sunday times 2012 fast track 100

Fast Track 100 Research Report 2012 1

In association with

Research Report 2012

Britain's private companies with the fastest-growing sales

© 2012 Fast Track 100 www.fasttrack.co.uk

Fast Track 100 Research Report 2012 i

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1Top 10 Fast Track 100 companies 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 Overview 2 Key themes 2 KEY STATISTICS 3Sales breakdown 3Staff and job creation 3Profitability 4Profit margins 4Ownership 5Funding and buyouts 5 Sector breakdown 6Industry breakdown 6 Regional breakdown 7 New companies 7 Sustained growth 7

KEY THEMES & SELECTED COMPANY PROFILES 8 Serial entrepreneurs 8 Renewable energy companies 9 Manufacturing 10 International operations 11 Online vs high street retailers 12 Profitability 13 Well-known brands 14 2012 FAST TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE 15

METHODOLOGY 19 Qualification criteria 19 Research approach 19 Disclaimers 19

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS 20

BACKGROUND 22About the authors 22About Fast Track 23 Contact details 23



Top 10 Fast Track 100 companies

§ compound annual growth rate between 2008/09 and 2011/12 * annualised figure † draft, audit exempt or accounts not filed at Companies House

INTRODUCTION

This is the 16th year of The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league table, which ranks Britain’s one hundred private companies with the fastest-growing sales over their latest three years. The league table has additional sponsorship support from Barclays and RSM Tenon.

The Fast Track 100 identifies growth companies across all sectors except technology, which is covered in our sister league table, The Sunday Times Tech Track 100.

Over the past 16 years, the Fast Track 100 has featured many companies that have gone on to greater success. Past stars range from ARM which is now worth £10bn, to innocent drinks which was sold to Coca Cola for £160m. This year's household names include Jamie’s Italian (No 7), Ella’s Kitchen (No 52), Hunter Boot (No 47), and Wiggle (No 90).

The Fast Track 100 has become the definitive barometer of privately-owned growth companies in the UK. Over the past three years, this year’s 100 companies showed average sales growth of 89% a year, slightly up compared to the 2011 league table. Average profit margins were 8.6% and more than half of the companies improved their margins over the last three years. Together the companies employ 14,000 staff, and have added more than 10,500 jobs over the last three years.

These figures show the impressive contribution of the Fast Track 100 companies in the current economic climate, and are outlined in more detail in the following pages.

Home shopping jewellery retailer The Genuine Gemstone Company tops this year’s league table with an average sales growth of 245% p.a., partly as a result of acquisition.

1 Genuine Gemstone Home shopping jewellery retailer Worcestershire Mar 12 245.36 54,471 3,529 265 2008

2 Spabreaks.com Spa booking services Central London Dec 11 198.31 6,805 337 30 2008

3 4 Mobile Account Solutions Mobile phone provider Hertfordshire Mar 12 198.01 61,037 1,951 14 2006

4 11 AES International Financial services provider West London Apr 12 187.46 11,210 682 36 2007

5 Solfex Renewable energy products supplier Preston Oct 11 178.80 15,528 1,681 15 2006

6 Drake & Morgan Bar & restaurant operator Central London Mar 12 171.50 16,400 1,398 267 2008

7 Jamie's Italian Restaurant operator Central London Dec 11 168.10 72,022 7,916 1,725 2008

8 Gaia Wind Wind turbine manufacturer Glasgow Dec 11 167.85 6,693 62 27 2006

9 Stormfront Apple products reseller Exeter Sep 11 166.57 *22,687 469 105 2008

10 Lenstore.co.uk Online contact lens retailer Guernsey Jan 12 159.15 †5,114 †118 28 2008

Rank2012

Rank2011

Sales 2011/12

£000

Sales growth% pa§FYEHQ locationActivityCompany

Operating profit2011/12

£000 Staff Founded



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Overview

The Fast Track 100 companies increased their sales by an •average of 89% a year over three years (compared to 87% on last year’s table), from a total of £504m to £2.7bn

Combined operating profits of the 100 companies were •£206m in 2011/12, and more than half of the companies (59) increased their operating profit margins over the last three years

82 companies are majority-owned by an entrepreneur and/or •founders, while 11 are controlled by private equity or venture capital firms and 11 have them as minority investors

Services (51 companies) and retail (29) are the dominant •sectors on the league table

The majority of the companies are based in London (30) and •the Southeast (24)

Key themes

Serial entrepreneurs: There are a dozen serial entrepreneurs that either run or back some of the companies featured on this year’s league table [page 8]

Renewable energy companies: Five renewable-energy related companies feature, partly thanks to the government’s ‘feed-in-tariff’ subsidy [page 9]

Manufacturing companies: 15 companies are engaged in manufacturing, and a further five outsource manufacturing to third parties [page 10]

International operations: Half of the companies either operate internationally, or are planning to expand overseas in the near future [page 11]

Online vs. high street retailers: 29 companies are retailers. Some sell from the more traditional ‘brick-and-mortar’ high-street stores and concessions whilst ten others have thrived through innovative online stores [page 12]

Profitability: Combined operating profits of the 100 companies are £206m in 2011/2012, with a healthy average profit margin of 8.6% [page 13]

Well-known brands: The league table features a number of household names, some of which are making their third or fourth consecutive appearances on the Fast Track 100 [page 14]

Characteristics of an average Fast Track 100 company

Sales

Growth 2008/09 – 2011/12 89% pa

Sales in 2008/09 £5m

Sales in 2011/12 £27.2m

Profits

Operating profit in 2011/12 £2.2m

Margin 8.6%

Staff

Typical number of staff in 2011/12 142

Typical increase in staff over three years 59% pa

Company characteristics

Region Greater London (30)

Sector Services (51)

Founded 2002

Majority ownership Entrepreneur and/or founders (82)

Growth in sales

Number of companies in each range of compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of sales over latest 3 years

11

>200%

151%–200%

101%–150%

76%–100%

<=75%

13

54

1

21



KEY STATISTICS

Sales breakdown

The top ranked company, home shopping jewellery retailer •The Genuine Gemstone Company, saw sales growth of 245% a year, from £1.3m in 2009 to £54.5m in 2012

The 100th ranked company, online bike retailer Chain Reaction •Cycles based in Northern Ireland, appears on the Fast Track 100 for a second year. Its sales grew 50% a year, from £40.7m in 2008 to £136.4m in 2011

Outdoor equipment retailer GO Outdoors (No 94) reported the •highest sales on the table at £144m. Recruitment consultancy Assured Recruitment (No 55) had the lowest sales at £5m

Almost three quarters (73) of the companies had sales of more •than £10m in their latest year (2011/12); and 16 companies reported sales in excess of £50m, including restaurant operator Côte Restaurants (No 36), footwear designer FitFlop (No 63), and online sports goods retailer Wiggle (No 90)

