systems provider Hampshire Dec 16 158.2 7.5 994169 244 Spark Energy Energy supplier Selkirk Jun 17 *158.0 *7.0 400170 Richard Hochfeld Fruit importer and distributor Borough Green, Kent Jun 16 157.7 3.2 46171 Richer Sounds Audio-visual retailer Central London Apr 16 154.8 6.5 508172 209 Advance Construction Group Construction services provider Bellshill, North Lanarkshire Mar 16 154.7 7.9 1,134173 197 Weston Group Housebuilder Essex Jul 16 154.1 17.2 346174 Dobbies Garden Centres Garden centre operator Lasswade, Midlothian Mar 16 153.7 9.9 2,766175 St Austell Brewery Brewery, pub-owner and hotelier Cornwall Dec 16 153.2 14.0 1,381176 230 CCS Media IT and services reseller Chesterfield Dec 16 153.0 4.1 380177 245 Trainline Train ticket retailer Central London Feb 17 *152.8 *17.7 450178 120 Claranet IT services provider Central London Jun 16 152.5 13.4 980179 Tangerine Confectionery Confectionery manufacturer Pontefract Dec 15 151.9 13.2 1,499180 AESSEAL Seal manufacturer Rotherham Dec 16 151.7 20.7 1,656181 201 Natures Way Foods Fresh salad producer West Sussex Apr 16 †151.7 †10.0 1,206182 179 The Works Value retailer Coleshill, nr. Birmingham May 16 †151.5 †9.0 1,259183 219 John Guest Tubing and pipe manufacturer West London Dec 16 150.4 31.1 1,276184 216 Tusker Car benefit specialists Watford Dec 16 150.4 3.6 155185 Erith Group Demolition contractor Erith, Kent Sep 16 150.0 10.0 472186 Principle Brand implementation agency Huddersfield Dec 16 149.5 15.1 454187 Medequip Assistive Technology Homecare medical equipment supplier Middlesex Dec 16 149.3 5.2 631188 Caddick Group Civil engineer and property developer West Yorkshire Aug 16 147.5 20.0 447189 234 Willerby Mobile home maker Hull Oct 16 147.1 9.9 925190 Footasylum Footwear and fashion retailer Rochdale Feb 17 *147.0 *8.4 1,075191 191 WP Group Fuel and lubricant distributor Southampton Dec 16 146.5 3.7 145192 Buy It Direct Laptop and appliance reseller Huddersfield Mar 17 *146.0 *2.9 276193 Birmingham Airport Airport operator Birmingham Mar 17 145.8 46.3 703194 188 Reiss Fashion retailer Central London Jan 16 145.2 19.8 1,401195 Notemachine Cash machine operator Powys Jun 16 142.7 26.3 987196 227 Argus Media Energy information provider Central London Jun 16 141.9 43.1 757197 Walkers Shortbread Shortbread and biscuit maker Banffshire Dec 15 139.4 12.0 1,463198 Clarion Events Events organiser West London Jan 16 139.1 24.4 614199 EBB Paper Paper and board merchant Farnborough Dec 16 139.0 3.4 290

200 Cartwright Group Commercial vehicle body manufacturer Altrincham Mar 17 *138.6 *5.7 891201 Altro Safety flooring manufacturer Letchworth Garden City Dec 16 138.0 11.3 783202 199 Silentnight Group Bed manufacturer Lancashire Jan 16 137.5 7.8 1,018203 239 Castle View Leisure services manager Stirling Mar 16 137.1 9.9 4,746204 The Right Fuelcard Company Fuel card provider Leeds Jun 16 136.9 3.3 62205 E W Beard Construction contractor Swindon Dec 16 136.9 4.3 276206 Stepnell Civil engineer Rugby Mar 16 136.7 3.2 422207 220 James Donaldson Group Timber merchant Fife Mar 17 136.6 7.5 694208 222 Riviera Travel Tour operator Burton-on-Trent Nov 16 136.5 15.1 121209 Regatta Outdoor clothing distributor Manchester Jan 16 134.8 6.8 712210 Bayford Conglomerate West Yorkshire Jun 16 133.7 3.2 58211 235 Moneycorp International payment services Central London Dec 16 132.6 17.3 788212 Wilson James Security and facilities manager Essex Jul 17 *132.5 *3.8 3,227213 Park Holidays Caravan park operator Bexhill-On-Sea Dec 16 131.5 22.8 909214 Adam Smith International Government reform consultancy Central London Dec 15 131.4 14.2 187215 Churchill Contract Services Facilities services provider Hertfordshire Jun 17 *131.0 *5.4 11,987216 Allied Vehicles Adapted vehicle distributor Glasgow Apr 17 *130.8 *7.5 615217 Grange Hotels Hotelier Central London Mar 16 130.4 42.8 1,560218 Cath Kidston Lifestyle retailer West London Mar 17 129.2 6.8 847219 Optal Payment services provider Central London Dec 16 *129.1 *9.8 38

220 Scottish Leather Group Leather manufacturer Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire Mar 16 128.6 8.1 599221 237 CLC Group Painting and maintenance contractor Southampton Dec 16 128.5 10.2 1,043222 246 Scott Group Industrial supplier Dunfermline Dec 16 *128.3 *5.5 997223 Hopkins Homes Housebuilder Suffolk Apr 16 128.1 28.0 136224 Lindum Group Construction services provider Lincoln Nov 16 127.9 4.4 590225 Hadley Group Rolled metal manufacturer Smethwick, Birmingham Apr 17 *127.7 *11.3 594226 Frank Recruitment Group IT recruitment consultancy Newcastle upon Tyne Nov 16 126.5 15.5 815227 212 Ecotricity Green energy supplier Gloucestershire Apr 16 126.5 6.7 627228 Firmdale Hotels Hotelier Central London Jan 17 125.8 15.3 1,461229 McGee Group Demolition contractor Wembley Nov 16 125.0 9.3 450230 226 Gray & Adams Trailer and vehicle manufacturer Aberdeenshire Apr 16 124.9 8.1 682231 Global Tea Tea and coffee trader Central London Dec 15 123.3 3.4 2,774232 247 Stanmore Specialist subcontractor Erith, Kent Mar 17 *123.3 *20.5 216233 Branston Potato packager Lincoln Jul 16 123.2 8.2 617234 NextPharma Technologies Pharma/biotech manufacturer Woking, Surrey Dec 16 122.7 21.4 959235 Ralawise.com Clothing distributor Flintshire Dec 16 122.7 9.0 527236 Newship Conglomerate Southwest London Dec 15 122.0 5.7 528237 221 Crown Oil Fuel and lubricant distributor Bury Aug 16 122.0 6.1 224238 Millennium Group Food and drink distributor Essex May 16 121.9 5.6 58239 Côte Restaurants Restaurant operator Central London Jul 16 121.5 11.4 2,727240 Walters Group Civil engineering conglomerate Mid Glamorgan Feb 16 121.4 24.6 482241 Burnley Football Club Football club Burnley Jun 17 *120.0 *25.0 220242 241 Paperchase Products Stationery and card retailer Central London Jan 17 119.2 4.9 2,006243 C.J. O'Shea Group Residential developer and contractor Northwest London Mar 16 †119.1 †4.8 168244 Lakesmere Group Roofing and cladding services Winnall, Winchester Jan 16 118.5 3.6 831245 Technetix Telecoms equipment maker West Sussex Dec 16 118.5 4.8 195246 Runwood Homes Residential homes operator Essex Sep 16 117.4 20.3 4,488247 Archant Newspaper, magazine publisher Norwich Dec 15 115.5 4.8 1,459248 APS Group Marketing services provider Cheshire Jan 17 114.0 4.5 779249 248 London City Airport Airport operator East London Dec 16 *113.7 *37.3 516250 Apogee Corporation Document handling services provider Southwest London Dec 16 112.7 12.5 424

* Supplied by company † Annualised figure ‡ Profit = EBITDA

The Sunday Times October 1, 2017 3

6 HarwoodsSales £612.6m U 11% Profit £12.7m V 16%Before taking the reins of this West Sussex car retailer from his father, chairman Guy Harwood, 78, was a renowned jockey and then a horse trainer: his horse Dancing Brave won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1986. Harwoods now sells luxury marques at 12 sites in southern England. Last year, the firm acquired a Jaguar dealership in the Croydon area and a Land Rover dealership in Lewes, helping to nudge turnover up to £612.6m.

7 Holland & BarrettSales £612.0m U 7% Profit £150m U 13%This health food and supplement retailer, led by chief executive Peter Aldis, 53, ships products such as manuka honey, vitamins and whey protein to more than 30 countries. Founded in 1870 to sell clothing and groceries, it now operates 1,368 stores around the world with a presence in 16 countries, including America and Hong Kong. In August, the Warwickshire business was acquired from asset manager Carlyle for £1.8bn by L1 Retail, a fund controlled by Russian magnate Mikhail Fridman. Its operating profits of £150m are among the highest on the league table.

8 TravelodgeSales £597.8m U 7% Profit £61.0m V 3%Travelodge was founded in 1985 and operates 546 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain, attracting 18m customers and employing more than 10,000 people. Under chief executive Peter Gowers, 45, it opened 19 new hotels last year, and this year announceda £5m investment in its SuperRooms, targeted at corporate clients, who already account for more than half of all guests. Plans are in place to open a further 15 hotels by the end of this year.

9 Aston MartinSales £593.5m U 16% Profit £16.4m n.a.%Aston Martin launched the DB11 and limited editions of its Vantage and Vanquish luxury sports car models last year to critical acclaim. To fuel further expansion, the Warwickshire business started work this year on a second manufacturing site in south Wales, expected to create 750 jobs. The group completed the issuance of a £550m bond in April, refinancing existing debt; and chief executive Andy Palmer, 54, has announced plans to open offices in Japan, to raise exports to the country to £400m over the next five years.

10 CalaSales £587.1m U 15% Profit £83.7m U 15%Edinburgh-based Cala is a housebuilder that mainly operates at the premium endof the market, with homes last year costing £538,000 on average. In 2013, Legal & General and Patron Capital acquired a majority stake, valuing the group at £210m. Chief executive Alan Brown, 57, has set a sales target of £1bn by 2020. The group is reportedly up for sale, priced at £700m.

11 Helston GaragesSales £586.0m U 13% Profit £15.4m V 11%Cornwall-based Helston Garages has 37 car dealerships throughout the West Country, servicing and selling marques from Ferrari and Porsche to Peugeot and Volkswagen. The business is owned by the Carr family, having grown from a filling station and workshop, founded in 1960. It is run by group managing director Andy Barrett, 53.

12 BGL GroupSales £585.2m U 1% Profit £129.5m U 24%Peterborough-based BGL arranges home insurance for 8.5m customers through its price-comparison websites, which include Comparethemarket.com. Last week it was reported that the Competition and Markets Authority is investigating the site’s pricing of home insurance. BGL also has an insurance division, which includes brands such as Beagle Street. Chief executive Matthew Donaldson, 44, is reported to have engaged JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley to prepare for a stock market listing that could value the business at up to £2bn. Its profits of £129.5m are among the highest on the league table.

13 LCC GroupSales £584.7m U 8% Profit £21.0m U 44%This Co Tyrone business imports coal, oil and gas from countries including South Africa and Colombia, and distributes them to households and businesses throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe. The group also operates 35 Go petrol stations as well as Go Power, an electricity supplier. Owned and run by managing director Michael Loughran, 67, and his family, the company plans to expand in Europe. In March, it acquired the Cloghan Point oil terminal and plans to invest £15m in upgrading the facility to handle 120,000-ton tankers.

14 RobertsonSales £579.0m U 32% Profit £25.1m U 30% This infrastructure and construction group with headquarters in Stirling builds houses, schools, supermarkets, hospitals and office blocks. It is also involved in property development, civil engineering, asset management and facilities maintenance. In the year to March 2017, sales rose by 32%, with a large number of new contracts tying in with plans to expand across the country. The group has been appointed main contractor for the £250m Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, due for completion in June 2019. Founder Bill Robertson, 72, is executive chairman.

15 BetfredSales £578.7m U 10% Profit £40.0m U 458%Chairman Fred Done, 74, opened his first shop in 1967, using £250,000 he had won betting that England would win the 1966 World Cup. Betfred now operates an online gaming service and nearly 1,700 betting shops. Last year, it acquired 322 stores from Ladbrokes and Gala Coral for £55m, after a £195m refinancing.

16 GrahamSales £565.9m U 11% Profit £15.9m V 6%Founded in 1878, this privately run business offers construction, civil engineering, asset management and project investment services. Its clients include local and national government as well as commercial developers. Sales rose this year to a record £565.9m, helped by strong performance in the firm’s asset management business. Led by executive chairman Michael Graham, 53, the group has its headquarters in Co Down, Northern Ireland, and operates a network of offices across the UK.

17 Miller HomesSales £565.3m U 8% Profit £99.0m U 31%This housebuilder and commercial property company plans to build 4,000 homes a year by 2021, more than double the number it built in 2014, when it sold its construction division to Galliford Try for £17m. In August, chairman Philip Bowman, 64, led a buyout backed by private equity firm Bridgepoint, which acquired GSO Capital Partners’ majority shareholding in a £655m deal.

18 Southall TravelSales £564.3m U 15% Profit £22.2m U 4%This West London travel agency started life in 1984, selling flights to British Asians travelling to India. It now arranges flights and package holidays to destinations worldwide — its consultants answer calls 24 hours a day — with growth in markets including the Middle East and Asia. The company is led by chief executive Kuljinder Bahia, 44, who took over in 1997 at the age of 24.

19 Car GiantSales £552.3m U 19% Profit £50.7m U 27%Car Giant’s 47-acre base in west London stocks more than 8,000 cars, but chairman Geoffrey Warren, 62, will move its headquarters if plans go ahead to develop the site, including a transport hub where HS2 is to connect with Crossrail. The scheme, dubbed Old Oak Park and backed by development partner London & Regional Properties, is expected to deliver 7,000 homes, a cultural quarter, schools and parks.

20 Eastern Western Motor GroupSales £550.0m U 8% Profit £11.5m U 6%Founded in 1927, Eastern Western Motor Group represents marques including Toyota, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz. The Edinburgh-based group operates 26 new and used dealerships, and in August acquired Grassicks BMW and Mini dealership in Perth. Managing director Douglas Brown, 54, is the son of the founder and steered the group to record sales of £550m in 2016.

21 CareysSales £549.2m U 28% Profit £20.0m U 10%This specialist building contractor was founded in 1969 by chairman John Carey, 76, alongside brothers Tom, 74, and Pat, 72. The Wembley-based firm helped build the new V&A Museum of Design in Dundee and worked on the £300m remodelling of Selfridges in London. Its specialist services include environmental, civil engineering,

demolition, dry-lining, new homes and resource recovery. Growth across all areas, particularly those relating to its design team, set up three years ago, lifted this year’s sales 28% to £549.2m.

22 Virgin ActiveSales £535.0m U 9% Profit £53.9m U 2%The South African private equity firm Brait acquired an 80% stake in this health club operator in 2015 from CVC Capital Partners, with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group cutting its stake to 20%. The deal valued Virgin Active at £1.3bn. The group decided to focus on its London business at the start of 2016, and since then has sold 51 of its UK gyms to the likes of David Lloyd Leisure (No 52 on this year’s list). It has more than 1.4m members across 245 clubs in 10 countries, and is investing £150m in opening up to 40 new clubs in southeast Asia. In February, it reappointed founder Matthew Bucknall, 57, as group chief executive.

23 West Retail GroupSales £524.4m U 18% Profit £11.9m U 53%This North Lincolnshire group consists of two businesses: Wren Kitchens and electronics retailer Ebuyer.com. The former, founded in 2009, is growing rapidly — it employs 4,000 people and sales of kitchens in the past four years totalled £1bn. The latter sells 40,000 products a week and has more than 5m registered customers. The group is led by managing director Mark Pullan, 45, and owned by entrepreneur Malcolm Healey, 73, through his private equity company Vida Capital Partners.

24 CP HoldingsSales £524.2m U 12% Profit £26.7m U 9%Watford-based CP Holdings is best known for its ownership of Hungarian hotel chain Danubius. It also has UK and international interests in heavy plant machinery, logistics, serviced offices and brownfield regeneration. The group is chaired by Iris Gibbor, 66, daughter of the late founder, Sir Bernard Schreier.

25 Karro Food GroupSales £514.8m U 12% Profit £22.8m U 17%This North Yorkshire food group butchers, cures, and packs pork products, and runs a farm in the Scottish Highlands, where it has 17,000 outdoor sows, producing 6,400 pigs per week, raised without antibiotics. It has eight sites throughout the UK and Ireland, and is one of only a few meat processors licensed to export to China and America.

In March, executive chair Di Walker, 45, led a buyout backed by private equity firm CapVest, which acquired a majority shareholding for £180m.

