Research Report 2015
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
Britain's private companies with the
fastest-growing sales
In association with
1
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
i
CONTENTS
© 2015 Fast Track 100
INTRODUCTION
Top 10 Fast Track 100 companies
1
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Overview
Key themes
2
2
2
KEY STATISTICS
Sales breakdown
Staff and job creation
Profitability
Operating profit margins
External capital and 2015 deals
Mergers & acquisitions
Exits of past Fast Track 100 companies
Sector breakdown
Industry breakdown
Regional breakdown
Sustained growth
Nineteen years of Fast Track 100
3
3
3
4
4
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
9
KEY THEMES & SELECTED COMPANY PROFILES
Founders and their families
Serial entrepreneurs
Profitability
External capital
International activity
Manufacturing
Food and drink innovation
Well-known brands
11
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
2015 FAST TRACK 100 LEAGUE TABLE
19
ONES TO WATCH
23
METHODOLOGY
Qualification criteria
Research approach
Disclaimers
24
24
24
24
SPONSORS AND MEDIA PARTNER
25
ABOUT FAST TRACK
Compiler & publisher The authors
Fast Track
27
27
27
28
CONTACT DETAILS
28
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
1
INTRODUCTION
This is the 19th 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,
BDO and BGF.
The league table identifies growth companies across all sectors
except technology, which is covered in our sister league table,
Tech Track 100.
The top company this year is mobile phone recycler and
distributor GreenTech Distribution, led by co-founders
Richard Crawley and Lucky Anand.
Over the past 19 years, the Fast Track 100 has featured many
companies that have gone on to greater success. Past stars
include ARM, which is now worth £15.8bn; B&M Retail, which
floated in 2014 and is now worth £3.2bn; and innocent smoothies,
which sold a majority stake to Coca-Cola in 2013, valuing the
company at £440m. Some of this year's household names include
cycling apparel maker and retailer Rapha (No 94), brewer BrewDog
(No 35), and restaurant operators Bill's (No 14) and Byron (No 90).
The Fast Track 100 has become the definitive barometer of
privately-owned growth companies in the UK. The 100 companies
achieved, on average, sales growth of 65% a year over their last
three years of accounts, to a total of £3.7bn in 2014/15. Together
the companies employ 19,500 staff, and have added 13,500 jobs
over the last three years.
These figures show the important contribution of the Fast Track 100
firms to the British economy, and are outlined in more detail here.
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1
GreenTech Distribution
High Wycombe Feb 15 248.40% 48,936
Mobile phone recycler and distributor
2
Honest Burgers
Burger restaurant operator
Central
London
Jan 15 205.67% *6,900
252 2011
Founders financed their second restaurant in
2012 with a friends-and-family fundraiser
3
Talon Outdoor
Media agency
Central
London
Dec 14 194.71% ^7,975
77 2007
Placed outdoor advertising for the new James
Bond movie
4
Heck! Food
Gourmet sausage producer
North
Yorkshire
158.82% *5,674
30 2004
Named after a line in the 1983 movie Risky
Business, starring Tom Cruise
Day Webster
Northeast
Healthcare recruitment consultancy London
Mar 15 155.62% *63,696
144 2009
Has more than 12,000 temporary healthcare staff
on its books
Carfinance247
Vehicle finance provider
Manchester
Jun 15 148.50% *9,747
176 2006
Receives on average 35,000 inquiries a month for
car finance
Athena PTS
Electrical engineering services
Cumbria
Jul 15
126.33% *5,116
29 2011
Has won business from clients such as EDF, Eon
and BAE Systems
G2 Energy
Electrical and civil engineer
Buckinghamshire Mar 15 121.72% 32,348
60 2006
Has connected almost 1GW of renewable energy
to the National Grid since 2011
Pure Gym
Gym operator
Leeds
Dec 14 121.19% 68,631
229 2008
Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy joined as an investor
and adviser in June
The Car Finance Company
Vehicle finance provider
Portsmouth
Jun 15 119.43% †*53,918
400 2007 Finances nearly 2,000 new customers every month
5
3
6
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Ra
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Ra 01
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m
Ac pan
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Top 10 Fast Track 100 companies
7
10
8
7
9
18
10
2
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
Jul 15
20 2010
Is rolling out an in-store repairs service with
Samsung and network operators
* supplied by company † annualised figure ^ net revenue, excluding ad spending on clients' behalf
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