Staff and job creation

The 100 companies employed 14,000 staff in 2011/12, which •accounts for average revenues per employee of approximately £192,000

Some 10,500 jobs have been added by the 100 companies •over the past three years, which means that their combined workforce has more than tripled during that period. However, some of these jobs are a result of acquisitions. For example, The Genuine Gemstone Company (No 1) more than quadrupled its staff number to 202 between 2010 and 2011 when it acquired Gems TV

The biggest employers on the league table were restaurant •operator Jamie’s Italian (No 7) with 1,725 staff, and outdoor equipment retailer GO Outdoors (No 94) with 1,461 staff across 41 outlets

17 companies employed fewer than 25 staff, including mixer •drinks manufacturer Fever-Tree (No 48) with 11 staff and sales of £12m, and media planning & buying agency MJ Media (No 28) with 19 staff and sales of £15m

Mobile Account Solutions (No 3) recorded the highest sales •per employee. It sells smartphones and other mobile devices to organisations for use by their employees and clients. It had 14 staff and sales of £61m in 2012, resulting in average revenues per employee of £4.4m

Rank Company Activity

2011/12 sales

94GO OutdoorsOutdoor equipment retailer

£144m

100Chain Reaction CyclesOnline bike retailer

£136m

90WiggleOnline sports goods retailer

£119m

63FitFlopFootwear designer

£96m

17Genuine SolutionsMobile accessories distributor

£85m

Companies with the biggest sales

Sales breakdown

Number of companies in each sales range

26

>£50m

£21m–£50m

£10m–£20m

<£10m

31

16

27

Number of employees

Number of companies in each staff range

>500

151–500

101–150

51–100

26–50

<=25

8

5

21

16

33

17



Profitability

Fast Track 100 companies are required to make an operating •profit in their most recent financial period

Combined operating profits of the 100 companies were £206m •in 2011/12, almost seven times of the £32m recorded by these companies three years ago

Wellington boot retailer Hunter Boot (No 47) achieved the •highest operating profits of £22m on sales of £80m in 2011

Profit margins

Winter gritting specialist GRITIT (No 97) achieved the highest •profit margin of 35%. It had operating profits of £2.7m on sales of £7.8m in 2011

Companies this year reported average operating profit •margins of 8.6% in 2011/12, compared to a quarter of these companies making losses three years ago

More than half of the companies (59) increased their operating •profit margins over the last three years. These include companies moving from making losses to profits, such as gym operator The Gym (No 13), which improved margins to 11% on sales of £13.5m in 2011

Only 11 companies reported operating profits of less than •£300,000

10 companies with the biggest profits

Rank Company Activity

Latest FYE

2011/12 sales £000

2011/12 OP £000

OP margin

47Hunter BootWellington boot retailer

Dec 11 77,959 22,075 28.32%

90WiggleOnline sports goods retailer

Jan 12 118,600 12,646 10.66%

49Joseph JosephHousehold goods maker

May 12 31,558 10,663 33.79%

100Chain Reaction CyclesOnline bike retailer

Dec 11 136,448 10,129 7.42%

66RamsdensPawnbroker and jeweller

Dec 11 51,270 8,543 16.66%

36Côte RestaurantsRestaurant operator

Jul 12 49,344 8,136 16.49%

7Jamie's ItalianRestaurant operator

Dec 11 72,022 7,916 10.99%

86Marlin Financial GroupDebt purchaser

Dec 11 31,663 6,799 21.47%

26Save Britain MoneyMoney saving products provider

Mar 12 25,786 6,258 24.27%

89Amber TavernsPub operator

Jan 12 25,424 4,005 15.75%

10 companies with the biggest profit margins

RankCompany Activity

Latest FYE

2011/12 sales £000

2011/12 OP £000

OP margin

97GRITITWinter gritting specialist

Sep 11 7,735 2,727 35.26%

49Joseph JosephHousehold goods maker

May 12 31,558 10,663 33.79%

47Hunter BootWellington boot retailer

Dec 11 77,959 22,075 28.32%

48Fever-TreeMixer drinks manufacturer

Dec 11 12,038 3,241 26.92%

99Chromogenex TechnologiesMedical & surgical equipment manufacturer

Dec 11 6,932 1,777 25.63%

73Make It CheaperBusiness cost saving service

Mar 11 8,766 2,219 25.32%

26Save Britain MoneyMoney saving products provider

Mar 12 25,786 6,258 24.27%

30Hallam MedicalMedical recruitment consultancy

Apr 12 5,568 1,304 23.42%

86Marlin Financial GroupDebt purchaser

Dec 11 31,663 6,799 21.47%

82Veetee FoodsPackaged food manufacturer

Dec 11 13,665 2,773 20.30%

The Gym (No 13) has moved from making losses when it started in 2008, to operating profits of £1.4m, with margins of 11% in 2011.



Ownership

More than four fifths (82) of the companies are majority-•owned by an entrepreneur and/or founders, such as The Genuine Gemstone Company (No 1), which was set up and is still run and owned by Steve Bennett, his wife Sarah, and his brother John

11 are majority-owned by private equity or venture capital •firms, including pub operator Amber Taverns (No 89), which underwent a secondary buyout in 2010, a further 11 have some PE or VC backing

Three are majority-owned by families, including Chain Reaction •Cycles (No 100), owned by founders George and Janice Watson and their son Chris, who is managing director

Three companies are majority-owned by the management, •including bulk mail service provider Secured Mail (No 24)

Funding and buyouts

22 • companies are financed by venture capital, private equity or business angels. These include energy efficiency consultancy Anesco (No 19), backed by Scottish Equity Partners and specialist cleantech investor Zouk Ventures; and advertising, TV and film producer Pulse Films (No 38), whose angel investors include the film producer Sharon Harel (wife of Sir Ronald Cohen, the venture capitalist)

Only three of the companies raised venture capital or private •equity in the last year, including Wiggle (No 90), which underwent a £180m secondary buyout backed by Bridgepoint in December 2011; and Vietnamese restaurant chain Pho (No 84), which secured a £5.2m investment from Isis Equity Partners in July 2012

Majority ownership

Number of companies by majority ownership type

Family 3Business angels 1

Management 3

PE and/or VC 11

Entrepreneur and/or founder 82

Vietnamese restaurant chain Pho (No 84) founders Juliette and Stephen Wall secured a £5.2m investment from Isis Equity Partners in July.