26 The Hut GroupSales £501.4m U 50% Profit £30.4m U 67%This Cheshire-based online retailer sells premium goods in the health and beauty sector, via more than 140 group websites backed by its proprietary technology. It was highly acquisitive last year and sales rose by 50% to £501.4m as a result. This year co-founder and chief executive Matthew Moulding, 45, has bought internet services and web hosting business UK2, beauty subscription firm Glossybox, online beauty retailer RY and spa and skincare brand Espa. In August, asset management firm Old Mutual Global Investors acquired a 5% stake, valuing the group at £2.5bn.

27 NG BaileySales £500.3m U 23% Profit £12.0m U 100%Founded in 1921, NG Bailey provides mechanical and electrical engineering services, facilities maintenance and IT services relating to communications infrastructure. Recent projects include the installation of one of the world’s most powerful computers at the Met Office in Exeter and work on Britain’s largest commercial Passivhaus-certified building, at Leicester University. Under chief executive David Hurcomb, 53, sales rose 23% to £500.3m in 2016 and profits doubled to £12m, reflecting strong growth in its services and construction markets.

28 James Hall & CoSales £485.7m V 1% Profit £10.3m U 22%Founded by James Hall in Preston in 1863 as a bacon-cutting business, this company today sells services including food wholesaling and distribution to more than 600 Spar stores in northern England and to British military bases in Germany. Led by chairman Ian Hall, 74, and his brother Andrew, 67, it also sells management and ancillary services through its technological and computer departments.

29 Turner & TownsendSales £482.2m U 18% Profit £45.6m U 18%Turner & Townsend is a construction consultancy currently advising on Time Warner’s new headquarters in New York and a multibillion-dollar expansion programme for Abu Dhabi Airports. Chief executive Vincent Clancy, 53, has driven the global expansion of the firm,

which works in the infrastructure, real estate and natural resources sectors. The firm is headquartered in Leeds, with 104 offices in 44 countries — more than half its sales are now generated abroad.

30 ED & F ManSales £481.1m U 50% Profit £126.9m U 73%Founded by James Man in 1783 as a sugar broker and barrel maker, this company kept the Royal Navy in rum for nearly 200 years. As well as sugar, the London company now trades coffee and other commodities, and also runs a brokerage business. In 2012, German sugar producer Südzucker acquired a 25% stake in the business, valuing it at $1bn, and in 2016 Südzucker increased its stake to 35%. In January, group chief executive Philip Howell, 59, led the acquisition of Kent-based pulses trader Maviga for an undisclosed sum.

31 Dick Lovett CompaniesSales £475.5m U 18% Profit £9.5m V 2%A passion for motorsports led the chairman of this sports car dealership, Peter Lovett, 67, to compete at Le Mans six times and to represent Wiltshire in the BMW County championship. He has led the business, based in Swindon and established by his father in 1966, for four decades. The group’s marques include Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin.

32 Winvic ConstructionSales £462.0m U 11% Profit £28.7m U 32%Known for its “mega shed” structures, this Northampton construction firm delivers millions of square feet of commercial and retail space every year for developers including IM Properties and Wilson Bowden, and occupiers such as Amazon, JD Sports and Marks and Spencer. The business has diversified under chief executive David Ward, 56, and is now working on infrastructure projects such as the East Midland Gateway scheme, as well as commercial projects in the student accommodation, retail and private rented sectors.

33 Glyn HopkinSales £455.6m U 9% Profit £10.0m U 13%Chairman Glyn Hopkin, 56, set up this car dealership in 1992 and it now has more than 35 branches in London and southeast England. The Romford firm sells a variety of marques and offers finance, after-care and servicing. The company grew staff past the 800 mark last year, and this year, after hitting sales of £455.6m, it is aiming for sales of more than £500m.

When eight leaders from this year’s Top Track 250 companies were asked where Britain can be world-beating, they set out a clear blueprint that will surprise some and inspire many others, countering much of the gloom that seems to dominate the news.

Running firms that employa total of 18,000 people and trade in more than 100 countries, the group of directors all agreed that Britain should think globally, build on its reputation as an innovative and

said Britain has a reputation for integrity and fair play. “I have just come back from 10 days in China and we are trusted as a country there,” said Neil Clifford, chief executive of shoe designer Kurt Geiger (No 55).

We should do nothing thatundermines that perception. There was unanimous agreement that the rights of EU citizens living in Britain

Creating a blueprint for the Britain of tomorrowentrepreneurial nation, and become brilliant at developing talented people.

From pioneering electricengines for high-performance vehicles (Aston Martin, No 9) to engineering ways to upgrade the backbone of broadband networks to 10GB on traditional copper cables (Technetix, No 245), the Top Track 250 companies are already engaged in a wide range of innovative activities.

Paul Broadhurst, founderand chief executive of telecoms network equipment specialist Technetix, said successful innovation has its rewards. “The innovation we deliver gives our customers investment savings at up to 100 times,” he said.

Steve Byrne, chief executive of holiday specialist Travel Counsellors (No 125), is embedding a culture of innovation within the firm, setting up teams focused on finding ways to keep staff engaged and customers happy. He has deployed a social media platform so employees can submit and vote on new ideas, noting that: “Nothing is sacrosanct.”

Constant innovation should be complemented by quality manufacturing. Nikki Rimmington, director of corporate finance and planning at Aston Martin, said a well-funded industrial strategy could help British manufacturing remain world-class. She saw opportunities for bespoke and quality products to be made in Britain that would have global appeal. “Our ability to be agile will be key.”

Aston Martin’s success is due partly to its engineering prowess and partly to its ability to tell a story — think James Bond and his DB5.

The business leaders agreed the country could better show the world where it already excels, talking up “Brand Britain”. The resulting premium on British-made products could offset tariff increases following Britain’s departure from the European single market.

Berry Bros & Rudd (No 149), the wine and spirits merchant founded in 1698, has more stories to tell than most. Lizzy Rudd, its deputy chairman, said: “We have a

should be recognised, and swiftly. “Within two months of the Brexit vote, 18 staff from six European countries left the UK to relocate to Dusseldorf. Others have followed,” said Kim Coles, finance director of cosmetics maker Lush (No 38).

Broadhurst at Technetix added: “We have to be careful about this fortress idea, especially with regard to talent. There are 40% fewer engineers graduating in electronics in the UK than 10 years ago. Barring people with these skills coming here is small-minded and not British.”

Instead, the business leaders felt Britain had to rediscover its ambition and instil a can-do attitude.

Dianne Buchanan, chief financial officer of environment consultancy SLR (see Ones to Watch, page 9), said: “Ten years ago, we were a largely UK-centric business, but now we have more than 70 offices in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific and Africa. The engineers and scientists in our UK business share their

know-how with the rest of the world.”

Business could also do more to inspire young people at school, through engaging them with stories of entrepreneurship and engineering prowess.

Aston Martin’s Rimmington trained as an engineer and said those skills provide an analytical aptitude that is valued in many walks of life. “It does not have to be a prescribed career path,” she said.

And government’s role? Keep things simple and ensure the physical and digital infrastructure is in place to help business succeed internationally.

“It needs to be as easy to gofrom Leeds to Manchester as it is from London to Schiphol,” said Travel Counsellors’ Byrne.

As Britain sets out to showthe world what it can do, we hope more business leaders will add to this blueprint and work together to realise the country’s potential.Malcolm Gomersall and Shaun O’Callaghan are partners at Grant Thornton UK

Top Track 250 leaders agree that ambition and integrity are key to unlocking our potential

MALCOLM GOMERSALL AND SHAUN O’CALLAGHAN Grant Thornton

Travel Counsellors’ Steve Byrne, Lush’s Kim Coles and Grant Thornton’s Sacha Romanovitch

rich history as a company and are lucky to have that, but every single start-up, if its service or product is made here, has that ‘Brand Britain’ to use as well.”

Madeleine Musselwhite, chief financial officer of CH&Co Group (No 124), the food service business that holds a Royal Warrant to provide catering to the Queen, says this storytelling

heritage also attracts people to the UK.

VisitBritain reported that arecord 19.1m overseas visitors came to the UK in the first half of 2017, up 9% on the same period in 2016 before the EU referendum. The group agreed Britain needs to maintain an open, welcoming approach at its borders.

It must also retain the world’s trust. The directors

MAURO MURGIA

Taking its name from the vibrant west London district in which it started life, Southall Travel (No 18) was founded in 1984 as a single store to meet the travel needs of the community of “Little India”. It started out selling flights to British Asians visiting the subcontinent but has sinceexpanded to offer flights and packages around the world to more than 1m customers a year.

Despite its growth, the company has not lost touch with its community-based roots, however. It helps that chief executive Kuljinder Bahia, 44, has been with the business — and in the same role — for 20 years. “We are different from others in that I’m involved on a very hands-on basis,”he says.

Although the business was hit by currency fluctuations after the Brexit vote, Bahia was adamant there would be no redundancies or cuts: “I have never cut salaries or bonuses — it’s not the right way.”

His approach has been rewarded. Turnover, which represents gross sales, grew 15% to £564.3m in the year to March — its highest yet. In May, the group moved its headquarters from Buckinghamshire to London’s Mayfair, which it says will help it recruit new talent and support further growth. It plans to launch sports and student travel divisions later this year.

SOUTHALL TRAVEL: SPREADING WINGS AROUND THE WORLD

Kuljinder Bahia, Southall Travel’s ‘hands-on’ chief executive, has ‘never cut salaries or bonuses’

VICKI COUCHMAN

4

TOP TRACK 250

34 AlmacSales £447.2m U 14% Profit £27.1m V 7%The late Sir Allen McClay established this pharmaceuticals developer in 2001, and it has grown to provide research, development and commercialisation services to more than 600 international biopharma companies. Based in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland, it has offices in America, Singapore and Japan, and last year announced a £31m investment plan to expand operations in Europe and North America. Alan Armstrong, 58, is chairman and chief executive.

35 Hyperion Insurance GroupSales £433.9m U 45% Profit £65.3m U 95%This insurance broking and underwriting group was formed in 1994 when chief executive David Howden, 53, led a buyout from Lloyd’s broker SBJ. The London group merged with rival RK Harrison in 2015 and now employs more than 3,800 people in 39 countries. Last year, it acquired surety broker PMG Financial Services in March and German insurance broker Euroassekuranz in September, helping grow turnover 45% to £433.9m.

36 Parkdean ResortsSales £431.5m U 9% Profit £82.1m U 21%Parkdean Holidays and Park Resorts merged in 2015 to create Parkdean Resorts, which operates 73 holiday parks throughout Britain. Earlier this year, the leisure group was acquired by Canadian private equity firm Onex Corporation for a reported £1.35bn. The company, which is headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, is led by chief executive John Waterworth, 53.

37 Buckingham Group ContractingSales £408.3m U 3% Profit £13.0m U 81%This Buckinghamshire civil engineer is best known for its expertise in building sports stadiums, such as the Amex Stadium in Brighton and the Copper Box Arena at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, the site of handball, modern pentathlon and fencing events at the 2012 Games. Led by founder and chairman Paul Wheeler, 63, the company also specialises in logistics facilities, land remediation, demolition and rail projects. It has expanded into highways and has plans to secure work on HS2.

38 LushSales £394.9m U 21% Profit £16.5m U 33%Lush is a common sight — and smell —on Britain’s high streets, thanks to the handmade bath and beauty products sold in its shops. The Poole business has

932 outlets in 49 countries, and has been growing fast, with last year’s group sales increasing 21% to £394.9m. The founders, including managing director Mark Constantine, 65, are issuing new shares to employees, providing them with a 10% stake in the business and a greater say in its future.

39 TelentSales £391.5m V 1% Profit £24.5m U 12%Warwick-based Telent provides a range of network and communications services across a variety of industries, from service providers and transport to public safety and defence. Recent projects include developing fast installation of pedestrian crossings for Transport for London and disaster recovery for an international law firm. Key clients include Network Rail,Virgin Media and GSK. Mark Plato, 58, is chief executive.

40 Tennants ConsolidatedSales £387.3m U 4% Profit £29.8m U 25%In the late 18th century, Charles Tennant revolutionised the linen trade by creating bleaching powder. Today, Tennants, the company he founded, is owned by the Alexander family and makes and distributes more than 3,000 chemicals across the world, from adhesives to animal feed. The Belgravia-based company also manufactures chemicals in Europe, North and South America, and China. Paul Alexander, 63, is group chairman.

41 WaterstonesSales £387.3m U 2% Profit £18.7m U 258%This high street bookseller was founded as a single store in 1982 and has since been owned by WH Smith, HMV and, most recently, Russian publisher Alexander Mamut, 57. He bought the business from HMV in 2011 for £53m and it now operates 270 stores across the UK, under the leadership of managing director James Daunt, 53. The London firm last year invested £9m in upgrading stores and in-store cafes, helping to more than triple annualised profits to £18.7m on turnover of £387.3m.

42 ZenithSales £383.0m U 16% Profit £30.2m U 51%This Leeds-based firm is one of the UK’s largest independent leasing, fleet management and vehicle outsourcing businesses. Established in 1989, Zenith was merged with Leasedrive in 2014 by private equity firm HgCapital. In January this year, Bridgepoint Capital acquired the firm from HgCapital for £750m. The following month, chief executive Tim Buchan, 53, led the

acquisition of Contract Vehicles Holdings for an undisclosed sum, adding HGV hire to Zenith’s offering.

43 Exterion MediaSales £381.3m U 8% Profit £14.7m V 41%Exterion is an out-of-home media company that reaches more than 185m people across the UK, Ireland, France, Spain and Holland. It specialises in transport audiences and last year was selected to partner with Transport for London for its £2bn advertising contract. Led by chief executive Shaun Gregory, 47, the London firm acquired Dutch rival Centercom in February, helping to increase sales to £381.3m in 2016. Majority shareholder Platinum Equity is reported to have put the company up for sale, with a rumoured £1bn price tag.

44 Robinsons Motor GroupSales £378.2m U 11% Profit £8.9m U 19%Richard Robinson founded this car dealer in Norwich and, still controlled by the Robinson family, this year it celebrates its 90th birthday. It has Audi, Seat, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Smart outlets, with 28 dealerships across East Anglia, at locations including Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds, selling new and used cars. Martin Wallace, 49, is chief executive.

45 Keltbray GroupSales £369.4m U 36% Profit £24.2m U 109%Esher-based Keltbray provides engineering, environmental and construction services for the building and rail industries. It specialises in demolition and groundworks for projects including Earls Court and Crossrail. Last year, owner and chief executive Brendan Kerr, 52, bought concrete company Dunne Group out of administration, saving 400 jobs. Helped by the acquisition, turnover was up 36% to £369.4m in 2016, with profits more than doubling to £24.2m, assisted by the closure of loss-making projects.

46 Avant HomesSales £369.0m U 45% Profit £45.0m U 107%This Chesterfield housebuilder is on the rise again after a period of restructuring under the leadership of chief executive Colin Lewis, 61. This year, the group will deliver 1,636 homes, up 35% on 2016, with sales rising 45% to £369m. Profit more than doubled to £45m in the same period. In August, the group secured a £200m overdraft, which will be used to reach a target of building 2,000 homes a year, with sales rising to £500m in the next two years.

47 HillSales £367.3m U 21% Profit £36.0m U 17%This Essex-based developer operates in London and southeast England, building homes for sale and for housing associations and local authority partners. Led by founder and chief executive Andy Hill, 58, it also carries out estate regeneration and large refurbishment projects. In 2015, it formed a new subsidiary to run complex projects and to trial new techniques and processes. The group built more than 1,000 homes in 2016 and turnover rose by 21% to £367.3m, boosted by strong demand.

48 Sky Betting and GamingSales £363.6m U 47% Profit n.a. This bookmaker handles 53m transactions on its busiest day, ranging from sports bets to casino games. The Leeds-based group was formed by Sky in 2001 and grew rapidly through its association with Sky Sports. In 2015, private equity firm CVC bought a majority stake, valuing the group at £800m. Sky retained a 20% stake and agreed to a long-term licence of its brand. The company is led by chief executive Richard Flint, 45.

49 Day LewisSales £362.7m U 18% Profit £21.1m U 7%A pharmacy concession in Harrods, the luxury department store, is among more than 250 outlets across southern England run by this family-owned company. It supplies medicines and medical equipment to oil rigs and the shipping industry, and has a wholesale and distribution business. The Croydon-based group was founded in 1975 by Kirit Patel — who died in July last year — and his brother Jayanti, 71.

50 AvailableCarSales £340.8m U 21% Profit £7.7m V 9%This Castle Donington car supermarket says it sells 600 cars a week, and promises to refund the difference if you find the same car cheaper elsewhere within seven days. It is owned by husband-and-wife founders Graham and Alison Bell, 58 and 57 respectively, and has four sites located in Cannock, Leeds and Sutton-in-Ashfield, as well as Castle Donington. Turnover grew 21% to £340.8m last year on the back of record car sales in the UK.