Growth in sales
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Number of companies in each range of compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) of sales over latest 3 years
Overview
>150%
• The Fast Track 100 companies increased their sales by
an average of 65% a year over three years from a total of
£816m to £3.7bn
5
22
80%–150%
• Combined operating profits of the 100 companies were £342m
in 2014/15, and more than half of the companies (53) increased
their operating profit margins over the last three years
28
60%–80%
23
50%–60%
• 75 companies are majority-owned by an entrepreneur and/
or founders
22
40%–50%
2
• Services (51 companies) and retail (28) are the dominant
sectors on the league table
• The majority of the companies are based in London (39) and
the southeast (18)
Key themes
Characteristics of a typical
Fast Track 100 company
Founders and their families: Despite the challenges of
parents, siblings and couples working together, 18 of the
companies have thrived under family leadership [page 11]
Sales
Average growth over three years
65% pa
Sales in 2011/12
£8.2m
Sales in 2014/15
£36.7m
Profits
Operating profit in 2014/15
£3.4m
Margin
11%
Staff
Typical number of staff in 2014/15
20-500
Typical increase in staff over three years 49% pa
Company characteristics
Region
London & southeast (57)
Sector
Services (51)
Founded2006
Majority ownership
Entrepreneur and/or
founders (75)
Angel, VC or corporate investment 36
Serial entrepreneurs: There are 20 serial entrepreneurs
that either run or back companies on this year’s league table,
suggesting that experience pays off [page 12]
Profitability: Combined operating profits of the 100
companies were £342m in 2014/15, up from £38m in 2011/12,
with a healthy average profit margin of 11% [page 13]
External capital: Thirty-six companies have raised external
capital, whether from private equity/venture capital firms,
business angels, or corporate investors [page 14]
International activity: Almost half the companies (48) have
expanded overseas to boost revenue growth [page 15]
Manufacturing: Twenty-five companies are engaged in
manufacturing, either directly or indirectly (by outsourcing to
third parties) [page 16]
Food and drink innovation: 18 companies have delivered
distinct products or services to grab customers’ attention, in
this highly-competitive food & drink sector [page 17]
Well-known brands: Household names on the league table
include cycling apparel maker and retailer Rapha (No 94),
brewer BrewDog (No 35), and restaurant operators Bill's (No 14)
and Byron (No 90) [page 18]
© 2015 Fast Track 100
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
Sales breakdown
KEY STATISTICS
Number of companies in each sales range
Sales breakdown
23
>£50m
32
£21m–£50m
19
£10m–£20m
• The top ranked company, mobile phone recycler and
distributor GreenTech Distribution, grew sales by 248% a
year, from £1.2m in 2012 to £48.9m in 2015
• The 100th ranked company is a similar electronic devices
recycler Redeem, based in West Lothian. Its sales grew 42%
a year, from an annualised £27.7m in 2012 to £80m in 2015
26
<£10m
3
• Customer services provider Huntswood (No 84) reported the
highest sales on the table at £250.1m. Credit risk analytics
consultancy 4most (No 53) had the lowest sales at £5m
Companies with the biggest sales
Company
Activity
2014/15
sales £m
84
Huntswood
Customer services provider
250.1
30
Oak Furniture Land
Furniture retailer
191.5
Transline
83
Recruitment consultancy
178.6
Anesco
19
Energy efficiency consultancy
160.2
69
T.O.M Vehicle Rental
Rental vehicle provider
143.2
Number of companies in each employee range
88
• The 100 companies employed more than 19,000 staff in
2014/15, which gives average revenues per employee of
approximately £195,000
• Some 13,500 jobs have been added; however, as a result of
acquistions, not all of these are new jobs
• 10 companies directly employed fewer than 25 staff,
including hair products supplier Tangle Teezer (No 31), with
22 staff and sales of £23.2m, and wine merchant Cult Wines
(No 40), with 16 staff and sales of £17.2m
23
23
151–500
17
17
101–150
2222
51–100
20
20
26–50
<=25
Staff and job creation
• The biggest employers on the league table were restaurant
operator Bill’s Restaurants (No 14), with 2,371 and customer
services provider Huntswood (No 84) with 1,379 staff
Number of employees
>500
• Three quarters (76) of the companies had sales of more than
£10m in their latest year, and 24 companies reported sales in
excess of £50m, including gym operator Pure Gym (No 9) and
restaurant operator Byron (No 90) and
10
10
© 2015 Fast Track 100
fasttrack.co.uk
g
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
Profitability