Sector breakdown

The two largest sectors are services (51 companies) and retail •(29 companies)

Services• (51 companies) encompasses a wide range of industries from spa booking services provided by Spabreaks.com (No 2) to money saving products offered by Save Britain Money (No 26). The companies also include recruiters, which make up 13% of the league table

Retailers• (29 companies) include Apple products reseller Stormfront (No 9) and rare and used book retailer World of Books (No 22). Ten of these operate predominantly online

Manufactures• (20 companies), including those that outsource to third parties, are represented by household goods maker Joseph Joseph (No 49) and Sprue Aegis (No 92), which makes smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms

Wholesalers• (18 companies) include generator supplier Dieselec Thistle (No 56) and clothing wholesaler Penfield (No 46)

Construction• (1 company) is represented by specialist refurbishment contractor ME Construction (No 93)

Industry breakdown

Consumer goods• (21 companies) include footwear designer FitFlop (No 63) and pet food producer MPM Products (No 75). League table companies in this industry represent combined sales of £960m and employ 3,800 people

The • recruitment industry provides 13 companies, half of which are specialists in sectors such as IT, medical and transport. Examples include IT recruitment consultancy Synergize Consulting (No 53), and medical recruitment consultancy Hallam Medical (No 30). These represent combined sales of £150m and employ 400 people

Food and drink• (12 companies) are represented by six pub and/or restaurant operators, including Amber Taverns (No 89) and Côte Restaurants (No 36). The remainder are mostly food and drink manufacturers, such as Ella’s Kitchen (No 52) and Specialty Powders (No 65). These represent combined sales of £290m and employ 3,600 people

The• business services industry provides a further 10 companies, including payroll services provider Safeguard World International (No 23) and childcare voucher administrator Fideliti (No 40). These represent combined sales of £420m and employ 2,800 people

Industry breakdown

Consumer goods 21

Recruitment 13

Food and drink 12

Finance 8

Other 3Healthcare 2

Leisure 8

Media 6

Sector breakdown

Number of companies by sector

Construction 1

Wholesale 18

Retail 29

Services 51

Engineering 3

Business services 10

Note: where companies are deemed to operate in more than one sector, a second sector is chosen. In total, 19 companies operate in two sectors. Each sector is given an equal weighting in the above analysis.

Computers & electronics 3Automotive 3

Building related 8

Manufacturing (inc. outsourced) 20



Regional breakdown

Greater London is home to the highest proportion of Fast Track •100 companies and is the base for almost a third (30) of the companies. The next highest is the Southeast with 24

The regions with the lowest representations are Channel Islands, •Wales and Northern Ireland

There are two companies from Wales: Save Britain Money •(No 26) and medical & surgical equipment manufacturer Chromogenex Technologies (No 99)

There is only one company from Northern Ireland, online bike •retailer Chain Reaction Cycles (No 100), and there are no companies from the East of England

New companies

There are 59 new entrants on the league table, including wind •turbine manufacturer Gaia Wind (No 8), brewery BrewDog (No 29), and children's travel products designer Trunki (No 42)

Sustained growth

25 companies appear on the league table for their second •consecutive year, eight make their third consecutive appearance and four have appeared for four years in a row. Sprue Aegis (No 92) appears for a fifth consecutive time

An additional three companies make re-entries, having •appeared on a Fast Track 100 league table before 2011

The table below shows the 13 companies that have appeared for at least three years in a row

Regional breakdown of HQ in UK

Southwest

Channel Islands

Northern Ireland

Scotland

NortheastNorthwest

Southeast24

Midlands

Wales

14

1

6

6

510

Greater London

30

2

2

Company Activity Latest sales £m 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008

Staysure.co.uk Over-fifties insurance provider 9.6 28 15 8

Joseph Joseph Household goods maker †31.6 49 34 44 48

Ella's Kitchen Baby food producer †41.2 52 25 14 9

Your Golf Travel.com Golf travel retailer 35.1 59 26 6 15

Global Personals Online dating services provider 18.9 68 28 13

MPM Products Pet food producer 11.3 75 40 32

International Applications Industrial & consumer goods distributor †22.8 77 54 27

Marlin Financial Group Debt purchaser 31.7 86 96 55

UK Flooring Direct Online flooring retailer 13.8 87 99 24

Amber Taverns Pub operator 25.4 89 47 63 57

Wiggle Online sports goods retailer 118.6 90 85 91

Sprue Aegis Safety products manufacturer 33.3 92 65 68 79 67

GO Outdoors Outdoor equipment retailer 143.7 94 80 86

Companies appearing for at least three consecutive years

† draft, audit exempt or accounts not filed at Companies House

Rank



KEY THEMES & SELECTED COMPANY PROFILES

On the following pages we profile examples of companies that demonstrate some of the key themes from this year’s league table.

Serial entrepreneurs There are a dozen serial entrepreneurs that either run or back some of the companies featured on this year’s league table. In addition to the few profiled below, other examples include the founders of Spabreaks (No 2), Ross Marshall and Andrew Harding, who also co-founded Your Golf Travel (No 59).

1 Genuine GemstoneHome shopping jewellery retailer

Co-founder Steve Bennett previously founded and ran Jungle.com, which he sold in 2000 for £37m

CAGR§ 245%

Sales 2012 £54.5m

Sales 2009 £1.3m

OP £3.5m

Staff 2012 265

Founded 2008

Location Worcestershire

Steve Bennett and wife Sarah, a former pop singer, launched Gems TV, a home shopping channel dedicated to coloured gemstone jewellery in 2004. The pair brought in a Thai-based business partner to help source gems and produce jewellery, but a disagreement between the business partners prompted the Bennetts’ departure in 2006 to set up other ventures including the Genuine Gemstone Company. Steve bought Gems TV back in 2010 for £3m. The group now produces and broadcasts three jewellery shopping channels, Gems TV in the UK and Germany, and Rocks TV in the US.

36 Côte RestaurantsRestaurant operator

Majority shareholder Richard Caring also owns The Ivy, Le Caprice, Soho House and others, and is reportedly considering the sale of Côte

CAGR§ 88%

Sales 2012 £49.3m

Sales 2009 £7.4m

OP £8.1m

Staff 2012 1,124

Founded 2006

Location Central London

Each week 63,000 diners sit down at a venue run by Côte Restaurants, whose menu is filled with French brasserie-style dishes. The company now has 35 restaurants, mainly around London and the home counties, but also in Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol. Five former Strada Restaurants founders started the company in 2007 in Wimbledon, south London. It is now managed by joint managing directors Harald Samuelsson, 44, and Alex Scrimgeour, 41, two former senior managers from Strada.

63 FitFlopFootwear designer

Founder Marcia Kilgore launched Bliss Spa in the US and sold it for £19m in 1999, before starting Soap & Glory, another beauty business, in the UK in 2006

CAGR§ 67%

Sales 2011 £95.6m

Sales 2008 £20.6m*

OP £3.3m

Staff 2011 158

Founded 2007


This firm develops shoes that focus on delivering the best in biomechanics in a wide variety of styles. The London company was founded in 2007 and the firm now trades in 52 countries. It has also recently launched e-commerce websites in Britain, the USA and the EU. The brand’s celebrity fans include the television star Oprah Winfrey, actress Jessica Biel and model Heidi Klum. Sales for the Brand Slam group, owner of FitFlop and Soap & Glory, rose to £95.6m in 2011.