51 Study GroupSales £340.3m U 11% Profit £16.6m V 27%More than 61,000 students from more than 150 countries enrolled in a Study Group programme last year. The

London-headquartered company prepares students for university, runs English language courses and also provides vocational training. Courses are taught in its own study centres across Europe, North America and Australasia, as well as through universities and online. Last year, chief executive David Leigh, 46, oversaw the renewal of five existing university partnerships and signed up three new universities, including Durham.

52 David Lloyd LeisureSales £335.5m U 21% Profit £43.9m U 1%Founded by former professional tennis player David Lloyd in 1982, this Hertfordshire group provides health, sports and leisure services to 560,000 members across 98 clubs in the UK and 13 in Europe. In 2015, the group sold and leased back 44 properties, raising £365m, and earlier this year acquired 14 health clubs from its rival, Virgin Active (No 22 on this year’s list), for an undisclosed sum. Led by chief executive Glenn Earlam, 52, the group is reportedly up for sale with a £1.3bn price tag, four years after private equity firm TDR Capital acquired it in a £750m deal.

53 Dorchester CollectionSales £335.5m U 12% Profit £24.3m U 1,748%Dorchester Collection runs 10 luxury, five-star hotels in Europe and America, including Le Meurice in Paris, Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan and the Dorchester in London. Established in 2006 by the Brunei Investment Agency, it is run by chief executive Christopher Cowdray, 62. Profits increased to £24.3m in 2015, driven by currency fluctuations. In April, the group’s most recent addition, Hotel Eden in Rome, reopened after renovations.

54 Westover GroupSales £333.0m U 19% Profit £7.9m U 26%Bournemouth-based Westover began life more than 90 years ago as a Morris Motors dealership and now has 28 sites in Dorset and Wiltshire, selling marques including Lexus and Toyota. In 1984, Peter Wood, 67, now chairman, led a buyout, and has subsequentlyexpanded the business through a series of acquisitions.

55 Kurt GeigerSales £330.0m U 13% Profit £33.9m U 11%The singer Ed Sheeran, model Kendall Jenner and actress Angelina Jolie are all fans of this London-headquartered footwear and accessories retailer.

Established in 1963 on Bond Street, the group now has more than 80 stores around the world and 240 concessions in department stores. Kurt Geiger’s portfolio of brands includes Kurt Geiger London, Carvela and Miss KG. Last year, chief executive Neil Clifford, 50, led a £245m buyout, backed by private equity firm Cinven. Profits of £33.9m in 2016 are presented before depreciation and amortisation.

56 Chelsea Football ClubSales £329.1m U 5% Profit £24.9m U 340%This year’s Premier League champions matched success on the pitch with impressive financial performance, more than quadrupling profits to £24.9m. Turnover also grew to £329.1m last year thanks to extra broadcasting revenue for participation in the Champions League, as well as increased commercial sales due to a new shirt sponsorship agreement. Player trades including Petr Cech and Ramires accounted for £49m. The club is owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, 50.

57 Caffè NeroSales £328.9m U 10% Profit £26.2m U 3%Chairman Gerry Ford, 59, founded Caffè Nero in 1997 to recreate the European coffee bars he discovered while studying abroad. It now has more than 800 outlets across Britain, Ireland, Poland, Turkey, Cyprus, the UAE and America, selling coffee and food. In June last year, the London company acquired coffee chain Harris & Hoole from Tesco for an undisclosed sum. In February, it joined forces with recycling company First Mile to turn coffee grounds into biofuel.

58 NisbetsSales £328.3m U 26% Profit £36.1m U 25%Claiming to be the UK’s largest independent supplier of catering equipment, this Bristol company has a branch in Ireland and subsidiaries in Britain, France, Spain, Holland, China and Australia. Last September, it acquired linen manufacturer Mitre Linen, which has held a Royal Warrant to supply the royal household since 1955.Nisbets is led by founder and chairman Andrew Nisbet, 57.

59 Turners (Soham)Sales £322.6m U 26% Profit £27.6m U 16%From packing oranges to deliveringoil, this Cambridgeshire company has been providing warehousing and distribution services across Britain since 1930. Specialising in temperature-controlled storage and delivery, it has built up a network of 1,750 vehicles and 1,400 trailers, with acquisitions including Macintyre Transport and Goldstar Transport in 2016. Turners is led by managing director Paul Day, 58.

60 William Jackson Food GroupSales £315.3m U 14% Profit £18.3m U 4%Founder William Jackson started this East Yorkshire food producer as a grocer and tea dealer in 1851, and the company is now chaired by his great-great-grandson, Nicholas Oughtred, 56. The group operates businesses including fresh produce supplier MyFresh and Jackson’s Bakery, and has brands such as Aunt Bessie’s, Abel & Cole and Jackson’s Yorkshire’s Champion bread. In 2016, it acquired a majority stake in healthy snack-food manufacturer The Food Doctor for an undisclosed sum, helping turnover reach a record £315.3m.

61 The Little GroupSales £306.1m U 30% Profit £17.2m U 120%Based in Eastbourne, The Little Group is a family-owned holding company for Gardners Books, which says it is Britain’s largest independent wholesaler of books, music and DVDs. Its retail customers include high street booksellers, internet retailers and supermarkets. Other subsidiaries supply music retailers, public libraries, colleges and schools, with more than 40% of sales to international trade customers. Under chairman Jonathan Little, 52, the company is investing to expand its facilities in America, as well as in its ebook technology.

Look down this year’s Top Track 250 league table and you will quickly see the vital role these companies are playing in the economy.

Between them, they generate combined sales of £62.4bn, the equivalent of 3.2% of GDP, and employ more than 380,000 people across the UK. More than half are based outside London and the southeast of England, which is reassuring for the country’s overall prosperity.

While many may not be

Mid-market heroes navigating uncertain watershousehold names they are leaders in their respective industries and are quietly doing the heavy economic lifting the country needs. They are also facing numerous challenges, from the outcome of Brexit to rapidtechnological change, and their ability to thrive going forward will depend on how well they adapt.

One firm taking action is homeware and clothing brand The White Company (No 132), which is investing in a next-generation ecommerce platform to support its expansion overseas. Well-known in the UK, it is now breaking into North America, having opened its first US store in New York in June.

Founder Chrissie RuckerMBE, who started the business in 1994 with £6,000, said: “I want to approach our expansion in America in the same way I always have done with my business: quietly and steadily.”

The London-based firm is aLloyds Bank client of nine

years and is served by the local team, who work with many businesses in the capital and southeast Englandunder regional managing director Mark Burton.

Lloyds Bank has provided ahealthy funding line to back the retailer’s growth plans in the UK and America.

Clients such as The WhiteCompany have access to the bank’s international trade portal, which includes an extensive database of buyers and suppliers in every country, helping firms identify new trading partners to capitalise on international opportunities.

They can also benefit fromour working capital management tool, which models scenarios to show where trade terms could be more efficient and there is the potential to release capital.

While such tools can helpgive companies a competitive advantage, they will never replace the relationships that are central to doing business.

Another company that

understands the value of close strategic relationships is Telent (No 39), which installs communications infrastructure for clients such as Virgin Media and BT.

In 2014, the firm acquiredservices provider Telindus UKfrom Belgium’s Belgacom for an undisclosed sum, a move that exposed the group to significant volumes of business in foreign currencies. Using their extensive knowledge of the company, our Midlands, east and southwest regional managing director David Richardson and his team were able to work with Telent and suggest ways to mitigate this exposure.

Another business we havehad a relationship with since its inception is MKM Building Supplies (No 69). It started as a single builders’ merchant in Hull in 1995 with a small working capital facility from Lloyds Bank. Co-founder and executive chairman David Kilburn has grown the group to an impressive 49 branches

in England and in Scotland. Like us, he understands the power of a common goal and has introduced an innovative structure that sees branch directors take an equity stake in their branch and gives them an opportunity to share in profits.

MKM counts the local Lloyds Bank team, headed by our Scotland and North regional managing director Nick Laird, among its most trusted advisors.

It bought out investors 3iand LDC in March, with new funding from private equity firm Bain Capital and Lloyds Bank. Kilburn said: “MKM has enjoyed exceptional growth over the past 22 years and I would like to thank 3i, LDC and Lloyds Bank for their long-term backing and support.”

Lloyds Bank recognises that careful risk-management and long-term funding, supported by deep and long-lasting relationships, are increasingly important in successfully navigating these

economically uncertain times. Founded in 1765, we have backed British firms operating here and overseas for more than 250 years.

We have relationships withhalf of the firms on this year’s Top Track 250, and we want to grow that figure. Strong relationships and our footprint across the UK give us powerful insights into our clients’ businesses, allowing us to serve them better.

Our support of the mid-market and the companies on this year’s league table is an integral part of our commitment to helping Britain prosper.

UK businesses such as The White Company, Telent and MKM Building Supplies are the heartland of the UK economy. They are creating new jobs and expanding internationally, and we will continue to support them on that journey.Tim Hinton is managing director, Mid Markets & SME Banking, Lloyds Banking Group

Through strong relationships and investment in innovation, these companies are forging ahead

TIM HINTON Lloyds Banking Group

Under Chrissie Rucker, The White Company (No 132) is investing in ecommerce and the US in order to expand

While many international financial services firms are reviewing their presence in the City, and in some cases scaling back, Hyperion Insurance Group (No 35) is doing the opposite. In the past four years it has expanded via 26 deals, including a merger with broker RK Harrison in 2015 and the acquisition of a majority stake in German insurance broker Euroassekuranz last year.

Its growing international footprinthas seen profits nearly double to £65.3m on revenues, which consist of fees and commissions, of £434m in 2016. This performance directly benefits the 21% of its 3,800 employees who hold shares in the group and its subsidiaries, and who collectively own 65% of the business.

Founder and chief executive DavidHowden, 53, says empowering staff through ownership is crucial: “Employee ownership is a fundamental part of our DNA. It’s who we are. It’s what drives our growth and success and creates a more dynamic and diverse business.”

Howden also believes sourcing toptalent has helped Hyperion grow. “You’ve got to get the best people in. We’ve succeeded because of the quality of people we have,” he says.

Founded in 1994 and now operatingin 37 countries, Hyperion is confident about its prospects, irrespective of the impact of Brexit on the City.

HYPERION INSURANCE: TOP TALENT IS KEY

Hyperion’s annual convention in Sevilleand, right, founder David Howden

The Sunday Times October 1, 2017 5

62 Randall Parker Food GroupSales £303.3m W 0% Profit £6.4m U 15%Ron Randall, 70, chairman of Randall Parker, started work at 15 as a junior in a butcher’s shop. He opened his own shop at 21, and this wholesale meat distributor and trader now supplies processing plants, caterers and retailers nationwide. The Northamptonshire firm also owns the luxury Blue Waters Beach Hotel in Antigua. Sales and profits represent the combination of companies held under common ownership.

63 LGCSales £302.7m U 22% Profit £53.2m U 9%Headquartered in London, LGC is an international life sciences measurement and analytical testing company serving pharmaceutical, food, environmental and government markets. It has more than 40,000 customers in 150 countries, including America, India, China, Russia and Brazil. Following investment in 2015 by private equity firm KKR, sales this year rose 22% to £302.7m. The group has made 19 acquisitions since 2011, and seven in the past year, including, in March, German firm Axolabs, which develops therapeutic oligonucleotides for the treatment of genetic disorders. Tim Robinson, 54, is chief executive.

64 FairviewSales £298.1m U 67% Profit £76.7m U 60%Fairview specialises in developing housing on brownfield sites in London and the southeast of England. Last year, it announced a joint venture with housing association L&Q to build 800 apartments and office space at the site of a former Guinness brewery in northwest London. Under executive chairman Gerald Malton, 56, sales increased by two-thirds to £298.1m in 2016, helped by the completion of 767 homes — up from 435 the year before.

65 BaxtersSales £293.8m U 30% Profit £17.6m U 51%Executive chairman Audrey Baxter, 56, is the fourth generation of her family to lead this Scottish food business, founded in 1868. Baxters has manufacturing sites in five locations worldwide, producing soups, canned meat, chutneys and condiments that are sold in more than 30 countries. In 2014, the company acquired US military ration maker Wornick for £87m, which helped it grow sales 30% to an annualised £293.8m in 2016, amid difficult trading in its UK and Canadian markets.

66 Soho HouseSales £293.4m U 5% Profit: £31.7m U 25% Founded in 1995 by Nick Jones, 54, as a private members’ club, Soho House & Co has since expanded to 18 clubs in cities

such as Los Angeles, Barcelona and Istanbul. It also has 20 restaurant brands, 12 hotels, 19 spas and two cinemas. In 2012, billionaire Ron Burkle reportedly acquired a 60% stake for £250m through his American private equity firm Yucaipa. In April, the group refinanced £275m of debt and opened The Ned, a £200m grade I listed hotel in the heart of the City. Profits of £31.7m in 2016 are presented before depreciation and amortisation — the group is making an operating loss partly due to its rapid expansion and high capital investment.

67 JRL GroupSales £288.5m U 15% Profit £17.5m U 213%Founded in 1996, this Hertfordshire business has grown from a company specialising in groundworks and concrete frames to 10 divisions servicing the construction industry. It supplies 150-metre cranes and machines that bore 70 metres below ground for projects such as the £200m regeneration of Brighton Marina. Profits grew by 213% to £17.5m in the last year, despite some underperforming subsidiaries. Founder John Reddington, 45, is chairman.

68 RG CarterSales £286.4m U 7% Profit £6.7m U 26%Founded in 1921, this Norfolk construction company operates in sectors that include commercial, education, health, heritage and retail. It provides services to private and public sector clients, predominantly in the east of England, but has national coverage. It also provides facilities management and property maintenance. Robert Carter, 64, is group chairman; his family has been leading the business for three generations.

69 MKM Building SuppliesSales £284.3m U 13% Profit £20.8m U 33%With 42 branches across England and Scotland, Hull’s MKM is one of Britain’s largest independent builders’ merchants. It is led by founder and chairman David Kilburn, 72, and chief executive Philip Johns, 54. In March, private equity backers LDC and 3i sold their stakes in the business to Bain Capital in an undisclosed deal.

70 Morris GroupSales £283.7m U 6% Profit £50.3m U 20%Based in Cheshire, Morris Group has been building homes in the Midlands, northwest and southern England for more than 50 years. Led by chief executive Mike Gaskell, 55, its projects range from small sites to large-scale, mixed-use urban villages. In 2013, the group raised additional finance for new land developments, which lifted last year’s sales to £283.7m.

71 CNGSales £282.4m U 17% Profit £10.9m U 22%Founded in 1994 after the deregulation of the gas and electricity markets, this firm supplies gas to small and medium-sized companies, with the Prezzo restaurant chain one of its larger customers. It also offers shipping services to new market entrants and supports more than 40 mainly domestic suppliers. Following a buyout in 2006, led by managing director Jacqui Hall, 54, the Harrogate firm has grown to provide more than 50,000 businesses with gas and electricity.

72 VoicevaleSales £280.5m U 7% Profit £10.9m U 28%Bolivian brazil nuts and Georgian hazelnuts are some of the products supplied by this dried fruit, nuts and seeds importer. Run by managing director Roby Danon, 61, the London-based company has offices in France, Germany, Istanbul, Beijing and La Paz, Bolivia, and part-owns a number of processors around the world. Toyota Tsusho Corporation acquired a fifth of the business in 2011.

73 Oak Furniture LandSales £279.7m U 17% Profit £15.9m U 89%Several years as a furniture salesman convinced Jason Bannister, 46, to set up this furniture retailer in 2006. Demand for solid hardwood products has seen the Swindon firm expand to 80 show rooms nationwide. It has also expanded into North America, with the launch of a US subsidiary. New store openings and extensive TV advertising helped profits almost double to £15.9m in 2016.

74 Wrights GroupSales £276.1m U 16% Profit £13.6m U 5%This family-owned firm pioneered low-floor buses in Britain and built London’s fleet of 1,000 hybrid diesel-electric Routemasters, and its zero-emission Wrightbus launched last year. The business is based in Co Antrim,

Northern Ireland, but is expanding overseas and has facilities in India and Malaysia. It is led by chairman and chief executive Mark Nodder, 61.

75 Yeo ValleySales £273.2m V 4% Profit £11.9m U 66%Yeo Valley was founded in the 1970s, when Roger and Mary Mead began selling clotted cream from their Somerset farm. Today it supplies almost 30% of yoghurts sold in the UK — under its Yeo Valley brand and for supermarket brands including Waitrose. The business is run by managing director Karl Tucker, 49, and executive chairman Adrian Carne, 51. Operational efficiencies and a full-year’s trading from Coombe Farm Fruits, acquired in 2015, helped profits grow 66% to £11.9m in 2016.

76 HatfieldsSales £270.1m U 30% Profit £10.9m U 61%Ernest Hatfield began selling cars in Sheffield in the 1920s, setting up one of the world’s first Jaguar dealerships. Under managing director Gareth Williams, 53, the Wakefield-based business now sells Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo marques from 10 dealerships across the north of England.