10 companies with the biggest profits
Rank Company
Activity
Latest 2014/15 2014/15
FYE
OP £m
sales
4
OP
margin
84
Huntswood
Customer services provider
Sep 14
44.0
250.1
17.6%
15
Crystal Palace Football Club
Football club
Jun 14
23.6
90.4
26.1%
19
Anesco
Energy efficiency consultancy
Mar 15
20.7
160.2
12.9%
30
Oak Furniture Land
Furniture retailer
Sep 14
11.3
191.5
5.9%
92
Mint Velvet
Ladies' clothing retailer
Apr 15
10.8
63.1
17.1%
69
T.O.M. Vehicle Rental
Rental vehicle provider
Mar 15
9.5
143.2
6.6%
38
Southampton Football Club
Football club
Jun 15
8.2
113.7
7.2%
25
Lioncourt Homes
Housebuilder and developerr
Mar 15
8.0
40.1
20.1%
22
Enra Group
Specialist loan provider
Dec 14
7.4
16.2
45.6%
31
Tangle Teezer
Hair products supplier
Mar 15
7.3
23.2
31.3%
• The Fast Track 100 companies are required to make an
operating profit of at least £500,000 in their most recent
financial period
• Combined operating profits of the 100 companies were
£342m in 2014/15, comparable to £350m on last year's table
• Customer services provider Huntswood (No 84) achieved the
highest operating profits of £44m on sales of £250.1m in 2014,
followed by Crystal Palace Football Club (No 15) with £23.6m
and energy efficiency consultancy Anesco (No 19) with £20.7m
10 companies with the biggest profit margins
Company
Activity
Latest
OP 2014/15 2014/15
FYE margin OP £m sales £m
22
Enra Group
Specialist loan provider
Dec 14
45.6%
7.4
16.2
7
Athena PTS
Electrical engineering services
Jul 15
34.2%
1.7
5.1
31
Tangle Teezer
Hair products supplier
Mar 15
31.3%
7.3
23.2
49
LION Trackhire
Temporary roadway provider
Mar 15
29.6%
4.6
15.4
51
Rise Technical Recruitment
Recruitment consultancy
Jun 15
29.3%
2.7
9.1
15
Crystal Palace Football Club
Football club
Jun 14
26.1%
23.6
90.4
88
Phastar
Statistical and medical consultancy
Jul 15
24.1%
1.2
5.1
77
Childrensalon
Childrenswear retailer
Dec 14
23.2%
6.6
28.2
21
Alphasights
Business information provider
Dec 14
22.0%
6.9
31.5
25
Lioncourt Homes
Housebuilder and developer
Mar15
20.1%
8.0
40.1
Rank
© 2015 Fast Track 100
Mint Velvet (No 92) sells women’s clothing and footwear and
more than doubled profits in the last two years, to £10.8m on sales
of £63.1m in 2015, with a healthy margin of 17%.
Operating profit margins
• Enra Group (No 22) achieved the highest profit margin of
46%. The specialist loan provider had operating profits of
£7.4m on sales of £16.2m in 2014
• The average profit margin of the Fast Track 100 companies
was 11% in 2014/15
• More than half (53) of the companies increased their profit
margins over the last three years. These include companies
moving from loss to profit such as fresh produce supplier
Natoora (No 47), and others more than doubling margins
such as pet food manufacturer Lily's Kitchen (No 18), which
had a profit margin of 17% on sales of £11.7m in 2015
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
5
External investor breakdown
External capital
Number of companies by external investor type
• 36 companies have secured equity investment from
private equity/venture capital firms (PE/VC), corporations or
business angels
PE and/or VC
28
Business angels
Corporate investors
6
2
Note: some companies have received backing from more
than one type of investor
• 28 are backed by PE/VC, 12 of which are majority-owned by
PE/VC houses, such as restaurant operator Byron (No 90),
valued at £100m when it was acquired by Hutton Collins
Partners from the Gondola Group in 2013
• PE/VC houses hold a minority stake in 16 companies,
including ATM maintenance provider Cennox (No 59), which
has been funded by £5m of growth capital from BGF
• 6 companies have received equity investment from business
angels. They include brewery BrewDog (No 35), which has
raised £18m from the public through its crowdfunding
scheme, ‘Equity for Punks’
• 2 companies have received backing from a corporate
investor - footwear designer Butterfly Twists (No 33), which
is backed by brand management business Pentland Group,
and Talon Outdoor (No 3), which is backed by Omnicom
Media Group and Ptarmigan
ATM maintenance provider Cennox (No 59) has been
funded by £5m of growth capital from BGF
• 75 companies remain majority-owned by an entrepreneur
and/or founder(s), such as Manchester-based online
fashion retailer Missguided (No 12), which is wholly owned
by its founder, Nitin Passi
2015 Deals
Eight companies raised venture capital or private equity in
2015, including: Honest Burgers (No 2), which in January
secured a reported £7m investment from Active Private
Equity; civil engineering contractor Aspin Group (No 82),
which in April sold a minority stake to LDC for £25m;
and restaurant operator Giggling Squid (No 42), which in
November secured a £6.4m investment from BGF.