FitFlop (No 63) founder Marcia Kilgore previously launched Bliss Spa in the US in the 1990s and sold it for £15m in 2004.

§ compound annual growth rate between 2008/09 and 2011/12 * annualised figure



Renewable energy companies Five renewable-energy related companies feature, partly thanks to the government’s ‘feed-in-tariff’ (FIT) subsidy. However, future performances of these companies are likely to be affected by the reduced FIT subsidy levels, and introduction in 2013, of the government’s Green Deal subsidy.

8 Gaia WindWind turbine manufacturer

Manufactured and installed 350 wind turbines for farmers and small businesses with land to spare, like breweries and golf courses, in 2012

CAGR§ 168%

Sales 2011 £6.7m

Sales 2008 £348,000

OP £62,000

Staff 2011 27

Founded 2006

Location Glasgow

Before Johnnie Andringa, 49, and his business partners took over Gaia Wind in 2006, the company was based in Denmark and made only a few turbines each year. Now it manufactures and installs 350 wind turbines a year. Thanks to the government’s feed-in tariff subsidy, the income generated by the turbines usually covers the cost of installation in five to seven years. Gaia Wind is now looking to boost its international sales and has already received orders from the island of Tonga.

15 AlternergySolar energy products distributor

Sales exceeded £45m in 2012 as demand for solar panels has increased

CAGR§ 137%

Sales 2012 £45.9m

Sales 2009 £3.5m

OP £1.8m

Staff 2012 20

Founded 2006

Location West London

Managing director Rajiv Bhatia, 50, founded this business in 2006 to sell solar panels and related components from international manufacturers such as SunTech and REC to businesses, mainly in Britain. Sales exceeded £45m in 2012 as demand for solar panels rose. The growth in demand is largely due to the government’s feed-in tariff, launched in April 2010, which pays subsidies to those who install solar panels. However, subsidy levels were halved in April and Alternergy expects its sales growth to slow.

19 AnescoEnergy efficiency consultancy

Provides energy efficiency and carbon reduction services, and has benefited from the demand for cleaner and greener energy

CAGR§ 127%

Sales 2012 £21.4m†

Sales 2009 £1.8m

OP £952,000

Staff 2012 54

Founded 2008

Location Reading

Anesco’s customers are homeowners, businesses and local authorities, and its services include funding, designing, installing and maintaining a range of renewable technologies. Adrian Pike, 45, and Tim Payne, 49, spun the Reading company out of a division of Scottish and Southern Energy in 2010. Scottish Equity Partners has a 40% stake, and the specialist clean-tech investor, Zouk Ventures, also provided undisclosed funding for a 40% stake.

§ compound annual growth rate between 2008/09 and 2011/12 † draft, audit exempt or accounts not filed at Companies House * annualised figure

Anesco (No 19) was spun out of a division of Scottish and Southern Energy in 2010, and provides energy efficiency and carbon reduction services.



Manufacturing companies

Fifteen companies are engaged in manufacturing, examples include Automotive Trim Developments (No 60), which derives the majority of its sales from making leather seats and trim for high-end automotive brands like Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover. In addition, five companies outsource manufacturing of their products to third parties, and these include Trunki (No 42).At least 13 companies manufacture some of their products in the UK, including Sofa.com (No 95) and Specialty Powders (No 65), which makes soups, gravies and hot chocolate.

29 BrewDogBrewery

Opened a new production facility near Aberdeen in October

CAGR§ 96%

Sales 2011 £5.9m

Sales 2008 £789,000

OP £467,000

Staff 2011 61

Founded 2007

Location Aberdeenshire

Brew Dog says it is the largest Scottish independent brewery, with a core range of seven craft beers that can be bought in large grocery stores and online. The company also runs seven beer bars, and four more are in the works. Founded in 2007 by James Watt, 30, and Martin Dickie, 30, Brew Dog has raised two rounds of funding with its online Equity for Punks scheme and now has more than 7,000 shareholders.

42 TrunkiChildren's travel products designer

Moved outsourced manufacturing of some of its products from China to Britain earlier this year

CAGR§ 78%

Sales 2011 £6.4m*

Sales 2008 £1.1m

OP £1m*

Staff 2011 21

Founded 2006

Location Bristol

Trunki’s colourful ride-on suitcases for children became famous on the BBC show Dragons’ Den in 2006. Founder Rob Law, 35, didn’t get any investment in the Den but used the exposure to give his Bristol business a boost. Sales increased as the company expanded its range, and its products are now sold in shops such as John Lewis, Selfridges, Argos, Boots and Halfords, as well as online through Amazon and Trunki’s own website. The company sells to more than 90 countries, with exports accounting for 30% of sales.

92 Sprue AegisSafety products manufacturer

Manufactures smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms and sells its products in Tesco and B&Q

CAGR§ 53%

Sales 2011 £33.3m

Sales 2008 £9.4m

OP £3.5m

Staff 2011 73

Founded 2000

Location Coventry

This Coventry manufacturer of smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms sells its products in Tesco and B&Q and also supplies Britain’s fire and rescue services. In 2010 an American competitor, BRK Brands, which now has a 29.9% shareholding in Sprue, granted the company the rights to all of BRK’s business in Europe. Led by chairman Graham Whitworth, 59, and co-founder Nick Rutter, 40, the company has thrived as legal requirements to fit smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms have become stricter. Last month Sprue Aegis won a contract to supply British Gas with bespoke carbon-monoxide alarms.


Children's travel products designer Trunki (No 42) moved outsourced manufacturing of some of its products from China to Britain earlier this year.



International operations

Half of the companies either operate internationally, or are planning to expand overseas in the near future. Examples, in addition to the ones profiled below, include footwear designer FitFlop (No 63), which sells its products in more than 40 countries; and mixer drinks manufacturer Fever-Tree (No 48), which ships worldwide and has recently launched in Colombia, Japan, and Germany.

23 Safeguard World InternationalPayroll services provider

Offers services, mainly payroll processing, in 99 countries in Europe, Asia, North America and South America

CAGR§ 106%

Sales 2011 £8.5m

Sales 2008 £971,000

OP £117,000

Staff 2011 97

Founded 2007

Location Cheshire

Safeguard World International was started in 2007 when founder Bjorn Reynolds, 37, bought the loss-making global payroll division of Safeguard World. Sales, which represent net fee income, grew as it opened offices in America in 2009, India in 2011 and Mexico in 2012, and it is eyeing growth in Brazil. Its customers are companies that operate in many countries and they include Google, eBay, Amazon, Warner Brothers and Fedex.