77 DreamsSales £269.5m U 19% Profit £32.6m U 119%Four years ago, bed and mattress superstore Dreams was bought out of administration by the European division of Sun Capital, an American private equity firm. It acquired its manufacturing plant, supply chain and 171 best stores, and installed a new chief executive, Mike Logue, 45. He has streamlined operations and invested in staff, products and logistics, leading to profits of £32.6m in 2016, more than double the year before.

78 CivicaSales £267.7m U 14% Profit £12.4m U 3%Dealing with everything from council tax processing to digital government, this

London-based firm provides software and IT services to more than 2m professionals, supporting 4,000 public sector and regulated organisations in 10 countries. In July, private equity firm Partners Group acquired Civica from Omers Private Equity in a £1bn deal. Led by chairman Simon Downing, 52, the firm has had 15 years of unbroken sales growth, reaching £267.7m in 2016.

79 Resource Solutions GroupSales £267.0m U 12% Profit £12.8m U 10%RSG has grown from a single Bristol recruitment agency into an international network of businesses operating under the brands Sanderson and Resource Management. Last year, the recruiter opened new offices in Southampton and Glasgow, helping raise revenue to a record £267m. It is led by chief executive Mike Beesley, 60, and founder Keith Dawe, 66, who is also chairman of Bristol City football club.

80 HH GlobalSales £266.8m U 32% Profit £11.2m U 92%Counting Google, Lloyds Banking Group and Bayer among its clients, HH Global has evolved from a print brokerage into an international business providing marketing and media services in 40 countries. In 2016, the company, led by chief executive Robert MacMillan, 45, opened eight offices in Latin America to support a new contract with Unilever, doubling profits to £11.2m on turnover of £266.8m. In April, it completed the acquisition of its Australian franchisee following strong client growth.

81 Arora GroupSales £260.0m U 48% Profit £115.0m U 206%Surinder Arora, 59, founded his company in 1999 after running bed-and-breakfast services for Heathrow’s airline staff. Group activities comprise property, construction and a portfolio of eight hotels — including two at Gatwick and three at Heathrow.

Last year, it opened an intercontinental hotel and 101 luxury flats, next to London’s O2 Arena, helping boost sales 48% to £260m this year. In July, Arora put forward its own plans to the government for a new runway and terminal at Heathrow. Its profit of £115m represents a margin of 44%, one of the highest on the league table.

82 Whitworth BrosSales £258.7m U 24% Profit £10.6m U 21%Although this family firm has been milling flour since 1886, it has also been at the forefront of new milling and heat-treatment technology, and in 2014 opened a £1.2m quality and innovation centre at its Northamptonshire headquarters. Led by chairman Martin George, 74, the business acquired Carr’s Flour Mills last year in a deal worth £24m, adding the reach of milling centres in Cumbria, Essex and Fife.

83 AllSaintsSales £252.5m U 9% Profit £16.6m U 82%Known for its leather jackets, this fashion retailer was bought by private equity firm Lion Capital in 2011 for £105m. Chief executive William Kim, 45, has since invested in the brand’s online presence and its website now receives 30m visits each year. With 230 stores in more than 20 countries, more than half AllSaints’ revenue is now generated from its international operations.

84 FM ConwaySales £252.5m U 2% Profit £24.7m U 34%Frank Michael Conway started this Kent highways contractor in 1961 with one lorry and two men. Twenty years later, his son, current chief executive Michael Conway, 62, took over the company and developed it into a national infrastructure services business. It works for private and public clients, including Transport for London and about half of the boroughs in London.

85 The Swift GroupSales £252.0m U 19% Profit £17.5m U 104%This Yorkshire firm says it is the largest British manufacturer of motorhomes, caravans and holiday homes. Its brands, including Sterling and Sprite, are sold in Europe and it has built an £8m factory to help meet demand from domestic and international markets. Last year’s sales rose 19% to £252m, under the leadership of managing director James Turner, 47.

86 Busy BeesSales £249.0m U 15% Profit £11.9m V 23%Founded in 1983 by three families unhappy with the childcare options available to them, this Staffordshire business now provides care for 45,000 children across 480 nurseries. It is the UK’s largest private provider of childcare services and was acquired by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in 2012 in a deal that reportedly valued it at £220m. Chief executive John Woodward, 62, and managing director Marg Randles, 60, led the £137m acquisition of Treetops Nurseries from private equity house Epiris in March; and have expanded into Canada, acquiring Brightpath in August.

87 O’Halloran & O’BrienSales £247.8m U 21% Profit £21.6m U 19%Founded in 1972, this Surrey company has evolved from a small groundworks firm to a large construction contractor, offering civil engineering, plant hire and reinforced concrete frames. Its clients include Berkeley, Taylor Wimpey and Crest Nicholson. Its founder and chairman is Tom O’Brien, 70.

88 Marex SpectronSales £244.6m U 7% Profit £19.5m U 31%Formed in 2011 by the merger of metals broker Marex Financial and energy broker Spectron Group, London-based Marex Spectron has 10 offices, including in Singapore, Hong Kong and New York. The group’s other markets include financial futures, agricultural products and freight. Profits grew 31% to £19.5m as it benefited from reduced commodities trading by banks and new business in America and Asia. Led by chief executive Ian Lowitt, 53, its largest shareholder is private-equity firm JRJ Group.

Maya Thurman-Hawke, daughter of Uma Thurman, promotes the international appeal of AllSaints (No 83)

HEADQUARTER LOCATIONSOF THE TOP TRACK 250

Wales

3

Scotland

22

London

68Southeast England

46

Midlands

25East

England

15

NorthwestEngland

21

NorthernIreland

7

SouthwestEngland

11

NortheastEngland

32

By your side

By the side ofBritish business

6

TOP TRACK 250

89 Martin-BakerSales £241.6m U 4% Profit £67.4m U 11%Martin-Baker says its aircraft ejection seats and survival equipment havesaved more than 7,500 lives. Foundedin 1934 as an aircraft manufacturerby Northern Irish engineer Sir James Martin and test pilot Captain Valentine Baker, the company, based near Uxbridge, has since expanded its operations to France, Italy and America, which is now its largest single market. It is headed by Martin’s twin sons, John and James, 74.

90 The Emerson GroupSales £240.3m V 1% Profit £85.0m U 13%Chairman Peter Emerson Jones, 82, founded this Cheshire builder and developer in 1959. The group now works in Florida and Portugal as well as the UK, with projects including golf courses and residential and commercial properties. The firm completed on 432 UK homes in the year to April, and an upturn in the American market helped profits rise 13% to £85m.

91 Norbrook LaboratoriesSales £238.7m U 11% Profit £38.5m U 13%This pharmaceutical firm, founded in 1969, researches, develops and produces a wide range of veterinary drugs sold in 120 countries. It is based in Northern Ireland and has manufacturing facilities in the UK, Ireland and Kenya. Chief executive Liam Nagle, 55, oversaw new product releases in Europe and America last year, helping boost sales by 11% to £238.7m.

92 Addo Food GroupSales £236.4m U 49% Profit £10.4m U 74%This Nottingham food producer, formerly known as Pork Farms, sells more than 287m of its products — pork pies, quiches and scotch eggs — a year, supplying big supermarkets with branded and own-brand products. Managing director Chris Peters, 59, led the acquisition of Kerry Foods’ chilled savoury pastry division in late 2014, which contributed to last year’s 49% increase in sales to £236.4m. In April, the company was acquired by private equity firm LDC in a deal reported to be worth £100m.

93 ProCam EuropeSales £235.7m U 9% Profit £6.7m V 13%Founded in 1979 by chairman Tony White, 75, this Cambridge agronomy business helps growers maximise crop yields and profitability. Using a mix of its own agronomists and predictive systems based on real crop data, the company says it can increase customers’ gross margins by 25%. International income accounts for almost half of total sales, driven mainly by its Polish business, which it acquired in 2004.

94 TOM Vehicle RentalSales £235.5m U 9% Profit £16.1m U 14%Started in 1991 as a single MOT centre, this Lanarkshire firm operates a fleet of more than 16,000 rental vehicles, available to hire from 15 locations across Britain. It also operates a commercial vehicle dealership. Last December, the management team completed a buyout, supported by private equity firm Equistone, which acquired a majority stake for an undisclosed sum. Chief

executive Robert Stewart, 35, led the acquisition of Transflex in August this year, adding 3,500 vehicles to the fleet.

95 EnconSales £230.0m U 3% Profit £12.0m U 11%Founded in 1981 and headquartered in West Yorkshire, Encon distributes thermal and acoustic insulation, fire protection and roofing materials from24 warehouses across Britain. Chief executive Stuart Moore, 53, led a management buyout from Wolseley in 2011; and in 2014 refinanced £54m of debt backed by Farallon Capital and Lloyds Bank.

96 WagamamaSales £229.9m U 19% Profit £17.7m U 62%Wagamama — which means “naughty child” in Japanese — serves a Japanese-inspired menu of noodles and Asian food. The London company has 127 restaurants in Britain, four in America and 47 operating under franchise agreements in other countries. Under the stewardship of chief executive Jane Holbrook, 53, and chairman Allan Leighton, 64, profits rose 62% to £17.7m in 2016. The chain is expanding in the US and exploring franchise opportunities in Europe and the Middle East.

97 Kingsland DrinksSales £229.1m U 41% Profit £4.9m U 29%Strawberry Bon-Bon and Pineapple Cube are among the flavours in this wine supplier’s range of fusion drinks. In 2016, the Manchester-based firm became the first UK bottler to carbonate still wine — hoping to capitalise on the popularity of sparkling drinks and the prospect of a prosecco shortage. Managing director Andy Sagar, 58, saw turnover increase 41% to £229.1m last year, as the company benefited from a full year of trading for its 2015 acquisition, distributor Bottle Green.

98 LA InternationalSales £228.2m U 9% Profit £12.2m U 14%LA International has more than half a million IT and engineering contractors on its books, which it supplies to organisations such as Nato, Huawei and Hewlett-Packard. It also provides the government with security-cleared contractors. The Stoke company’s founder and chief executive, Paul Lukic, 64, has invested in its international division, which now provides services to multinationals across 23 countries in industries such as cyber-security and cloud computing.

99 FP McCannSales £227.0m U 24% Profit £19.6m U 41%This Mid Ulster civil engineering firm says it is the UK’s largest precast concrete manufacturer with sales of £227m, growing 24% last year under the leadership of managing director Eoin McCann, 61. In March, the firm bought Laing O’Rourke’s concrete plant in Scotland for an undisclosed sum. The new Uddingston facility joins three in Northern Ireland and 11 others in Britain.

100 Ambassador Theatre GroupSales £226.4m U 23% Profit £14.1m V 33%With box office successes including The Lion King and Wicked, ATG is the world’s largest live-theatre group, with 46 venues including London’s Lyceum.

Co-founded in 1992 by Sir Howard Panter, 68, and his wife Rosemary Squire, 61, who have since left the business, it was acquired by Providence Equity Partners in 2013 for £350m. Turnover rose 23% last year to £226.4m, helped by the acquisition of a German production and promotion company. In May, chief executive Mark Cornell, 51, announced Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would next year be transferring to ATG’s Lyric Theatre in New York.

101 Maritime GroupSales £226.1m U 14% Profit £10.7m U 5%This Suffolk container logistics firm has a fleet of 1,482 road vehicles transporting goods for high street stores and grocery chains. Its depots are based at 32 locations throughout the UK, including London’s Tilbury docks and Birmingham’s Intermodal Freight Terminal. The group is led by owner and managing director John Williams, 58.

102 Lagan Construction GroupSales £225.6m 12% U Profit £6.8m U 119%Founded in 1962, this Belfast firm is a global civil engineer and building contractor. Current projects at the family-owned business include works on the Thames Tideway Tunnel and upgrades to RAF Marham to support the new F-35B Lightning jet aircraft. Led by chairman Michael Lagan, 62, profits more than doubled to £6.8m on turnover of £225.6m in 2016, as the company benefited from improved conditions in the construction market.

103 HKS RetailSales £225.0m U 43% Profit £6.5m U 71%Established in 1984 as a single petrol station in Leicestershire, this forecourt operator now has more than 70 sites across the UK. Since 2015, it has grown its footprint by acquiring seven Shell petrol stations as well as Melton-based Brobot Group, which had 23 sites and turnover of £120m. Led by chief executive Shane Thakrar, 33, turnover grew 43% to £225m in 2017 helped by the group’s acquisitions.

104 Fat FaceSales £220.7m U 7% Profit £23.7m U 15%A Val d’Isère ski slope, La Face, inspired the name of this clothing retailer, launched in 1988 by Jules Leaver and Tim Slade, who decided to sell T-shirts to fund their skiing. Based in Hampshire, with more than 200 shops in Britain, Ireland and America, it is led by chief executive Anthony Thompson, 53, and chairman Lord Rose, 68. Last year, the Bridgepoint-backed retailer grew turnover to £220.7m, helped by its newly opened American stores.

105 Lucy GroupSales £217.1m U 35% Profit £15.7m V 22%Lucy Group consists of four business units: Lucy Electric, Lucy Zodion, Lucy Castings and Lucy Real Estate. The Oxfordshire company sells its electrical control products in more than 50 countries and is led by chairman Richard Dick, 67. Turnover grew 35% to £217.1m in 2015 due to organic sales growth and favourable currency fluctuations. Last year, the group acquired the remaining 50% of an Indian joint venture, CG Lucy Switchgear, and low-voltage monitoring business

GridKey from information technology group Selex ES. Before going to press, the group reported sales fell to £192m in 2016.

106 LWCSales £215.3m U 16% Profit £10.3m U 18%Manchester’s LWC distributes beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks, including own-brand products Bangla beer and Old J Spiced rum. Led by founder and chairman Robin Gray, 66, it carries 6,700 lines of stock, supplies 7,500 trade clients and offers delivery seven days a week. In 2016, the firm invested £9m to develop sites in Leyland, Northampton and Wiltshire.

107 TogetherSales £215.2m U 27% Profit £104.1m U 27%This Cheshire-based company, founded in 1974, provides specialised finance products, including mortgages, secured loans and auction finance to property investors and private homebuyers. Its lending volumes surpassed £1bn for the first time last year, helping its income grow by 27% to £215.2m. Last November, founder and chief executive Henry Moser, 68, bought back a 30% stake in the company, which had been held by Equistone and SL Capital, returning it to his complete ownership. Its profit of £104.1m represents a margin of 48%, which is the largest on the league table.

108 ElementSales £212.8m U 18% Profit £47.2m U 57%Element’s laboratories test the safety and compliance of materials used in the oil and gas, aerospace, industrial and transport sectors for customers such as Ford, GE and Boeing. In 2015, 3i sold its majority share to private equity firm Bridgepoint for £215m. Chief executive Charles Noall, 58, led the £620m acquisition of rival Exova in April.

109 Charles TyrwhittSales £211.5m U 12% Profit £12.3m V 19%Charles Tyrwhitt has sold classic menswear since 1986, and has thriving online and mail-order businesses in Britain, America, Australia and Germany. Under founder, chairman and owner Nick Wheeler, 52, the group has also expanded to 30 shops, including its flagship Jermyn Street site, seven in

America and one in France. David Boynton, 54, joined as chief executive in February, after 10 years in senior roles at health and beauty retailer L’Occitane. Profits of £12.3m in 2017 are presented before depreciation and amortisation.

110 DCS Group (UK)Sales £211.0m U 14% Profit £5.0m V 2%DCS supplies 20,000 retailers and 500 wholesalers with health, beauty and also household brands, such as P&G, Colgate and Unilever. The group manufactures its own products under the Enliven brand, which it exports to 75 countries. In August, founder, chairman and chief executive Denys Shortt, 53, opened its new 25-acre head office in Banbury.

111 Imagination Sales £210.4m V 2% Profit £7.1m U 14%Founded in 1968, this London-based advertising and marketing company employs a spectrum of staff that includesarchitects, 3D and 2D designers, film makers, journalists, social media experts, bloggers and creative strategists. Led by group chief executive Patrick Reid, 41, its clients include 3M, Ford, Shell and Canon. Last year, the firm launched Imagination Academy, a programme partnering with universities to offer bursaries and internships to encourage creativity.

112 QASales £210.1m U 18% Profit £37.9m U 32%Founded in 1983 and built through acquisitions, QA specialises in learning and education services, providing business and IT training courses, apprenticeships, degree-level courses and consultancy services from 22 locations around Britain. With more than 300 instructors, the firm offers 1,500 courses to customers including BT and Barclays. Led by chief executive William Macpherson, 54, QA acquired training accreditation specialist, The Training Foundation, for an undisclosed sum last November.

113 TGI Friday’sSales £207.0m U 9% Profit £20.6m U 1%In the 50 years since the first TGI Friday’s opened in New York, this cocktail and burger bar business has expanded to a global chain of 1,000

restaurants. The British franchise opened in Birmingham in 1986 and, now headquartered in Luton, the leisure group has 81 branches across the country. In 2014, chief executive Karen Forrester, 58, oversaw TGI’s sale to private equity company Electra Partners for a reported £215m.