© 2015 Fast Track 100
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
6
Mergers and acquisitions
A dozen companies have grown through acquisitions of other
firms, many of which are small businesses, providing quick access
to new markets.
The table below shows a selection of recent Fast Track 100
company acquisitions.
Pure Gym (No 9) agreed to buy LA Fitness' 43 gyms in May
Date of latest
transaction
Rank
Company
Activity
Nurture Landscapes
Landscape maintenance
Sales
£m
OP
£m
Notes
16.7
1.6
Has grown through a buy-and-build strategy with recent acquisitions
including Integritas Landscapes from Securitas UK in November, and
Scotland’s JMK Groundcare in October 2014, both for undisclosed sums
143.2
9.5
Acquired Scottish Citroën dealership Alistair Fleming in January, and
London-based Solar Self Drive in October, both for undisclosed sums
30.1
1.8
Bought Travelbookers in Ireland in April, and Brisbane-based Cruising
Down Under in August, both for undisclosed sums
9.7
1.8
Acquired Carcraft in July for an undisclosed sum, and plans to
re-launch the Carcraft brand as an online used car classified business
Nov 15
98
Oct 15
69
Aug 15
54
CRUISE.co.uk
Cruise travel agent
Jul 15
54
Carfinance247
Vehicle finance provider
May 15
9
Pure Gym
Gym operator
68.6
4.6
Agreed to buy LA Fitness’s 43 gyms in May. Plans to merge with rival
The Gym were aborted last year due to a ruling by the Competition and
Markets Authority
Oct 14
82
Aspin Group
Civil engineering contractor
38.5
5.6
Acquired McGrattan Piling in 2013 and bridge inspection firm RSI in
2014, both for undisclosed sums
Sep 14
22
Enra Group
Specialist loan provider
16.2
7.4
Acquired Hertfordshire bridging lender West One Loans in September
2014 for an undisclosed amount
Dec 13
59
Cennox
ATM maintenance services
24.2
1.0
Acquired US-based Sterling Group in December 2013 for an
undisclosed sum
© 2015 Fast Track 100
T.O.M. Vehicle Rental
Rental vehicle provider
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
7
Sector breakdown
Sector breakdown
Number of companies by sector
• The two largest sectors are services (51 companies) and retail (28)
Construction 10
• Services (51 companies) encompasses a wide range of
industries, including leisure, finance, recruitment and business
services. Examples include gym operators Pure Gym (No 9) and
Xercise4Less (No 17), business information provider AlphaSights
(No 21), family law firm Vardags (No 46), school support provider
The Key (No 85)
Wholesale 14
Manufacturing
(inc. outsourced)
25
• Retail (28 companies) mainly comprises companies selling food
and drink, fashion and home furnishings, such as healthy food
chain Pure (No 45), pre-owned watch retailer Watchfinder (No
99), and homeware manufacturer Designer Habitat (No 36)
Retail 28
Services 51
Note: companies can operate in more than one sector
Industry breakdown
Consumer goods 21
• Manufacturers (25 companies), including those that outsource
to third parties, are represented by Gtech (No 11), which designs
cordless vacuums, taking on established brands like Dyson, Vax
and Hoover, and Vegware (No 67), which makes compostable
products from plant-based materials such as sugar cane
• Wholesalers (14 companies) include Cult Wines (No 40),
which manages wine investments for more than 1,600 clients
in 55 countries, and Pet Brands (No 68), which supplies pet
accessories to customers in countries as far afield as Brazil,
Australia and China
• Construction (10 companies) includes housebuilder Lioncourt
Homes (No 25), and specialist surfacing contractor Toppesfield
(No 91)
Industry breakdown
Food and drink 18
Business services 15
Building related 13
Recruitment 12
Leisure 5
Finance 5
Engineering 3
Other 8
© 2015 Fast Track 100
• Consumer goods (21 companies) includes firms selling their
own-branded products, such as Rapha (No 94), which specialises
in premium clothing for cyclists, and Tangle Teezer (No 31),
which ships its distinctive de-tangling hairbrushes to 110
countries. It also includes companies selling third party products
products, such as Childrensalon (No 77), which stocks children’s
clothes from 270 brands, including Dior, Gucci and Burberry.