49 Joseph JosephHousehold goods maker

Generates 70% of sales overseas, and its products are sold in 83 countries

CAGR§ 74%

Sales 2012 £31.6m†

Sales 2009 £6m

OP £10.7m†

Staff 2012 65

Founded 2003


The 38-year-old twins, Antony and Richard Joseph, started with a single glass chopping board when they founded their company in 2003. Today that product remains a bestseller for the firm and it is still made in a factory in the West Midlands. Joseph Joseph’s range has expanded greatly and now has 360 items, counting all colour variations. They are sold in 83 countries. The company now expects to grow most rapidly in South America, China, India and the US.

100 Chain Reaction CyclesOnline bike retailer

Is the world's largest online bike store, generating more than 60% of sales overseas and delivering to 100 countries worldwide

CAGR§ 50%

Sales 2011 £136.4m

Sales 2009 £40.7m

OP £10.1m

Staff 2011 365

Founded 1985

Location County Antrim

Having started life in 1985 as a bike shop in a Northern Irish village, Chain Reaction Cycles now offers a range of 90,000 products and says it is the largest online bike store in the world. Managing director Chris Watson, 38, who sold his first bike at the age of 14, is the son of the founders, George and Janice Watson. Growth has been helped by a broad product range, speedy delivery, referrals and sponsorship of racing teams. The company delivers to 100 countries and opened its 10,000 sq ft flagship shop in Belfast in August 2011.

§ compound annual growth rate between 2008/09 and 2011/12 † draft, audit exempt or accounts not filed at Companies House

Household goods maker Joseph Joseph (No 49) were set up by twins, Antony and Richard Joseph ten years ago and now its products are sold in 83 countries.



Online vs. high street retailers A quarter of the league table companies are retailers. Some sell from the more traditional ‘brick-and-mortar’ high-street stores and concessions, such as Apple products reseller Stormfront (No 9). Others (at least ten companies) operate predominantly online, such as beauty products retailer feelunique.com (No 43), and contact lens retailer Lenstore.co.uk (No 10).

We showcase some examples of web-based retailers that have thrived through innovative online stores.

22 World of BooksRare & used book retailer

Sells used books to 4m customers a year using online platforms including eBay and Amazon

CAGR§ 107%

Sales 2012 £19.3m†

Sales 2009 £2.2m

OP £1.6m

Staff 2012 256

Founded 2008

Location West Sussex

Charity shops with unsold books go to the West Sussex firm World of Books. The company buys unsold books in bulk, saving charity shops the disposal costs, and sells them on websites including eBay, Amazon and its own. It identifies buyers with technology developed in-house and when it cannot find them online, it sells in bulk to countries such as India and China that want cheap English language books. The business was started in 2008 by chairman Ken Blair, 55, and managing director Stephen Boobyer, 50, after they were approached by four enthusiasts.

33 Better BathroomsBathroom products and tiles retailer

Runs an online store as well as three showrooms

CAGR§ 92%

Sales 2012 £22.5m*†

Sales 2009 £3.2m

OP £3.1m

Staff 2012 77

Founded 2003

Location Cheshire

Consumers, plumbers and contractors can buy more than 3,000 products online at Better Bathrooms and have them dispatched next day. The Glazebury-based retailer, founded in 2003, ships up to 500 orders a day and also has three showrooms where customers can collect and shop in person. It says it can lower its prices by 20% to 30% because it makes many of its own products. Founder Colin Stevens, 33, started his first business, selling golf equipment, from his parents’ house at 21.

90 WiggleOnline sports goods retailer

Started out of a bike shop in 1999 and now sells products online, shipping to 70 countries worldwide

CAGR§ 53%

Sales 2012 £118.6m

Sales 2009 £33.2m

OP £12.6m

Staff 2012 211

Founded 1999

Location Portsmouth

This company began as an independent bike shop in Portsmouth but, after its success at selling bikes and accessories online, became Wiggle.co.uk in 1999. The firm has expanded its range to include running, swimming and other sports equipment, and delivers its goods to more than 70 countries. In December 2011, Isis Equity Partners, which invested £12m in Wiggle in 2006, sold its stake to Bridgepoint in a deal that valued the company at £180m. It is now led by chief executive Humphrey Cobbold, 48, with former Asda chief executive Andy Bond, 47, as chairman.


Better Bathrooms (No 34) sells 3,000 product lines online and offers next-day delivery.



Profitability Combined operating profits of this year’s league table companies are £206m. 51 companies report operating profits of more than £1m. Of these, four have operating profits of £10m or greater, including online bike retailer Chain Reaction Cycles (No 100). The average profit margin is a healthy 8.6%, and more than half of the companies (59) have increased their profit margins over the last three years.

6 Drake & MorganBar & restaurant operator

Moved from making losses when it started five years ago, to making margins of 9% on sales of £16.4m in 2012

CAGR§ 172%

Sales 2012 £16.4m

Sales 2009 £820,000

OP £1.4m

Staff 2012 267

Founded 2008


This bar and restaurant operator runs five venues in London and aims to open at least two more next year. The chain was started by managing director Jillian MacLean, 48, in July 2008 with the Refinery in Southwark. It has since opened four venues in the City and Canary Wharf, which attract financial services employees on weeknights and a more diverse group — including families and groups of friends — at weekends. The business has been funded with £3m from the Imbiba Partnership, an investment firm that focuses on the leisure industry.

47 Hunter Boot Wellington boot retailer

Has the highest operating profits on the league table of £22.1m in 2011

CAGR§ 75%

Sales 2011 £78m

Sales 2008 £14.6m*

OP £22.1m

Staff 2011 73

Founded 1856

Location Edinburgh

The upmarket bootmaker Hunter was founded more than 150 years ago but has had a rocky time more recently. It was bought out of administration in 2006 and, since then, new management has streamlined operations and invested in colourful designs and a product range that includes bags, shoes and outerwear. The company holds two royal warrants, and half of its sales are overseas, in the Far East and America. In January, Searchlight Capital Partners bought a majority stake for an undisclosed sum to fund further expansion. James Seuss is joining as chief executive this month.

97 GRITITWinter gritting specialist

Has the highest profit margin on the league table of 35% on sales of £7.7m in 2011

CAGR§ 51%

Sales 2011 £7.7m

Sales 2008 £2.2m

OP £2.7m

Staff 2011 135

Founded 2004

Location Greater London

Former marketing director Jason Petsch, 39, and former landscape gardener Alastair Kight, 48, started GRITIT in 2004 believing that they had a better way of dealing with the challenges posed to businesses by winter weather. Since then, this Uxbridge company has provided gritting services and winter risk management to clients such as Thames Water and DHL. During the warmer months of the year, GRITIT does risk assessments for clients and implements policies that reduce the damage snow and ice can cause to a client’s earnings and reputation. In 2011, the company expanded into Northern Ireland and is now looking to extend its services to the Continent and America.