114 Seddon SolutionsSales £204.8m U 20% Profit £5.2m U 93%Seddon carries out construction and maintenance projects for clients across the northwest of England, the Midlands and Yorkshire. Four generations of the Seddon family have led the Bolton firm, which began as a bricklaying business in 1897, with chief executive Jonathan Seddon, 45, the latest family member at the helm. Its strong performance in the healthcare market — it has built about 50 care homes in the past decade — helped boost profits 93% to £5.2m in 2016.

115 Matchesfashion.comSales £203.7m U 61% Profit £15.9m U 1,526%In 1987, husband and wife Tom and Ruth Chapman, 54 and 55, started this business as a single boutique in Wimbledon. It now sells more than 450 brands of luxury men’s and women’s fashion online and in five London stores and a private shopping townhouse. Led by chief executive Ulric Jerome, 39, turnover grew 61% to £203.7m, helped by international expansion across Asia, America and Europe, and the success of a website that draws 3m unique visitors every month. In August, private equity firm Apax Partners acquired a majority stake, valuing the group at £800m.

116 TimpsonSales £201.3m U 3% Profit £19.0m U 33%Despite good weather putting a damper on Timpson’s shoe and umbrella repair sales, the Manchester company managed to grow annualised profits by 33% last year to £19m, on sales of £201.3m. Originally a shoe business founded in 1865 by William Timpson, it now offers key-cutting, watch and mobile phone repairs, dry cleaning and photo services across 1,500 stores. The founder’s great-grandson, chairman John Timpson, 74, and his son James, 46, the chief executive, led the firm’s acquisition of Johnson Services’ dry-cleaning business for £8.3m in January.

117 Callcredit Information GroupSales £201.0m U 18% Profit £41.8m U 52%Royal Mail and Yorkshire Water are among the clients who turn to this Leeds firm for help in areas such as fraud reduction and credit-risk assessment. The firm says more than 2m consumers use its credit reporting and scoring service, Noddle. In 2014, American private equity firm GTCR backed a £480m buyout. Following the deal, Mike Gordon, 47, joined as chief executive. In June, it made its third acquisition in less than 18 months, buying Spanish fraud-prevention specialist Confirma group for an undisclosed sum.

118 LexonSales £200.0m U 34% Profit £13.3m U 62%The Sodha brothers — Anup, 55, Nitin, 61, and Pankaj, 64 — and their nephew Pritesh Sonpal, 48, founded this pharmaceutical wholesaler in 1995. It now supplies 6,500 products to more than 2,000 independent pharmacies from its two fully automated warehouses. Turnover at the Redditch group grew 34% to £200m in 2016, which partly reflected a full year of trading from pharmaceutical business Norchem, acquired in 2015.

119 YeomansSales £199.1m U 9% Profit £4.5m V 25%With an extensive network of 18 showrooms and service centres in southern England, this Worthing business sells new and used cars through its 16 franchises, including Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Peugeot, Citroën and Hyundai. James Smith, 32, is chairman and managing director of the family-owned group.

THE 10 BIGGEST EMPLOYERS

Rank Company Business Yearend Staff Sales,

£m Page

22 Virgin Active Health club operator Dec 16 12,555 535.0 3

215 Churchill Contract Services Facilities services provider Jun 17 11,987 *131.0 9

3 City Facilities Management Facilities maintenance provider Dec 16 11,844 617.7 1

8 Travelodge Budget hotel operator Dec 16 10,350 597.8 3

86 Busy Bees Nurseries operator Dec 16 7,585 249.0 6

38 Lush Cosmetics manufacturer and retailer Jun 16 7,498 394.9 5

24 CP Holdings Conglomerate Dec 16 7,285 524.2 3

30 ED & F Man Commodities and logistics manager Sep 16 6,885 481.1 3

7 Holland & Barrett Health food and supplements retailer Sep 16 6,726 612.0 3

15 Betfred Bookmaker Sep 16 6,124 578.7 3

* Supplied by company

The British franchise of American-themed restaurant TGI Friday’s (No 113) has been here for 30 years and has picked up a little Britishness along the way: local memorabilia on the walls and a British chief executive.

Karen Forrester, 58, has been at thehelm since joining TGI Friday’s as managing director in 2007, having previously worked for Laurel pubs and Mitchells & Butlers pub group. With supportive owners — Electra Partners acquired it for £215m in 2014 from Sentinel Capital and TriArtisan Capital Partners — Forrester has turned around TGI Friday’s fortunes. Since 2014, profits have doubled to £21m in 2016, with underlying EBITDA profits exceeding £30m. Forrester has also reduced employee turnover to about 50% a year in an industry with rates as high as 90%. “We give people careers. Whenever we open a new restaurant I say to everyone that we will never call them staff and never treat them like staff,” she says. In 2015, TGI Friday’s topped The Sunday Times Best Big Companies to Work For list.

Making the business a desirable place to work is an important part of Forrester’s growth plan. Employee engagement is crucial to what she believes sets it apart from the competition, “It’s the emotional connection created with our consumers that’s unique,” she says.

TGI FRIDAY’S: CREATING AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION

TGI’s chief executive Karen Forrester has reduced employee turnover and grown profits to £21m

IAN MACNICOL/REX

Meet the owners & directors

Sponsorship opportunities are available for next year’s Top Track 250 league table and awards programme, for Britain’s leading private mid-market growth companies.

The Sunday Times October 1, 2017 7

120 SymphonySales £199.0m U 9% Profit £19.6m U 57%Customers of Symphony’s fitted kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture business include private-property developers, social-housing providers, hoteliers and retailers. It also has a bespoke fitted-furniture business, Charles Yorke. Profits at the Barnsley business grew 57% to £19.6m in 2016, with turnover of £199m, thanks to strong growth in the private development market. The company was founded by Douglas Gregory, 77, and is run by managing director Martyn Davis, 70.

121 Lanes GroupSales £197.0m U 19% Profit £7.7m V 5%This Leeds group provides drain and sewer maintenance for the likes of Thames Water — for which it removed a 10-ton “fatberg” beneath Chelsea in 2015. Last year, managing director Wayne Earnshaw, 53, bought Irish competitor Arlo. In May, Transport for London awarded a contract to Lanes’ rail division, its third in four months, valued at £65m; these new contracts are expected to raise turnover by a third.

122 Rocco Forte HotelsSales £193.8m U 12% Profit £16.4m U 1%With 11 luxury properties across Europe, Russia and the Middle East, Rocco Forte Hotels is run and owned by members of the Forte family, which has been in the hotel business for four generations. Sir Rocco Forte, 72, and his sister Olga Polizzi, 71, established the London business in 1996, opening the Balmoral in Edinburgh in 1997. Last year, it cut the ribbon on a hotel in Jeddah, with plans to open one in Shanghai next year, and a second hotel for Rome in 2019.

123 SabreSales £191.3m U 22% Profit £65.6m U 47%Sabre provides motor insurance through a number of brands, such as general motor insurance provider Insure 2 Drive, Go Girl, which is targeted at female motorists, and Drive Smart, which rewards safe drivers. The Surrey compay is headed by chairman Angus Ball, 54, and Geoff Carter, 48, who has been chief executive since July. It is reported to be planning a £600m IPO.

124 CH & Co GroupSales £191.2m U 13% Profit £6.4m n.a.Started in 1991 by the late Robyn Jones OBE, this Reading-based group provides contract catering services for companies such as Gatwick Airport and visitor attractions including London Zoo. In 2015, MML Capital backed CH & Co’s merger with caterer HCM Group, acquiring a minority stake in a deal valuing the firm at £75m. Chief executive Bill Toner, 59, has led the group through two additional mergers — with Brookwood Partnership in July last year and independent caterer Harbour & Jones in June.

125 Travel CounsellorsSales £188.3m U 16% Profit £12.1m U 11%This Manchester business has more than 1,600 self-employed “travel counsellors”, offering tailor-made holidays and business trips. Bookings via overseas franchisees have grown as the firm has exported its model to countries such as Ireland, Australia, South Africa and the UAE. In 2014, chief executive Steve Byrne, 52, led a buyout backed by private equity firm Equistone for an undisclosed sum.

126 Converse PharmaSales £187.0m U 13% Profit £4.1m W 0%This Doncaster group imports and distributes prescription medicines to more than 4,000 independent pharmacies throughout Britain and Ireland. It was formed in 2013, when managing director Mark Gulliford, 48, and finance director Andy Wilson, 53, led a £37m management buyout of DE Group, Doncaster Pharmaceuticals and Eurodrug from wholesaler Mawdsleys, which retains a 20% stake.

127 Michael J LonsdaleSales £186.9m U 9% Profit £6.5m U 232%This engineering firm celebrated its 30th birthday last year by tripling profits to £6.5m on turnover of £186.9m. The Slough business provides engineering services for construction projects in the commercial, residential and public sectors. It specialises in mechanical, electrical and design work. The company is led by the two main shareholders, Michael Hoodless, 58 and Gary Herbert, 55.

128 Control RisksSales £186.5m U 1% Profit £10.9m U 20%This consultancy helps firms manage risk, whether political, security-related or connected to company integrity. It is based in London but has 36 offices worldwide. In 2011, NVM Private Equity invested £12m, before exiting last year when the company transitioned to being 100% employee-owned. Chief executive Richard Fenning, 54, heads the firm.

approach. Already operating sites in Wakefield, Manchester and Sheffield, The Car People has added a fourth showroom at Warrington. Brothers Martyn and Paul Carnell, 61 and 63, set up the Wakefield company in 1999, having previously founded a franchise group they sold in 1997.

137 Acorn StairliftsSales £177.2m U 19% Profit £18.9m U 11%This West Yorkshire company designs, manufactures, installs and services more than 50,000 stairlifts a year, enabling those with restricted mobility to stay in their homes for longer. To deal with increasing international demand, Acorn has opened offices in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Europe, and exports to 82 countries. It claims one of its stairlifts is installed somewhere in the world every eight minutes. Founder John Jakes, 61, is chairman and managing director.

138 PeninsulaSales £177.2m U 32% Profit £24.8m U 77%This employment law firm was started in 1983 by Betfred’s co-founders, brothers Fred and Peter Done, 74 and 70, after they were faced with an employment tribunal and experienced first-hand the lack of legal support for SMEs. The Manchester business has offices in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. It also provides HR, payroll and health and safety services for its 50,000 clients.

139 EthigenSales £176.6m U 14% Profit £4.0m U 9%This pharmaceuticals wholesaler, based near Glasgow, was founded by pharmacist and chief executive Nigel Kelly, 50, in 2000 to supply independent pharmacies in Scotland. The company now sells across the UK and Ireland, and has reciprocal trading agreements in 11 European countries — helping it to export to the Middle East, Africa and the rest of Europe. Last year, turnover rose 14% to £176.6m, despite the company’s exposure to currency fluctuations in the wake of the vote to leave the EU.

140 Country Style FoodsSales £175.8m U 10% Profit £8.0m U 10%Founded in 1962 as a single bakery in Yorkshire, Country Style Foods makes part-baked artisan breads and pastries at 11 locations, supplying supermarkets and

food-to-go outlets. It also makes frozen desserts and pies. Owned by the Wood family and led by managing director Joe Wood, 38, the group acquired the Jus-Rol pastry factory from General Mills last October for an undisclosed sum.

141 John GroseSales £175.7m U 12% Profit £3.6m U 12%This Suffolk-based dealer stocks new and used cars from Ford, Kia, Peugeot and Citroën. Tracing its roots back to 1888, when Joseph Grose started selling bicycles in Northampton, the firm now operates seven sites and five franchises across East Anglia. Led by chairman Ian Twinley, 54, the group shifted 10,000 vehicles last year.

142 Gap GroupSales £175.0m U 11% Profit £20.0m U 9%Glasgow’s Gap hires out construction tools, lifting equipment and plant, such as mechanical diggers, from 134 depots throughout the UK. It also stocks non-mechanical plant, such as fencing and portable toilets; and it has launched Gap Satellite Solutions, which provides satellite broadband and 4G routers. The family firm is run by Douglas and Iain Anderson, 62 and 58 respectively, sons of the founder, Gordon.

143 Big Motoring WorldSales £174.6m U 26% Profit £7.2m U 26%Chief executive Peter Waddell, 51, who started his enterprise some 30 years ago by selling used cars from his driveway, now stocks thousands of pre-owned BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Volkswagen cars at his two sites in Kent. Demand for prestige used cars drove sales up 26% to £174.6m this year, and the dealer is opening an additional site at Blue Bell Hill in Maidstone, which will eventually become its principal place of business.

144 Story HomesSales £173.8m U 44% Profit £26.2m U 18%Chairman Fred Story, 60, founded this Carlisle housebuilder 30 years ago. He puts recent growth down to a focus on customer service and quality building, as well as a strong land bank and expansion into Lancashire, northeast England and southern Scotland. Under chief executive Steve Errington, 48, the group completed more than 800 new homes in 2017, up 42% on the previous year, helping sales rise 44% to £173.8m.

145 GRS Roadstone GroupSales £173.6m U 38% Profit £6.5m V 8%Nuneaton-based GRS distributes aggregates to construction firms, builders’ merchants and retailers. It also provides waste management, logistics and handling services. Geographical expansion and the acquisition of packed aggregate supplier Aggbag helped sales rise 38% to £173.6m in 2016. In the first two months of this year, chief executive Jon Fisher, 39, led the acquisition of Cornish company Maen Karne, and two aggregate bagging plants in Staffordshire and Devon.

146 Audley TravelSales £173.5m U 14% Profit £20.6m U 9%Founded 21 years ago, this tour operator began by running guided visits to Vietnam and has since expanded to offer tailor-made trips to more than 80 destinations. Group headquarters are in Oxfordshire and it has offices in London, and Boston in America. In December 2015, chief executive Ian Simkins, 50, led a secondary buyout backed by 3i, which acquired a majority stake for £159m.

147 Bridgetown HoldingsSales £173.2m U 27% Profit £18.1m U 32%This Birmingham group formed in 2015 when two plant-hire businesses merged with MV Kelly, a civil engineer founded in 1995 by Vince and John Kelly, father and son, 73 and 48. Still majority-owned by the Kelly family, the group provides groundwork for housebuilders such as Taylor Wimpey and Bellway, operating on as many as 150 sites at a time.

148 John Cotton GroupSales £171.9m U 7% Profit £15.0m U 17%Having celebrated its centenary last year,John Cotton says it is Europe’s largest filled bedding manufacturer. The Yorkshire group makes mattress components, 20m pillows and 10m duvets a year under the Slumberdown, Snuggledown and John Cotton brands. Led by third-generation managing director Mark Cotton, 41, in January it acquired Australian pillow and duvet maker Tontine for an undisclosed sum.

149 Berry Bros & RuddSales £170.5m U 16% Profit £6.3m U 170%Britain’s oldest wine and spirit merchant began in 1698 on St James’s Street, London, where it is still based. Today, it

sells a range of more than 4,000 wines and spirits through its website, with shops in London and Basingstoke, and offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. The group’s turnaround is being led by chief executive Dan Jago, 56, in collaboration with chairman Simon Berry, 59, and the family and executive boards. The firm is still owned by the Berry and Rudd families. Sales include purchases of wine still in the barrel.

150 Hadleigh Timber GroupSales £169.4m U 9% Profit £11.4m U 35%This Stoke-on-Trent firm supplies over 7,000 wood-panel products through its

Meyer, Panelco and Premium Timber Products brands, offeringnext-day delivery from eightdepots. In March 2016, thecompany, led by chief executiveChris Rudd, 44, opened a new290,000 sq ft warehouse anddistribution centre at TilburyDocks, London. In January, it

acquired Timbmet, a supplierand processor of a range of

hardwood and specialist products.

151 Pitch InternationalSales £168.8m U 26% Profit £14.8m U 3%This London agency works with sporting bodies to maximise advertising, sponsorship and distribution media opportunities. It also provides event management services and last year, through a new film division, released its first feature-length documentary. Founded in 2004 by Paul McGrath, 47, Jon Owen, 47, and Hans Duikersloot, 55, the firm recently signed a four-year deal for the international media distribution of the Six Nations rugby championship.

152 GreenTech DistributionSales £168.4m U 162% Profit £4.4m U 58%Chief executive Richard Crawley, 45, and chief operating officer Lucky Anand, 49, set up this High Wycombe business in 2010 when a telecoms distributor owned by Crawley began receiving requests to recycle mobile phones. It now also offers services such as repairing and reselling handsets, and wiping data. Turnover more than doubled in 2016 to £168.4m after a group restructure incorporated its export business, Melon Telecom.

153 Wain GroupSales £168.0m U 10% Profit £40.6m U 5%Founder Bill Ainscough, 69, sold the majority of his Wainhomes business to Wilson Connolly in 2001, in a £132.5m deal, retaining one division, which became Wain Group. Headquartered in Manchester, the group operates three housebuilding divisions, in Bristol, Exeter and Warrington. Ainscough last year retired as executive chairman and his son Will, 40, has taken on the role. As we went to press, the group reported this year’s sales rose to £194.7m.

154 Croudace HomesSales £167.9m U 20% Profit £19.9m U 15%Founded in 1946, this Surrey-based firm specialises in building family homes in towns within commuting distance of London. It sold nearly 500 houses last year, including its first £1m home. Still owned by the founding Brotherton- Ratcliffe family, the group is run by chief executive Russell Denness, 58.

155 RJ McLeodSales £165.7m U 42% Profit £17.0m U 41%Glasgow’s RJ McLeod is a civil engineering and building contractor, constructing and maintaining Scotland’s roads. It also undertakes sea defence, wind farm and railway station work. Brothers Bruce and Graeme Clark, 53 and 57, joint managing directors, led a £9m investment in plant and transport equipment over the past two years, helping lift sales 42% to £165.7m in 2016.

156 James WalkerSales £164.6m U 9% Profit £13.5m U 10%This business began in 1863 as a sawmill in Inverness. Today, the Livingston-based group is still involved in timber — importing wood and providing engineered timber trusses and frames — but it also spans property development and housebuilding, investment, window manufacture, contracting, and supplying healthcare and facility management services. The group’s first care home is due to open in Edinburgh early next year. John Campbell, 67, is the group’s managing director.

157 Edinburgh AirportSales £164.1m U 13% Profit £61.6m U 37%Scotland’s busiest airport has 34 airlines flying 203 routes and was used by 12.4m passengers in 2016, up from 11.1m the year before. A UK competition ruling led former operator BAA to sell the airport in 2012 to private equity business Global Infrastructure Partners, for £807m. Chief executive Gordon Dewar, 51, is leading a £125m five-year investment programme, to include improved check-in facilities. Its operating profit of £61.6m represents a margin of 38% before exceptionals — one of the largest on the league table.

129 Howarth TimberSales £186.3m U 10% Profit £10.1m U 8%This Leeds group operates out of 31 builders’ merchants and employs 1,000 people. It says it has grown to become the largest privately owned supplier of timber and building materials in the UK. It also provides timber engineering services and makes softwood windows and doors. The business dates back to 1840 and is now owned and led by descendants of the founder: managing director Nick Howarth, 60, and his brother Andrew, 61, who is chairman.

130 Brett GroupSales £184.8m U 2% Profit £11.0m U 14%Founded in 1909 by Robert Brett as a haulage business, this family-owned firm provides building materials such as concrete paving, sand and gravel to the construction industry. Led by chairman Bill Brett, 52, the Canterbury company operates 20 concrete plants and seven concrete paving plants, as well as sourcing aggregates from 27 quarry sites, rail heads and wharves.

131 Mountain WarehouseSales £184.8m U 31% Profit £17.6m U 39%This outdoor clothing brand has more than 260 stores across the UK, Europe and North America, while its online business contributes a quarter of total sales. Founder and chief executive Mark Neale, 49, is leading the group’s overseas expansion — it already ships to 100 countries and international sales account for 30% of its annual trade. The London-based firm is celebrating 20 years of uninterrupted growth, seeing turnover grow 31% to £184.8m in the year to February, boosted by new store openings.

132 The White CompanySales £184.3m U 13% Profit £17.3m U 51%Selling predominantly white bed and bathroom linen, home and dining accessories and fashion, The White Company was founded in 1994 by Chrissie Rucker, 48, after she struggled to find high-quality linen and tableware that was affordable. The retailer opened its first American store in New York in June. Mary Homer, 59, was appointed chief executive of the London business earlier this year, after 11 years as managing director of Topshop.

133 Steven EagellSales £183.0m U 27% Profit £4.0m U 6%This car dealer was established in Milton Keynes in 2002 by founder and managing director Steven Eagell, 51. This year it acquired nine Toyota and Lexus dealerships from Jardine Motors Group, bringing its total to 21 branches across southeast England. These acquisitions mean sales are expected to hit £350m.

134 Southampton Football ClubSales £182.7m U 47% Profit £34.8m U 172%This historic club was originally a church football team founded in 1885. Promotion to the Premier League in 2012, following a seven-year absence, has helped boost the club’s fortunes; and in May “the Saints” finished eighth in the 2016-17 Premier League. In August, Chinese investor Gao Jisheng and his daughter Nelly Gao acquired an 80% stake in club from Swiss heiress Katharina Liebherr, 39. Ralph Krueger, 58, continues in his role as chairman.

135 United LivingSales £180.7m V 18% Profit £8.8m U 90%United Living, a social-housing contractor, developer and investor, is based in Kent and operates across London and the south of England. While sales fell to £180.7m this year, the group almost doubled profits to £8.8m. Chief executive Ian Burnett, 58, plans to diversify operations to include student accommodation, rooftop developments and off-site manufacturing within the housing sector.

136 The Car PeopleSales £178.7m U 6% Profit £6.5m U 19%This car supermarket says more than half its sales come from existing customers attracted by its “no-pressure”

Outdoor clothingcompany MountainWarehouse (No 131)has teamed up withnaturalist SteveBackshall to createa range for children

of Britain’s top-performing private companies20th anniversarySponsorship opportunities are also available for our other

league table programmes, from the fastest-growing to the biggest private companies. For details contact 01865 297100 or lindsay.chadwick@fasttrack.co.uk

fasttrack.co.uk

8

TOP TRACK 250158 Click TravelSales £164.0m U 36% Profit £3.4m W 0%This Birmingham-based travel management company says it reduces the cost and complexity of arranging corporate trips, with a focus on customer service and technology. Companies such as Red Bull, TalkTalk and Adecco use its website to book tickets and hotels, find cheap deals and manage their travel budgets. The firm was co-founded in 1999 by executive chairman Simon McLean, 41, and his brother James, 42, who is finance director. The introduction last year of a new online self-booking tool helped boost sales by 36% to £164m in 2017.

159 Morrisroe GroupSales £162.8m U 42% Profit £14.2m U 44%This Hertfordshire construction firm was founded by its chief executive and chairman Brian Morrisroe, 62, in 1983. It operates as a subcontractor, providing groundwork, concrete frames and joinery services. Landmark projects include No 1 and No 2 Upper Riverside on the Greenwich peninsula and the Elephant Park redevelopment, both in London. It is also part of the team building the new Tottenham Hotspur FC stadium. A strong property market in the capital helped sales grow 42% to £162.8m in 2016.

160 Belfield FurnishingsSales £161.9m U 22% Profit £8.4m U 38%Belfield manufactures sofas, curtains, cushions and mattresses at its base in Derbyshire and from three sites in north Wales. It supplies independent furniture stores and high street retailers such as John Lewis, Next and Marks & Spencer. Chief executive Steve Hampton, 67, led a management buyout in July last year, backed by private equity firm Northedge, which acquired a majority stake for an undisclosed sum.

161 Myriad HealthcareSales £161.5m U 6% Profit £5.8m U 407%Myriad Healthcare consists of Caring Homes, providing homes for the elderly, and Consensus, which offers specialist support services for adults with learning disabilities. Former nurse Helena Jeffery, 72, and her son Paul, 50, bought their first care home in 1994. The Colchester-based group now operates almost 150 homes nationwide, with plans for more in the pipeline after a £79m agreement with care home developer, Northstar.

162 BrewersSales £161.3m U 1% Profit £7.9m U 14%A family-run business since it was founded in 1904, Brewers says it is the UK’s largest independent decorators’ merchant. It supplies branded paint, tools, wallpaper and other products from 158 stores nationwide, to both trade and DIY customers. Still actively managed by the Brewer family and chaired by Mark Brewer, 60, the group also sells its own paint range, Albany.

163 Sun MarkSales £161.1m U 15% Profit £6.3m U 171%This wholesaling business, set up in 1995 by Rami Ranger CBE, 69, who is its chairman, supplies a range of household foods to 130 countries, with Africa, the Middle East and East Asia its largest markets. The west London firm makes its own brands and distributes products on behalf of clients including Unilever, Nestlé and Heinz. Investments in its own-label business and expansion into Africa and the Middle East helped profits more than double to £6.3m in 2016.

164 RidgeonsSales £160.3m U 10% Profit £4.9m U 1%Founded in 1911 as a Cambridge timber merchant, Ridgeons’ products now range from screws and drills to flooring timber and bathroom fittings. Led by chief executive Ian Northen, 42, it serves customers from 42 locations across the east of England and beyond. Turnover reached a record £160.3m in 2016, helped by the performance of its plumbing supply branches, launched in 2015, and by its forest products division.

165 PureGymSales £159.9m U 28% Profit £15.4m U 14%Most of PureGym’s 182 sites are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and all offer a range of low-cost membership options. Founded in 2008 by Peter Roberts, 72, the Leeds business bought 43 LA Fitness gyms in a £74m deal in 2015. Its private equity owner, CCMP Capital Advisors, is reportedly considering a £600m sale after turnover grew 28% to £159.9m in 2016, with the opening of 20 new gyms and a national television campaign. PureGym is led by chief executive Humphrey Cobbold, 52.

166 Fourfront GroupSales £158.6m U 35% Profit £5.3m U 24%Surrey-based Fourfront specialises in workplace consultancy, design and fit-out, commercial furniture services and relocation management, with projects for organisations including Camelot, the BBC and McCann. It was founded in 2000 by Clive Lucking, 50, and business partners. Repeat clients such as Grant Thornton and Vodafone helped raise turnover by 35% to £158.6m in 2016.

167 EndavaSales £158.5mm U 37% Profit £22.0m U 10%Endava designs, builds and manages IT platforms for banking, insurance, retail, payments and publishing companies. The London firm has 14 offices in the UK, Europe and the Americas. Clients include Worldpay and Trinity Mirror. Last year, founder and chief executive John Cotterell, 56, led a merger with software engineering firm ISDC, which has operations in central Europe and Holland. This helped lift this year’s sales by 37% to £158.5m.

168 ColtSales £158.2m U 12% Profit £7.5m U 9%Having made light-blocking ventilation equipment to keep factories safe during

Second World War blackouts, Colt now designs and services smoke control, ventilation, climate control and solar shading for its clients. The group’s climate technology sector grew in 2016 with increased demand, particularly in Europe, for environmentally sustainable buildings and infrastructure. Still owned by the founding O’Hea family, the Hampshire firm is led by chief executive Mark Oliver, 55.

169 Spark EnergySales £158.0m U 25% Profit £7.0m U 21%This Selkirk-based company buys energy and supplies it to more than 350,000 customers in rented accommodation and social housing. In August last year, chief executive Chris Gauld, 39, led a buyout backed by private equity firm Limerston Capital, which acquired a majority stake for an undisclosed sum. In May, Spark Energy acquired Sussex-based broadband, telephone and entertainment packages firm Home Telecom for an undisclosed sum.

170 Richard HochfeldSales £157.7m 31% U Profit £3.2m U 438%Richard Hochfeld was established as a family business in 1897. Led by managing director, Alan Guindi, 56, this Kent supplier of table grapes, apples and pears now operates four subsidiaries that import, distribute and insure fruit. Last year, the business grew turnover 31% to £157.7m and saw profits grow fivefold to £3.2m, helped by increased demand from its main customer, Tesco.

171 Richer SoundsSales £154.8m U 4% Profit £6.5m U 37%This hi-fi retailer has held the Guinness World Record for most sales per square foot of any retail outlet since 1994. The record-breaking London Bridge store was opened by Julian Richer, 58, who is managing director, when he was just 19. The London-based company has since expanded to 53 stores, which also sell home cinema and television equipment.

172 Advance Construction GroupSales £154.7m U 16% Profit £7.9m V 3%Founded in 1993 by managing director Seamus Shields, 48, this firm provides groundworks and civil engineering services for residential and commercial developments. Growth on its commercial side, as well as public-sector contracts for health centres, hospitals and primary schools, helped the Lanarkshire firm increase sales by 16% to £154.7m last year.

173 Weston GroupSales £154.1m U 11% Profit £17.2m U 8%Established in 1987 by chairman and managing director Bob Weston, 62, Weston Homes builds new homes and mixed-use projects on brownfield sites in London and the southeast of England. Last year, the group posted record turnover of £154.1m after completing 622 homes. The Essex-based company is planning on further growth after increasing its revolving credit facility to £200m with a syndicate of banks, including Lloyds.

174 Dobbies Garden CentresSales £153.7m U 2% Profit £9.9m U 13%This year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of James Dobbie, who founded the seed-selling business that became Dobbies Garden Centres. Now led by former Wyevale chief executive Nicholas Marshall, 67, the retailer operates 34 stores across the UK from its headquarters in Lasswade, near Edinburgh. It was bought from Tesco last year for £217m by investors Midlothian Capital Partners and Hattington Capital. In May, the business agreed a five-year deal with Ocado to launch an online service.

175 St Austell Brewery Sales £153.2m U 14% Profit £14.0m U 5%Best known for its Tribute ale, this brewer has produced more than 1.1bn pints of beer since it was founded in Cornwall in 1851. Still owned by descendants of founder Walter Hicks, it operates 33 managed pubs and hotels, as well as 145 tenanted and leased pubs. Led by chief executive James Staughton, 58, it last year acquired brewing and pub group Bath Ales, which included a

portfolio of beer brands, a brewery and an estate of 11 pubs, and helped turnover grow to a record £153.2m.

176 CCS MediaSales £153.0m U 24% Profit £4.1m U 58%CCS provides IT, print and office supplies to more than 5,000 public and private-sector organisations in Britain every month. The Chesterfield group has 18 offices and two advanced technology centres. Under managing director Terry Betts, 57, it partners with vendors such as HPI, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Dell, Cisco and Microsoft. Last year, the firm grew turnover 24% to £153m, after it became a supplier to central government.

177 TrainlineSales £152.8m U 14% Profit £17.7m V 45%Rail passengers used this firm’s website and mobile app to book tickets worth £2.3bn last year. The group records more than a billion cloud interactions a year, and is developing products, using AI and machine learning, to streamline its customer services — for example, its recently launched BusyBot crowdsources passengers’ messages to pinpoint empty seats. It was acquired by private equity firm KKR in 2015 for a reported £450m, and in March last year, chief executive Clare Gilmartin, 42, led the acquisition of French counterpart Captain Train for an undisclosed sum.

178 ClaranetSales £152.5m U 14% Profit £13.4m U 14%Founded in 1996 by Charles Nasser, 48, this London company sells IT hosting, networking, communications and security services to more than 6,500 businesses, including Airbus and Peugeot. Claranet has 24 offices in Europe and South America after making a series of acquisitions since 2014, including CredibiliT last December and European IT firms Iten, Oxalide and Sec-1 in May this year. In May, Nasser raised Tikehau Capital-led minority funding of £90m to help realise the group’s strategic growth plan.

179 Tangerine ConfectionerySales £151.9m V 1% Profit £13.2m U 46%Barratt Dip Dabs, Refreshers and Wham bars are all manufactured at Tangerine’s five UK factories. The business started in 2005, when chairman Steven Joseph, 65, led the purchase of the UK confectionery division of Toms of Denmark, followed by Burton’s confectionery arm. The firm is now backed by private equity firm Blackstone and led by chief executive Anthony Francheterre, 47, who joined last year. In July, he led the sale of popcorn brand Butterkist to KP Foods for an undisclosed sum. As we went to press, the group reported sales declined to £139.3m and profits to £6.5m.

180 AESSEALSales £151.7m U 6% Profit £20.7m U 14%This Rotherham-headquartered firm is led by founder and managing director Chris Rea, 63, who says the group is developing enhanced, patented technology for almost all wet and dry gas-seal applications. The group operates in 230 locations worldwide, supplying customers in 104 countries. Despite a weak gas exploration market, the group grew its sales by 6%, and increased profits 14% to £20.7m in 2016.

181 Natures Way FoodsSales £151.7m U 11% Profit £10.0m U 66%This fresh-food manufacturer consumes 110,000 tonnes of raw material annually to produce its bagged salad leaves, salad bowls and prepared fruit. Founded in 1994 by local brothers David and Robert Langmead, 54 and 49 respectively, the company now supplies companies such as Morrisons, McDonald’s, Zizzi and Pret. Led by chief executive Susan Barratt, 52, the group operates from four factories in West Sussex.

182 The WorksSales £151.5m U 7% Profit £9.0m U 31%Gifts, books and fidget spinners are all available from this retailer. The company, which is headquartered in Coleshill, near Birmingham, was bought out of administration by turnaround firm Endless in 2008. Now selling online and from more than 400 stores

the south of England. In February last year, managing director David Fairchild, 58, led the acquisition of Airport Energy, a firm that provides fuel and fuel management services to UK airports, in which it already held a 40% stake.