Hunter Boot (No 47) has the highest profits on the league table of £22.1m in 2011.



Well-known brands

Household names that feature on the league table include Ella’s Kitchen (No 52) and Joseph Joseph (No 49) for the fourth time; Wiggle (No 90) and GO Outdoors (No 94) for the third time; and Côte Restaurants (No 36) and Chain Reaction Cycles (No 100) for the second time.

The league table also features new entrants such as Jamie’s Italian (No 7), Trunki (No 42), and Hunter Boot (No 47).

7 Jamie’s ItalianRestaurant operator

Founder Jamie Oliver is arguably the nation’s favourite cook with his recipe books regularly the No 1 Christmas bestseller

CAGR§ 168%

Sales 2011 £72m

Sales 2008 £3.7m

OP £7.9m

Staff 2011 1,725

Founded 2008


In 2008, the cookery show chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver, 37, brought his love of Italian food to the high street with a chain of restaurants aptly named Jamie’s Italian. The company now has 30 sites in the UK and 5 abroad, including ones in Dublin, Dubai and Sydney. The chain bills itself as an affordable, family-friendly operation that makes its own pasta every morning and sources ingredients both locally and from Italy. This year it launched a deli concept at its Bath store after customers wanted to buy its olives, mozzarella and antipasti boards.

52 Ella's KitchenBaby food producer

Says that someone eats one of its products every second

CAGR§ 71%

Sales 2012 £41.2m†

Sales 2009 £8.3m*

OP £3.6m

Staff 2012 43

Founded 2006

Location Henley

This Henley-based company passed a milestone in September, registering the sale of its 200 millionth “tiny tummy touch point” since it was founded by Paul Lindley, 46, in 2006. Each point is a portion of its organic, preservative and additive-free baby and toddler products, which range from pureed fruit to biscuits and yoghurts and appear on supermarket shelves in distinct packaging. The company’s target is now 1bn points by December 2016 from its 12 existing markets, which include Scandinavia and America, and potential new markets such as Brazil.

94 GO OutdoorsOutdoor equipment retailer

Operates 41 outlets nationwide, after opening 20 stores in the last two years

CAGR§ 52%

Sales 2012 £143.7m

Sales 2009 £41.2m

OP £2.3m

Staff 2012 1,461

Founded 1998

Location Sheffield

Go Outdoors is a one-stop shop where you can buy equipment for hiking, mountaineering, camping and other outdoor pursuits. It appeals to professional enthusiasts as well as hobbyists and is led by chief executive John Graham, 50, a keen climber, and president Paul Caplan, 57. The company has continued to expand, opening 10 new stores last year in addition to the 10 opened the year before. In April 2011 the private equity firm 3i took a minority stake in a £28m deal.

§ compound annual growth rate between 2008/09 and 2011/12 † draft, audit exempt or accounts not filed at Companies House

Jamie's Italian (No 7) boasts 30 locations in the UK and an additional five abroad, including in Dubai, Dublin and Sydney.



2012 FAST TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE


1 Genuine Gemstone Home shopping jewellery retailer Worcestershire Mar 12 245.36 54,471 1,322 265 2008

2 Spabreaks.com Spa booking services Central London Dec 11 198.31 6,805 256 30 2008

3 4 Mobile Account Solutions Mobile phone provider Hertfordshire Mar 12 198.01 61,037 2,306 14 2006

4 11 AES International Financial services provider West London Apr 12 187.46 11,210 472 36 2007

5 Solfex Renewable energy products supplier Preston Oct 11 178.80 15,528 717 15 2006

6 Drake & Morgan Bar & restaurant operator Central London Mar 12 171.50 16,400 820 267 2008

7 Jamie's Italian Restaurant operator Central London Dec 11 168.10 72,022 3,737 1,725 2008

8 Gaia Wind Wind turbine manufacturer Glasgow Dec 11 167.85 6,693 348 27 2006

9 Stormfront Apple products reseller Exeter Sep 11 166.57 *22,687 *1,198 105 2008

10 Lenstore.co.uk Online contact lens retailer Guernsey Jan 12 159.15 †5,114 *294 28 2008

11 Activ8 Distribution Mobile accessories distributor Hertfordshire Jul 12 151.21 †8,319 525 30 2000

12 TGC Renewables Renewable energy provider Bristol Aug 12 150.37 †7,704 491 31 2006

13 The Gym Gym operator Guildford Dec 11 139.80 13,464 *976 41 2008

14 ITH Pharma Pharmaceuticals supplier West London Mar 12 137.50 12,054 900 85 2008

15 Alternergy Solar energy products distributor West London Jul 12 136.91 45,938 3,455 20 2006

16 EThames Graduate School Higher education institution Central London Jul 11 134.81 11,942 922 184 2004

17 69 Genuine Solutions Mobile accessories distributor Surrey Jan 12 132.98 85,314 6,746 59 2004

18 Capture Retail marketing agency Central London Sep 12 130.25 †14,500 1,188 27 2008

19 Anesco Energy efficiency consultancy Reading Mar 12 127.22 †21,422 1,826 54 2008

20 21 First Utility Energy supplier Warwick Dec 11 112.01 76,098 7,986 179 2003

21 ProMedical Personnel Recruitment consultancy Essex Oct 11 107.41 8,899 *997 22 2008

22 World of Books Rare & used book retailer West Sussex Oct 12 107.30 †19,293 2,166 256 2008

23 Safeguard World International Payroll services provider Cheshire Dec 11 105.80 8,467 971 97 2007

24 2 Secured Mail Bulk mail service provider Warrington Jul 11 101.56 47,929 5,853 87 2006

25 ConSol Partners IT recruitment consultancy Central London Dec 11 101.15 6,348 780 31 2008

Rank2012

Rank2011

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Sales 2008/09

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26 Save Britain Money Money saving products provider Swansea Mar 12 99.53 †25,786 3,246 605 2005

27 MJ Media Media planning & buying agency Central London Dec 11 99.47 15,103 1,903 19 1997

28 15 Staysure.co.uk Over-fifties insurance provider Northampton Dec 11 96.93 9,563 *1,252 200 2004

29 BrewDog Brewery Aberdeenshire Dec 11 95.72 5,919 789 61 2007

30 Hallam Medical Medical recruitment consultancy Sheffield Apr 12 94.33 †5,568 759 20 2007

31 22 Liquid Friday Payroll services provider Portsmouth Jul 12 93.95 †46,001 6,305 1,463 2006