192 Buy It DirectSales £146.0m U 21% Profit £2.9m U 12%Buy It Direct sells consumer goods such as laptops, kitchen appliances, TVs and furniture via websites including Laptops Direct, Appliances Direct and Furniture123. It also claims to stock Britain’s largest range of drones and has a “drone zone” showroom, where customers can try before they buy. The Huddersfield firm is led by managing director Nick Glynne, 51, who reinvented the business from a computer retailer he bought for £3,000 in 1999.

193 Birmingham AirportSales £145.8m U 12% Profit £46.3m U 23%Passenger numbers at Birmingham Airport topped 11m last year for the first time in its 78-year history. Airlines including Emirates, Flybe, Monarch and Ryanair fly to 150 global destinations, from Dublin to Dubai (its two most popular routes). More than half its income comes from commercial activities such as duty-free, car parking, catering and property rental. Chairman Tim Clarke, 60, is leading the group’s search for a chief executive after Paul Kehoe, 58, stepped down in July.

194 ReissSales £145.2m U 13% Profit £19.8m U 46%A favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge, this London fashion retailer has 160 outlets in 15 countries and opened its first Australian store in May last year. In April 2016, founder and chairman David Reiss, 74, sold a majority stake to US private equity firm Warburg Pincus in a deal valuing the business at £230m. Fashion industry veteran Christos Angelides, 54, was appointed chief executive in February this year.

195 NotemachineSales £142.7m U 31% Profit £26.3m U 55%Notemachine is one of Europe’s largest cash machine businesses, with more than 9,000 dispensers in Britain and Germany. The Welsh firm also operates euro-dispensing machines in the UK and more than 100 foreign exchange branches. Founded in 2006 by chief executive Peter McNamara, 66, the business is now owned by private equity firm Corsair Capital. Expansion of its cash machine network and new Eurochange branches helped lift turnover 31% to £142.7m in 2016.

196 Argus MediaSales £141.9m U 14% Profit £43.1m U 33%Argus Media provides energy and commodity news, analysis and price information for traders and organisations such as Opec. Based in London, it has 21 offices globally and more than 160 publications and data services. The business is led by chairman and chief executive Adrian Binks, 63. In May last year, General Atlantic, the US investment group, bought out the family of founder Jan Nasmyth in a deal valuing the company at nearly £1bn.

197 Walkers ShortbreadSales £139.4m U 2% Profit £12.0m U 16%Walkers has been baking shortbread in the Scottish Highlands since 1898 and today exports about 40,000 tons of biscuits, cakes and oat crackers to more than 90 countries. The family business was awarded the Royal Warrant earlier this year and continues to be run by brothers Joseph, 79, and Jim Walker, 73, who are grandsons of the founder.

198 Clarion EventsSales £139.1m U 56% Profit £24.4m n.a.This events organiser owns the rights to many UK exhibitions, including the Olympia Horse Show and the Baby Show. In 2015, chairman Simon Kimble, 54, led the acquisition of 10 companies, including rival firm Urban Expositions, which helped lift sales 56% to £139.1m in the year to January 2016. In July, private equity firm Blackstone acquired the group from Providence Equity Partners in a £600m deal.

nationwide, it plans to expand by opening up to 50 stores a year. Kevin Keaney, 51, is chief executive.

183 John GuestSales £150.4m U 11% Profit £31.1m U 28%John Guest’s range of push-fit connectors are distributed to 60 countries, with applications primarily in the plumbing, automotive, drinks dispenser and fibre-optic markets. The company is run from its west London factory by the late John Guest’s three sons, twins Robert and Barry, 66, and Tim, 57. Its products have been used recently in Royal Wharf, a development in east London, and in Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

184 TuskerSales £150.4m U 21% Profit £3.6m V 51%Tusker provides car benefit schemes enabling public and private-sector employees to drive a new car, with the cost offset against wages as a benefit in kind. Clients include the NHS and National Grid. In 2015, chief executive David Hosking, 54, led a buyout backed by the private equity firm ECI, which acquired a majority stake for an undisclosed sum. The Watford firm is in the middle of a £2m project to develop processes to support further growth.

185 Erith GroupSales £150.0m U 31% Profit £10.0m U 45%Kent-based Erith Group delivers asbestos removal, demolition and

decommissioning services to help bring contaminated former industrial sites back into use. Recent projects include the demolition of the turbine hall at the decommissioned Dungeness nuclear power station, while earlier this year it secured framework agreements with the National Grid and Northern Gas Networks. The business is run by brothers Steve, 59, Tony, 56 and David Darsey, 48, whose father, Tom, founded the business.

186 PrincipleSales £149.5m U 51% Profit £15.1m U 174%Companies such as BMW, AT&T and HSBC turn to this international agency to ensure their branding is consistent across the globe — for everything from digital media, signs and graphics to furniture and fittings. Celebrating 30 years in business this year, Principle appointed Victoria Woodings, 33, group chief executive in July. Headquartered in Huddersfield, the agency opened offices in Mexico in 2015, and China and India in 2016, helping profits triple to £15.1m on turnover of £149.5m.

187 Medequip Assistive TechnologySales £149.3m U 16% Profit £5.2m V 18%This Heathrow-based business helps the elderly and disabled live more independently by providing home medical aids ranging from care beds to walking frames. It manages equipment loan services for local councils, charities and the NHS, as well as selling direct to the public via its Manage at Home online store. James Ibbotson, 39, is chief executive.

188 Caddick GroupSales £147.5m U 60% Profit £20.0m U 449%Founded in 1979 by chairman Paul Caddick, 67, this West Yorkshire group sells construction, civil engineering contracting and development services throughout the UK. Its projects include a distribution centre for TK Maxx near Wakefield and work on the Liverpool Shopping Park, helping profit quintuple to £20m on turnover of £147.5m. In May, the group’s private rented sector joint venture, Moda Living, offered its residents Uber credits if they agreed not to take a car space.

189 WillerbySales £147.1m U 20% Profit £9.9m U 60%Named after the Yorkshire village where it began making caravans more than 70 years ago, Willerby has since moved to bigger premises in Hull, where it designs and assembles 7,200 holiday homes each year, sold under the Willerby brand. In June, chief executive Peter

Munk, 54, led a buyout backed by private equity firm Equistone Partners, which acquired a majority stake for an undisclosed sum.

190 FootasylumSales £147.0m U 33% Profit £8.4m U 131%Footasylum trades online and from 59 high street stores across the UK, selling sports and fashion footwear and branded leisurewear. It was established in 2005 by JD Sports co-founders John Wardle, 72, and David Makin, 53. New stores helped lift sales by 33% to £147m this year. The group, based in Rochdale, is led by Makin’s daughter Clare Nesbitt, 29, who is chief executive. The Makin and Wardle families are reported to have put a significant minority stake up for sale, valuing the business at more than £100m.

191 WP GroupSales £146.5m U 3% Profit £3.7m U 22%This Southampton group supplies heating oil to homes and industry, fuels for motorsport, aviation, marine vessels and agriculture, and also distributes Esso fuels and Mobil lubricants across

St Austell Brewery (No 175) drafts in apprentice Kim Buckenauer

With 70% of all train tickets still bought in stations, it is full steam ahead for Trainline (No 177), which has identified opportunities to improve customers’ experience of rail travel around Europe. Chief executive Clare Gilmartin joined this online train ticket retailer in 2014 to spearhead digital innovation, having spent 10 years at eBay, as head of the auction website’s UK and European operations.

She has strengthened Trainline’s partnerships with rail operators to introduce digital ticketing for networks across the UK and has invested in mobile applications, with 77% of visits to the Trainline platform now made using a mobile device.

Gilmartin believes in focusing on customer experience: “It can be so easy to lock yourself up in an office and see customers as lines of data. I firmly believe you need to sit with them and listen to the human emotion to understand what their needs are.”

In September, Trainline launcheda train ticket price-prediction tool that employs machine learning to help customers save money by booking tickets ahead of price increases.

The company’s approach has seen2017 gross ticket sales hit £2.3bn, up from £1.9bn last year. It looks well placed for further growth thanks to transport secretary Chris Grayling’s pledge to make etickets available for all journeys by the end of 2018.

TRAINLINE: STAYING ON TRACK WITH DIGITAL

Trainline’s ClareGilmartin uses newtechnology to meet

customers’ needs

JASON ALDEN

The Sunday Times October 1, 2017 9

foreign exchange and international payments. About 60,000 customers use the company to move money across borders every day. Mark Horgan, 51, is chief executive of the business, which was acquired by Bridgepoint in 2014 in a deal worth £212m. Based in London, the company also has offices in France, Spain, Ireland, Romania and America.

212 Wilson JamesSales £132.5m U 10% Profit £3.8m U 48%From passenger screening at Heathrow to managing visitors at Tate Modern, Wilson James has been supplying security staff since 1988. Founded by chief executive Mark Dobson, 46, and chairman Gary Sullivan, 57, this Essex business also provides security guarding and CCTV technology, and helps construction companies manage issues such as traffic control and site safety.

213 Park HolidaysSales £131.5m U 14% Profit £22.8m U 12%Started as a single site in Rye, this Bexhill-on-Sea business operates 28 caravan parks along the south and east coasts of Britain. Led by chief executive Jeff Sills, 53, the business has seen sales of its holiday homes increase since last year’s Brexit vote. Last December, Caledonia Investments sold its majority stake to Intermediate Capital Group in a deal reported to be worth £362m.

214 Adam Smith InternationalSales £131.4m U 16% Profit £14.2m V 8%Adam Smith International delivers projects to improve local living conditions in more than 100 countries. It specialises in working with governments and citizens in fragile and conflict-affected areas. It was founded in 1992 to provide practical advice on economic growth and government reform, and to deliver programmes internationally. Chairman Sir Martin Davidson, 61,

199 EBB PaperSales £139.0m U 1% Profit £3.4m U 33%This paper and board merchant has nine warehouses in the UK; its fleet of 90 vehicles last year travelled a combined distance of 2.7m miles, delivering 177,000 tons of paper and board to its customers. Founded almost a century ago, the Hampshire company is chaired by Tim Elliott, 63, a member of the third generation of this family to run the firm.

200 Cartwright GroupSales £138.6m U 11% Profit £5.7m U 26%This trailer manufacturer operates from its Altrincham headquarters as well as nine other UK sites, and also offers a rental service from a fleet of more than 5,600 trailers. Led by Mark Cartwright, 45, the firm landed orders from South America last year after impressing US supermarket giant Walmart, and since April has exported £6m of orders overseas.

201 AltroSales £138.0m U 14% Profit £11.3m U 3%Inspired by the Bauhaus movement, which espouses a balance of quality, form and design-led function, this flooring manufacturer invented its first safety product in 1947, offering a sheet vinyl floor covering with a slip-resistant surface. The Hertfordshire group has offices in Europe, America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. In 2015, chief executive Richard Kahn, 56, led the acquisition of German floorings group Debolon Dessauer Bodenbeläge for an undisclosed sum.

202 Silentnight GroupSales £137.5m U 10% Profit £7.8m U 28%Silentnight makes more than half a million beds each year across six brands, including Sealy and Rest Assured. Founded in 1946, it was privatised in 2003 by the founder’s family, before being acquired by the private equity firm HIG Capital in 2011. The Lancashire business is led by managing director Steve Freeman, 61, and chairman Adrian Fawcett, 49.

203 Castle ViewSales £137.1m U 14% Profit £9.9m U 74%Fifty local authorities outsource the management of more than 150 leisure facilities to this Stirling-headquartered group, run by managing director Martin Bell, 55, the son of founder Frank. The business also makes its own-branded pizzas for supermarkets and provides catering management software for NHS trusts and local authorities. In 2015, it diversified further, buying Weight Management Centre and Discovery Learning. These acquisitions, plus new contracts with city councils such as Sunderland and Middlesbrough, helped profits increase 74% to £9.9m last year.

204 The Right Fuelcard CompanySales £136.9m V 1% Profit £3.3m U 44%Founders Jonathan Turner, 51, and Liz Slater, 52, used their experience running a fuel distribution firm to set up this fuel card business in 2011. The Leeds group distributes cards for Shell, Esso, UK Fuels and Keyfuels to 14,000 customers. It expanded significantly in 2012, when it acquired Total’s fuel card division, in partnership with the forecourt operator Rontec. Business director Adam Walsh, 33, leads the day-to-day running ofthe business.

205 EW BeardSales £136.9m U 23% Profit £4.3m U 49%Chairman Mark Beard, 54, is the fourth generation of his family to lead this construction business, founded in

joined in March to oversee a restructuring, and the company is seeking B Corp accreditation.

215 Churchill Contract ServicesSales £131.0m U 11% Profit £5.4m U 6%Starting with one cleaning van in 1991, Joel Briggs, 55, and Philip Moxom, 56, have since expanded their business to include cleaning, catering, security, compliance and maintenance services. Clients include the Port of Dover, easyJet and the Gatwick Express. Sales at the Hertfordshire business rose by 11% to £131m this year following strategic acquisitions and organic growth.

216 Allied VehiclesSales £130.8m U 8% Profit £7.5m U 26%Partnering with firms such as Peugeot, Ford and Citroën, this Glasgow business adapts and sells vehicles for use by disabled people. It converts about 100 cars, vans and minibuses a week, delivering worldwide to taxi companies, fleet operators and ambulance services. Started in 1993 by brothers and joint-chairmen Gerry and Michael Facenna, 64 and 69, the company has recently started manufacturing in Mexico to help it access the lucrative American market.

217 Grange HotelsSales £130.4m U 4% Profit £42.8m U 22%This family-owned hotel group opened its first establishment in the early 1980s. The group now owns and operates 17 luxury hotels in central London and is due to open its first all-suite hotel, a five-star establishment situated close to the Tower of London. It also owns the Ajala spa brand, which encompasses guest amenities and day spas.

218 Cath KidstonSales £129.2m U 8% Profit £6.8m U 561%Cath Kidston’s range of homeware, bags and clothing in distinctive signature

Swindon in 1892. Now with offices in Bristol, Guildford and Oxford, sales rose by 23% to £136.9m last year, helped by an increase in framework contracts, as well as a growing commercial rentals business. Current projects include the Being Brunel museum in Bristol.

206 StepnellSales £136.7m U 23% Profit £3.2m U 13%This 150-year-old construction and civil engineering business has offices in areas that stretch from the East Midlands to Dorset. While the company is a specialist in building high-tech command and control centres for community-based emergency services, recent projects include building timber-frame lodges for Center Parcs in Woburn Forest. The Rugby firm is led by Mark Wakeford, 51, and his brother Tom, 40.

207 James Donaldson GroupSales £136.6m U 7% Profit £7.5m U 23%Started in Fife in 1860 to import wood from Scandinavia and Russia, this family timber business now has 28 UK sites across five trading divisions. It offers saw-milling, timber engineering and merchanting, and trades specialist building products. New-build housing, renovations and maintenance markets in the UK are the focus for much of its business. Last year, it acquired roofing product supplier Nu-Style. It is led by group managing director Scott Cairns, 50, and fifth-generation family member Neil Donaldson, 62, who is non-executive chairman.

208 Riviera TravelSales £136.5m U 8% Profit £15.1m U 11%Michael Wright, 61, set up Riviera Travel 33 years ago, organising coach trips to Paris, and still retains a minority stake in the Staffordshire firm, which is now the UK’s largest escorted tours operator and second-largest provider of river cruises. Chief executive David Clemson, 51, is leading the group’s expansion into the US and Australia. The group’s private equity owner, Phoenix Equity Partners, has reportedly put the company up for sale with a £250m price tag.

209 RegattaSales £134.8m U 6% Profit £6.8m U 57%From its Manchester headquarters, this outdoor clothing and footwear brand develops hi-tech fabrics such as Isotex, which is waterproof and breathable. It also sells sportswear and accessories through its Dare2b label. Founded by the Black family in 1981, it exports to 56 countries and earlier this year launched in the US with concessions in 11 Sears department stores. Keith Black, 58, is chairman and chief executive. As we went to press, the group reported sales rose to £165.8m.

210 BayfordSales £133.7m U 10% Profit £3.2m U 39%Founded as a coal merchant almost a century ago, this West Yorkshire firm’s diverse interests have switched to fuel management and oil distribution, with operations including Be Fuelcards and OilFast. It also owns the 13,000-acre Laudale Estate near Fort William, to which visitors can fly in the UK’s only commercially available seaplane. The business is led by chief executive Jonathan Turner, 51, who also has a 41% stake in The Right Fuelcard Company (No 204 on this year’s table).

211 MoneycorpSales £132.6m U 9% Profit £17.3m U 38%Moneycorp traded £24.6bn in 80 currencies last year, helping large corporates and private individuals with

Tim and Kit Kemp of Firmdale Hotels (No 228) opened the first of eight boutique hotels in London 20 years ago, and this year added a second in New York

DAVID VINTINERprints are favourites with Asian customers, and 133 of the retailer’s 219 shops are in Asia. Last year, chief executive Kenny Wilson, 51, led a buyout backed by Baring Private Equity valuing the group at £250m. The lifestyle retailer plans to open a further 10 stores in Japan in the next year and, with 35% of its customers’ purchases now made online, to improve its ecommerce operation.

219 OptalSales £129.1m U 119% Profit £9.8m U 31%Optal specialises in the distribution of single-use virtual bank account numbers used by travel, insurance, education and eprocurement companies to make fast, secure payments to suppliers. Led by managing director Rob Bishop, 61, sales doubled to £129m in 2016, helped by the growth of the online travel market. In April, it acquired business-to-business electronic payments solution provider Invapay for an undisclosed sum. Optal is now looking to expand the number of currencies in which it offers payments.

220 Scottish Leather GroupSales £128.6m V 8% Profit £8.1m U 203%This Scottish group’s specialist leathers have been used to upholster seats in the Houses of Parliament and to trim the interiors of iconic cars such as the Aston Martin V8 and DeLorean DMC-12. It also makes the high-performance leather used on the seats of more than 160 airlines. Despite a drop in turnover last year, profits more than tripled to £8.1m after the firm reduced distribution costs by £1.3m and focused on higher-margin work. Chief executive Iain McFadyen, 58, is leading a £10m investment to increase production across all three of its sites in the west of Scotland.

221 CLC GroupSales £128.5m U 6% Profit £10.2m U 16%CLC began life in Southampton in 1969 as a painting contractor, but has grown into a national property maintenance provider with 14 bases across Britain. It specialises in refurbishment of occupied properties, such as universities, schools, hospitals and hotels. Managing director Nick Hilton, 56, led a management buyout in 2016, backed by Lloyds Bank.

222 Scott GroupSales £128.3m U 10% Profit £5.5m U 22%This Dunfermline-based group produces more than 400,000 wooden pallets a week from sites across the UK. It also distributes industrial supplies from bespoke packaging to power tools and clothing. Managing director Norman Scott, 48, has led the acquisitions of Northern Case, last year, as well as Pallet Logistics and Whirlowdale Trading Company in June and July this year.

223 Hopkins HomesSales £128.1m U 34% Profit £28.0m U 23%Founder and executive chairman James Hopkins, 57, set up a fish trading business aged 21. Four years later he moved into the building trade, acquiring a run-down cottage, fixing it up and selling it for a profit. His group now operates from one of its 200-home developments in Suffolk. It also builds in Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. Strong demand last year helped boost sales by 34% to £128.1m, and in the latest financial year the group built more than 1,000 new homes.

224 Lindum GroupSales £127.9m U 16% Profit £4.4m U 51%This construction firm is named after theLatin name for Lincoln, the Roman city in which it was founded by engineer John Chambers in 1956. With additional offices in Peterborough and York, it works on new-build, refurbishment and maintenance projects spanning the East Midlands, East Anglia and Yorkshire. It is chaired by the founder’s youngest son, David Chambers, 60.

225 Hadley GroupSales £127.7m U 16% Profit £11.3m U 22%A billion metres of this group’s patented cold-rolled steel are produced every year from seven global manufacturing plants. Its steel frames, which it says are stronger, lighter and made with fewer

raw materials than traditional products, are used in the construction of new buildings. It is also working with car manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover and Porsche to engineer new applications for its technology. The West Midlands business is led by father-and-son team Stewart, 66, and Ben Towe, 37. In 2015, it acquired Dutch manufacturer Overeem in an undisclosed deal.

226 Frank Recruitment GroupSales £126.5m U 33% Profit £15.5m U 13%This niche IT recruitment group operates in more than 70 countries, fielding candidates who specialise in Microsoft Dynamics, Netsuite and Salesforce. In April 2016, chief executive James Lloyd-Townshend, 44, led a buyout backed by private-equity firm TPG, which acquired a majority stake in the Newcastle-based company for an undisclosed sum. Growth in the US and expansion into new technology sectors helped sales grow 33% in 2016.

227 EcotricitySales £126.5m U 15% Profit £6.7m V 9%Ecotricity supplies electricity and gas to more than 200,000 UK customers, with most of its energy generated from renewable sources: about 40% is derived from wind turbines and “sun parks” owned by the company. Managing director Dale Vince, 56, founded the firm in 1995, and is rolling out electric car charging points across the motorway network, with its customers getting a discounted rate. He also owns vegan football club Forest Green Rovers; and in May, he announced plans to install Ecotricity’s first energy storage project close to its Stroud head office.

228 Firmdale HotelsSales £125.8m U 7% Profit £15.3m U 135%It has been 20 years since managing director Tim Kemp, 71, opened the doors of his first boutique London hotel. Seven more have followed in the city, with award-winning interiors designed by his wife, Kit. With function rooms and cinemas available for hire, private events generated 13% of group revenue last year. In February, it opened its second hotel in New York.

229 McGee GroupSales £125.0m U 24% Profit £9.3m U 23%The Wembley-based group specialises in decontamination, construction, civil engineering and demolition, with projects including the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station. It takes on work in London and the southeast of England, for the most part, and has expanded its services to include telecommunication support and recycling. The family-owned firm is led by managing director Brian McGee, 53, a son of the founder.

230 Gray & AdamsSales £124.9m W 0% Profit £8.1m U 23%Gray & Adams manufactures refrigerated trailers, operating from five sites in Britain and Northern Ireland. Founded in 1957 in Fraserburgh, the family-owned company has since diversified, with new products including refrigerated storage and prisoner escort vehicles. It is led by managing directors James and Peter Gray, 62 and 59, sons of one of the co-founders.

231 Global TeaSales £123.3m U 24% Profit £3.4m V 16%Global Tea handles more than 55m kilograms of tea annually, at its tea trading offices in Kenya, Malawi, India and the UK. It also provides tea and coffee for the private label market, and trades macadamia nuts. The London-headquartered group is led by founder and chairman Nadeem Ahmed, 62.

232 StanmoreSales £123.3m U 14% Profit £20.5m U 23%Stanmore takes on internal and external finishing projects — such as drywall, facades, glazing and metalwork — for building contractors and developers in London and the southeast of England. The Kent business is owned and run by managing director Rajbir Singh Manak, 50, who first joined the company as a trainee plasterer.

Showcased below are 10 private mid-market growth companies from a variety of industries that did not meet the financial criteria to rank in this year’s Top Track 250 league table, but whose sustained growth or plans for the future merit recognition.

Name Activity HQ location Year end Sales £m Operatingprofit, £m Staff Founded

AKA Group Marketing communications network Central London Mar 17 *80 *4 338 1995This promoter of live entertainment such as West End and Broadway shows grew sales to £80m in its latest year, 40% of which are generated overseas; it expects further growth next year

Bill's Restaurants Restaurant operator Central London Jul 16 111 8 2,909 2004This chain now has 80 restaurants on high streets nationwide, with sales boosted 23% by the opening of nine new sites last year; it expects sales to rise to £124m this year

Blatchford Prosthetics, orthotics manufacturer Basingstoke Mar 16 75 6 781 1890This manufacturer helps people regain mobility after losing limbs, and expansion in the US and acquisitions in Norway helped sales grow 18% last year, with further strong growth expected

Bullitt Group Consumer electronics designer Reading Dec 16 100 -1 98 2009Its rugged mobile phones made under licence from brands like Caterpillar are sold in 60 countries; sales leapt 54% last year and in September Exponent acquired a majority stake

Deliveroo Online takeaway platform Central London Dec 16 129 -141 1,049 2013Has built a distinctive brand in four years; sales grew 611% last year to £129m. It remains heavily loss-making but has raised £650m in venture capital and was valued at £1.5bn last month

Jamie's Italian Restaurant operator Central London Jan 17 *113 *2 2,548 2008After eight years of growth, this 60-strong restaurant chain saw sales fall in 2017 after it closed some sites; it is planning to open 22 more overseas and a return to growth in 2018

McMullen's Brewery Brewery and pub operator Hertford Oct 16 †78 †12 1,137 1827Investment in its estate of 124 community pubs across Hertfordshire and London, and in its food offering, have helped this family-owned brewery grow sales & boost profit margins, to 15%

SHB Hire Vehicle hire & leasing Hampshire Dec 16 87 12 658 1968Operating an extensive apprenticeship scheme, this family firm hires out more than 16,000 vehicles, from golf buggies to 32-ton trucks, and maintains 14% margins in a competitive industry

SLR Environmental consultancy Buckinghamshire Oct 16 113 5 1,138 1994Has grown overseas through 20+ acquisitions, with projects including water-resilience testing for Coca-Cola in Namibia; it is planning further expansion in the US and elsewhere

The Binding Site Diagnostic tests manufacturer Birmingham Sep 16 92 26 699 1983Developing blood-tests for diagnosing bone marrow cancers, its profits almost doubled last year as sales rose 18% and sterling's value fell; exports represent 92% of the total

* Supplied by company † Annualised figure

ONES TO WATCH: 10 RISING COMPANIES

10 The Sunday Times October 1, 2017

TOP TRACK 250and Northern Ireland. It cares for more than 4,500 residents, most of whom live with some form of dementia. Chief executive Gordon Sanders, 71, bought the Essex-based business for £60,000 in 1988, before embarking on a buy-and-build strategy that has seen the company’s estate grow to 70 homes.

247 ArchantSales £115.5m V 5% Profit £4.8m U 85%Archant, founded in Norwich in 1845, claims to be the largest publisher of regional and local lifestyle magazines and associated digital media in Britain. It owns a range of specialist magazine titles and has extended its activities into exhibitions, events and digital media. The group is led by chief executive Jeff Henry, 56. As we went to press, the group reported sales declined to £109.4m and profits to £1.7m.

248 APS GroupSales £114.0m V 1% Profit £4.5m U 1,193%This print management company helps design and produce marketing and communication materials for international clients such as Philips and Ford. It also provides on-site design studios, with production facilities in Stockport, Chester and Edinburgh. Managing director Nick Snelson, 52, oversaw investment in new technology in 2016, replacing legacy systems and improving connectivity. This year, he is leading the group’s expansion in Europe and America.

249 London City AirportSales £113.7m U 7% Profit £37.3m U 13%Last year more than 4.5m passengers used this airport, which was bought for a reported £2bn by infrastructure investors AimCo, Omers, Wren House and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. Following this investment, the airport is preparing for construction on a £350m development programme, scheduled for completion in 2021. Robert Sinclair, 51, was announced as chief executive in June, with Declan Collier, 62, stepping down from the role later this month.

250 Apogee Corporation Sales £112.7m U 9% Profit £12.5m U 305%Operating from 20 offices in the UK and Europe, Apogee supplies office machinery such as photocopiers, printers and scanners, and helps firms including McDonald’s and Ted Baker to manage their documents digitally. Joint chief executives Jason Collins, 47, and Robin Stanton-Gleaves, 49, led a buyout last year backed by private equity firm Equistone, which valued the business at £185m. A series of acquisitions helped the company quadruple profits to £12.5m in 2016, and in March this year it purchased rival Danwood Group for an undisclosed sum.

seven domestic offices, as well as from the Middle East and Hong Kong. Ted McMullen, 58, became chief executive last year, following a management buyout, and last year’s sales rose 24% to £118.5m following the group’s transition to a bigger manufacturing facility in Portadown, Northern Ireland.

245 TechnetixSales £118.5m U 34% Profit £4.8m U 120%West Sussex-based Technetix designs and builds broadband technology, delivering 135m products a year from nine global warehouses. Strong organic growth and the 2015 acquisition of the supplies division of US technology firm Arris saw latest sales jump 34% to £118.5m, and profits more than doubled to £4.8m. To build on this, chief executive and founder Paul Broadhurst, 57, raised £7.5m in funding last year from the investment arm of TV and broadband company Liberty Global.

246 Runwood HomesSales £117.4m U 11% Profit £20.3m U 4%Runwood operates residential care homes and day centres across England

Timothy Melgund, 63, wrapped up a £50m funding deal to support expansion, including the opening of its first standalone stores in America.

243 CJ O’Shea GroupSales £119.1m U 43% Profit £4.8m V 29%Replicating Shakespeare’s Globe using traditional materials was a notable achievement of this London building contractor, but it is better known for its expertise in residential development. It works with construction firms such as Galliard and Frogmore to build high rise and luxury residential buildings across the capital. Founded more than 50 years ago by chairman Crohan O’Shea, 79, its annualised sales increased 43% to £119.1m in 2016, helped by the capital’s thriving housing market.

244 Lakesmere GroupSales £118.5m U 24% Profit £3.6m U 43%This roofing, cladding and glazing firm manufactured and installed the roof of London Aquatics Centre and cladding for the Optic Cloak at the Low Carbon Energy Centre in Greenwich. The Winchester business operates from

diverse activities now include property development, demolition, remediation of brownfield sites and renewable energy. Founded by chairman Dai Walters, 72, the Mid Glamorgan group also owns a Land Rover franchise, which contributed £28.7m of sales to the group in 2016.

241 Burnley Football ClubSales £120.0m U 200% Profit £25.0m n.a.Founded as a rugby club in 1882, Burnley FC switched codes and became one of the founding members of the football league in 1888. It has since claimed every major domestic honour, with the exception of the League Cup. Under chairman Mike Garlick, 53, sales tripled to £120m in 2017. It is benefiting from a return to the Premier League and increased broadcast revenue.

242 Paperchase ProductsSales £119.2m U 11% Profit £4.9m U 42%This greetings card, stationery and gift retailer operates 219 stores and concessions in the UK, Ireland, Holland, France, Germany, Canada and the Middle East. In 2015, chief executive

233 BranstonSales £123.2m U 23% Profit £8.2m V 10%Founded in 1968, this potato packager and grower supplies a range of retail and wholesale customers. Last year, managing director James Truscott, 48, led a joint project with Tesco to build a £5m factory extension at its Lincoln headquarters, enabling it to peel and process rejected potatoes that would previously have been used elsewhere.

234 NextPharma TechnologiesSales £122.7m U 15% Profit £21.4m U 24%NextPharma is a pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation, providing a range of services from clinical trials through to packaging, licensing and logistics. The Surrey-based group operates five sites for development and six for manufacturing, in Germany and France. In June, chief executive Peter Burema, 59, led a buyout backed by CapVest Partners, which agreed to acquire the group from Sun European Partners for an undisclosed sum.

235 Ralawise.comSales £122.7m U 17% Profit £9.0m U 18%Launched in 1978 as a T-shirt printer, Ralawise supplies clothing to companies, retailers and consumers. The Flintshire group stocks more than 4,700 products, from brands such as Adidas and Nike, and sells to more than 60 countries via its website. The group is led by twins and joint managing directors Jonathan and Jeff Batson, 53.

236 NewshipSales £122.0m U 12% Profit £5.7m U 64%Newship is a conglomerate based in Surrey that operates in the packaging, construction, engineering and event hire markets across Europe. Its largest subsidiaries include Beatson Clark, which provides glass packaging to commercial markets; Rollalong, which designs and manufactures permanent modular buildings; and metal engineer Jenks & Cattell. The business is run by chairman John Newman, 71, and chief executive Stephen Compson, 63. As we went to press, the group reported sales rose to £130.5m.

237 Crown OilSales: £122.0m V 4% Profit £6.1m U 29%Crown Oil supplies diesel, red diesel, heating oil and lubricants to homes and businesses in Britain. The Lancashire firm also provides emergency fuel and supplies mains gas, as well as installing gas, electricity and water connections. Matthew Greensmith, 43 — grandson of the founder Harry Greensmith — is managing director. Sales tracked global oil prices, falling 4% to £122m, though profits rose by almost a thirdto £6.1m.

238 Millennium GroupSales £121.9m V 6% Profit £5.6m U 53%This family business supplies branded groceries and drinks to UK wholesalers and retailers, and exports to Europe, Africa and the UAE. Led by Rishi Lakhani, 35, and his brother Shyam, 32, the Essex-based group has a cash-and-carry division and a wholesale branch operating from its 120,000 sq ft warehouse.

239 Côte RestaurantsSales £121.5m U 15% Profit £11.4m V 26%Côte Restaurants was launched in 2007 by five of the founders of the Strada chain and serves French brasserie-style dishes at 86 locations. In July 2015, private equity firm BC Partners bought a majority stake from previous owners CBPE Capital in a £250m deal. Led by former chef Alex Scrimgeour, 45, the London firm introduced its first vegetarian menu in May.

240 Walters GroupSales £121.4m U 18% Profit £24.6m U 48%Established in 1982 as a plant hire and civil engineering business, this group’s

Beautiful game: Burnley FC (No 241) has seen broadcast revenue increase since it returned to the Premier League, with sales tripling to £120m this year

PAUL KEEVIL/GETTY

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Shaping a vibrant economyThe UK may be at a pivotal point in its history, but Top Track 250 clearly demonstrates what can be achieved by exciting dynamic businesses. These companies think locally and act globally, they innovate to grow and embrace an entrepreneurial spirit that this country needs to secure a positive post-Brexit future. At Grant Thornton we are seeking to stimulate ideas and actions that can help shape a vibrant UK economy that thrives. We can all learn a lot from the Top Track 250.

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