32 NWM Solutions Payroll services provider Bournemouth Mar 12 93.63 54,821 7,551 203 2007

33 Better Bathrooms Bathroom products and tiles retailer Cheshire Mar 12 92.46 †*22,468 3,152 77 2003

34 Travel FX Foreign exchange broker Northwest London Dec-11 91.86 35,342 5,004 11 2008

35 5 Top Cashback Cashback website operator Staffordshire Jan 12 89.81 21,186 3,098 47 2005

36 7 Côte Restaurants Restaurant operator Central London Jul 12 88.39 49,344 7,381 1,124 2006

37 BathEmpire.com Online bathroom retailer Coventry Dec 11 88.27 8,667 1,299 55 2007

38 Pulse Films Advertising, TV, and film producer Central London Oct 11 86.45 14,108 2,177 32 2005

39 The Specialist Works Media & advertising agency Central London Dec 11 81.89 26,072 4,333 30 2002

40 35 Fideliti Childcare voucher administrator Warrington Mar 12 79.21 66,429 11,542 28 2005

41 Redeem Consumer electronics recycler Falkirk Mar 12 78.23 †34,000 6,006 151 1991

42 Trunki Children's travel products designer Bristol Dec 11 78.15 *6,410 1,134 21 2006

43 24 feelunique.com Online beauty products retailer Jersey Mar 12 77.97 26,736 4,743 121 2005

44 Lawrence Harvey Recruitment consultancy Central London Mar 12 77.60 11,007 *1,965 45 2002

45 13 Be Wiser Insurance Insurance broker Andover May 12 76.96 17,364 3,134 241 2007

46 Penfield Clothing wholesaler & retailer Central London Dec 11 76.31 7,877 *1,437 17 1975

47 Hunter Boot Wellington boot retailer Edinburgh Dec 11 74.83 77,959 *14,590 73 1856

48 31 Fever-Tree Mixer drinks manufacturer Southwest London Dec 11 73.89 12,038 2,290 11 2004

49 34 Joseph Joseph Household goods maker Central London May 12 73.62 †31,558 6,030 65 2003

50 51 Oliver James Associates Recruitment consultancy Central London Dec 11 73.46 36,461 6,986 74 2002


Rank2012

Rank2011

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£000


Sales 2008/09

£000 Staff Founded




51 93 Transglobal Fuels Wholesale fuel supplier West Yorkshire Mar 12 73.07 †33,790 6,518 11 2007

52 25 Ella's Kitchen Baby food producer Henley Jun 12 70.89 †41,220 *8,260 43 2006

53 Synergize Consulting IT recruitment consultancy West Sussex Sep 11 70.35 13,311 2,693 11 2002

54 Barrhead Travel Travel agency Barrhead, nr Glasgow Dec 11 69.72 42,192 *8,631 441 1975

55 Assured Recruitment Recruitment consultancy Staffordshire Jan 12 68.73 †5,068 1,055 28 2006

56 Dieselec Thistle Generator supplier & installer Glasgow Jun 12 68.61 19,968 4,166 49 2004

57 Champions Brand management agency Loughborough Mar 12 68.32 12,179 2,554 36 2003

58 Country Attire Clothing retailer Derbyshire Aug 11 68.12 5,711 1,202 24 2006

59 26 Your Golf Travel.com Golf travel retailer Central London Dec 11 67.95 35,124 7,415 66 2005

60 Automotive Trim Developments Leather seating & trim manufacturer Coventry Jan 12 67.27 7,037 1,504 85 2000

61 55 Climate Energy Energy efficiency consultancy Essex Jul 11 67.12 60,681 13,001 207 2005

62 High Finance Insurance recruitment consultancy Central London Oct 11 67.03 12,214 2,621 40 2002

63 FitFlop Footwear designer Central London Dec 11 66.93 95,630 *20,560 158 2007

64 Opus Recruitment Solutions IT recruitment consultancy Bristol Dec 11 66.00 †5,946 *1,300 30 2008

65 89 Specialty Powders Food manufacturer Oxford Dec 11 65.64 21,496 4,730 47 1995

66 Ramsdens Pawnbroker and jeweller Middlesbrough Dec 11 65.16 51,270 11,380 324 1987

67 62 Cartridge Save Computer consumables reseller Stockport Dec 11 64.76 †12,378 2,768 33 2003

68 28 Global Personals Online dating services provider Windsor Aug 11 64.06 18,894 4,279 94 2003

69 Maverick Marketing & advertising agency Central London Jun 12 63.85 †12,805 2,911 55 2002

70 Blue Group Industrial machinery distributor Warrington Jan 12 63.72 9,617 *2,192 26 2004

71 Roc Search IT recruitment consultancy Reading Dec 11 63.52 8,240 1,885 30 2007

72 RB & AH Pub & restaurant operator Guildford Dec 11 62.68 5,301 *1,231 105 2008

73 39 Make It Cheaper Business cost saving service Central London Mar 11 62.16 8,766 2,056 67 2006

74 57 OneE Tax Tax planning specialist Bolton Dec 11 61.94 23,274 5,481 33 2006

75 40 MPM Products Pet food producer Cheshire Dec 11 61.39 11,300 2,688 34 2003


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76 Treadsetters Tyre wholesaler & manufacturer Telford Mar 12 60.51 71,213 17,221 33 1999

77 54 International Applications Industrial & consumer goods distributor Oxfordshire Mar 12 59.80 †22,832 5,595 28 2006

78 Offshore Sourcing Forgings & steel manufacturer Dorchester Mar 12 59.73 21,506 *5,277 120 2002

79 Igloo Recruitment consultancy Leicester Mar 12 58.85 18,822 4,696 25 2005

80 The Eventa Group Events organiser Brighton Sep 12 58.73 †6,853 1,714 47 2004

81 Away Resorts Holiday park operator Hertfordshire Dec 11 57.44 *15,235 *3,904 142 2008

82 8 Veetee Foods Packaged food manufacturer Kent Dec 11 56.43 13,665 3,570 43 2007

83 14 Electricity Network Solutions Electricity infrastructure servicer Northamptonshire Sep 11 56.19 17,919 4,703 179 2007

84 16 Pho Vietnamese restaurant chain Central London Feb 12 55.84 6,507 1,719 150 2005

85 12 Austin Fraser Recruitment consultancy Reading Feb 12 55.19 10,253 2,743 47 2007

86 96 Marlin Financial Group Debt purchaser West Sussex Dec 11 54.78 31,663 8,539 102 2002

87 99 UK Flooring Direct Online flooring retailer Warwickshire Mar 12 54.23 13,817 3,766 37 2004

88 Tropical Sky Tour operator West Sussex Oct 11 53.69 31,102 8,568 65 2005

89 47 Amber Taverns Pub operator Preston Jan 12 53.58 25,424 7,019 24 2005

90 85 Wiggle Online sports goods retailer Portsmouth Jan 12 52.94 118,600 33,154 211 1999

91 72 Intuition IT Solutions IT recruitment consultancy West London Apr 12 52.72 †9,518 2,672 22 2006

92 65 Sprue Aegis Safety products manufacturer Coventry Dec 11 52.58 33,275 9,368 73 2000

93 ME Construction Specialist refurbishment contractor Central London Dec 11 52.57 12,581 3,542 25 2007

94 80 GO Outdoors Outdoor equipment retailer Sheffield Jan 12 51.66 143,665 41,188 1,461 1998

95 18 sofa.com Online sofa retailer Southwest London Feb 12 51.42 12,961 3,733 67 2006

96 European Fine Wines Fine wine merchant Southeast London Feb 12 51.39 †17,260 4,974 55 2005

97 37 GRITIT Winter gritting specialist Uxbridge Sep 11 51.18 7,735 2,239 135 2004

98 ACS Business Supplies Office products supplier West Yorkshire Dec 11 51.01 10,431 3,029 75 2008

99 Chromogenex Technologies Medical & surgical equipment manufacturer Llanelli Dec 11 50.38 6,932 2,038 36 1985

100 58 Chain Reaction Cycles Online bike retailer County Antrim Dec 11 49.72 136,448 40,654 365 1985


Rank2012

Rank2011

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£000


Sales 2008/09

£000 Staff Founded



METHODOLOGY

The Fast Track 100 league table ranks the UK's private companies with the fastest-growing sales over their latest three years of available accounts, i.e. between 2008 and 2011, or 2009 and 2012. The league table identifies the fastest-growing companies in a cross-section of sectors, excluding technology companies, which are covered in our sister league table, The Sunday Times Tech Track 100.

Qualification criteria

Registered in the UK, unquoted and not subsidiaries•

Annualised sales of at least £250,000 in their base year (2008 or •2009)

Annualised sales of at least £5m in their final year (2011 or 2012)•

Year-on-year sales growth in their latest year from 2010 to 2011, •or 2011 to 2012, and a forecast of further growth

Making operating profits in their latest year (2011 or 2012)•

More than 25 trading weeks in their base and final year•

Ten or more employees in their latest year (2011 or 2012)•

Excluded companies include technology, LLPs, pure property and •financial trading companies, and companies with sales over £500m

Research approach

The research was conducted by the Fast Track research team primarily between 1 August and 1 November 2012. The majority of companies have been interviewed over the telephone and/or visited as part of the research process.

The final 100 companies are ranked by growth in sales over their latest three years of available accounts although these were not necessarily required to be audited, i.e. between 2008 and 2011, or 2009 and 2012. Companies were selected from a database of around two million private companies in the UK followed by extensive desk, telephone and case study research.

Of the 100 companies, 52 had financial years ending in 2011 and 48 had financial years ending in 2012.

Disclaimers

These companies are not endorsed, guaranteed or recommended by Fast Track or the sponsors of Fast Track 100. They are not necessarily the best-run companies, and are ranked on historical sales growth to the latest available financial year end.

Private company information can be incomplete and, while every effort is made to include all qualifying companies, there may be omissions. Nominations for next year’s table would be welcome. Some exceptions were made to the qualification criteria set out above. The compiler’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.



ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

We would particularly like to thank our sponsors for their support.

Virgin has been the title sponsor for all 16 years.

Virgin is a branded international investment group, set up in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson. The group has started more than 400 companies worldwide in sectors spanning airlines, trains, mobile phones, financial services, hotels and fitness clubs, as well as sustainable technologies.

Sir Richard is currently focused on growing Virgin’s international business and Virgin Unite, its not-for-profit foundation.

www.virgin.com

Sir Richard BransonFounder

Richard PhelpsMD, Head of Corporate & Employer Solutions

Barclays is a main sponsor for a second year.

Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and clients worldwide. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, we operate in over 50 countries and employ over 140,000 people.

Barclays provide corporate banking solutions to businesses with an annual turnover of more than £5m in the UK, and to large local companies, financial institutions and multinationals in non-UK markets. Barclays support the success and growth of their clients by providing lending, risk management, trade finance, and asset and sales financing.

www.barclayscorporate.com www.barclayswealth.com



The Sunday Times has been Fast Track's media partner for all 16 years, publishing seven private company league tables a year.

Almost 40% of the top decision-makers in British business read The Sunday Times; more than twice as many as the Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, or The Sunday Telegraph according to the September 2011 British Business survey.

www.thesundaytimes.co.uk

Dominic O'ConnellBusiness editor

RSM Tenon is a new main sponsor this year.

RSM Tenon is one of the most progressive and entrepreneurial professional services firms in the UK, with over 2,600 people across 35 offices. As the seventh largest accountancy practice in the UK we provide audit & accounting, tax, risk advisory, corporate finance, restructuring and financial management services. RSM Tenon Group is an independent member of RSM International, the sixth largest network of independent accounting and consulting firms worldwide with more than 700 offices across more than 90 countries.

www.rsmtenon.com www.rsmi.com

Jez FilleyNational Head of Audit



BACKGROUND

About the authors

Richard TylerRichard leads Fast Track’s research and editorial, working closely with sponsors and companies within our network. He was previously the enterprise editor of The Daily and Sunday Telegraph for nine years, covering private companies and government policy towards business. He trained in journalism at Euromoney, part of The Daily Mail & General Trust, after completing his degree at Manchester University.

Ying Chen Van de WalleYing is responsible for helping manage Fast Track’s research. Before joining Fast Track in 2005 she worked for the Beijing subsidiary of French consultancy Metizo, and managed HR for City Centre Bistros. She has a masters in HR from Oxford University's Said Business School, and a degree in English from Beijing Foreign Studies University.



Contact details

Fast Track Angel Court 81 St Clements Oxford OX4 1AW

Tel: 01865 297 100 Fax: 01865 297 001

Email: [email protected] Web: www.fasttrack.co.uk

About Fast Track

Fast Track 100 is compiled by Fast Track, the UK's leading networking events and research company, which focuses on top-performing private companies and entrepreneurs.

Its annual national awards events and bespoke dinners provide an opportunity for the UK's leading entrepreneurs and directors to network and to meet the sponsors.

Fast Track has compiled league tables on private companies in partnership with The Sunday Times for the last sixteen years. It publishes six other annual league table awards programmes:

Tech Track 100• (since 2001) ranks Britain's private technology (TMT) companies with the fastest-growing sales

International Track 100• (since 2010) ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing international sales

Profit Track 100• (since 2000) ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing profits

Buyout Track 100• (since 2007) ranks Britain’s private equity backed companies with the fastest-growing profits

Top Track 250• (since 2005) ranks Britain’s leading mid-market private companies with the biggest sales; provided they have shown an increase in sales or profits in their latest year

Top Track 100• (since 2002) ranks Britain’s private companies with the biggest sales

Fast Track is based in Oxford with 20 staff, and a network of freelance researchers.

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