League table companies in this industry represent combined
sales of £780m and employ 3,000 people
• Food and drink (18 companies) is represented by five
restaurant chains, including New World Trading Company (No
20), and Bill’s (No 14). The group also includes sports nutrition
developer Grenade (No 65) and fruit snack manufacturer BEAR
& Urban Fruit (No 74). These companies represent combined
sales of £450m and employ 6,400 people
•The business services industry provides a further 15
companies, including property auction services provider
Iam-Sold (No 23), and logistics services provider Panther
Warehousing (No 58). These companies represent combined
sales of £460m and employ 4,100 people
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
Regional breakdown of HQ in UK
Scotland
5
Northwest
Northeast
8
11
Midlands
2
7
Wales
East
2
4
Southwest
6
Southeast
London
18
39
8
Regional breakdown
• Greater London is home to the highest proportion of Fast
Track 100 companies and is the base for almost two fifths
(39), compared with 29 last year, followed by the southeast
with 18, compared with 19 last year
• 11 companies are headquartered in the northeast and
Yorkshire, including Harrogate-based TV shopping channel
High Street TV (No 96) and Rotherham-based online printer
instantprint (No 50) and a further 8 are based in the northwest,
including vehicle finance provider Carfinance247 (No 6)
• The regions with the lowest representations are the East,
with four, and Wales, with two; there are no companies in
Northern Ireland on this year’s list
Sustained growth
• 59 companies have not appeared on any previous Fast
Track 100 league table, including the No 1 company
GreenTech Distribution, which was founded in 2010
• 20 companies appear for a second consecutive year, and 11
make a third consecutive appearance, including online food
retailer Graze.com (No 86)
• Two companies have appeared for four years in a row:
energy efficiency consultancy Anesco (No 19), which was
ranked No 1 in 2013 and 2014, and BrewDog (No 35)
• Only one company on this year's table, Oak Furniture Land
(No 30), has appeared on the league table for five years
The table below shows the five companies that have appeared
for four years or more:
Companies that have featured on Fast Track 100 for four or more years
Company
Activity
Anesco
Energy efficiency consultancy
Oak Furniture Land
Furniture retailer
BrewDog
Brewery
Huntswood
Customer services provider
Rapha
Cycling apparel maker and retailer
© 2015 Fast Track 100
Latest
sales £m
Rank
2015
Rank
2014
Rank
2013
Rank
2012
160.2
19
1
1
19
191.5
30
37
51
29.6
35
40
38
250.1
84
56
59
38.9
94
74
88
Rank
2011
Rank
2010
94
34
29
50
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
9
Nineteen years of Fast Track 100
Fast Track 100 was launched 19 years ago to recognise Britain’s
private companies with the fastest-growing sales. Since its launch,
more than 1,300 British companies have appeared on the league
table. The vital statistics of the league table companies have
changed significantly over the last 19 years. The combined sales
figure for all 100 companies has more than doubled to £3.8bn and
total staff has increased by a quarter to 19,500.
Adam Balon, Jon Wright, and Richard Reed, co-founders of
innocent, which featured on Fast Track 100 for five consecutive
years, and was sold to Coca-Cola in 2013
1997
2015
Total sales
How Top Track 250 has changed
£49.9bn
Stock market flotations
Thirty-nine companies have floated on the stock market.
•
RM Holdings, the Cambridge-based chip designer, featured in
A
the first league table with sales of £17m, floated in 1998 and is
now valued at £15.8bn
•
arkit, the financial information services provider, first featured
M
in 2010 with sales of £305m, floated on Nasdaq in 2014 and is
now valued at $6bn (£4bn)
•
B&M Retail, the discount retailer, first featured in 2009 with sales of £256m, floated in 2014 and is now valued at £3.2bn
•
oneysupermarket, the financial website operator, first
M
featured in 2003 with sales of £14m, floated in 2007, and is now
valued at £1.8bn
•
ard Factory, the greeting cards retailer, first featured in 2006
C
with sales of £46m, floated in 2014 and is now valued at £1.2bn
•
linigen, the Staffordshire-based pharmaceutical services
C
provider, featured as No 1 in 2011, floated in 2012 on AIM
valued at £135m and is now worth £775m
•
Fever Tree, the mixer drinks manufacturer, first featured in 2011, with sales of £7m, floated on AIM in November 2014 at £154m, and is now worth £664m
•
Patisserie Valerie, the patisserie and café operator, featured
in 2011 with sales of £33m, floated in 2014 and is now valued
at £350m
he Gym, gym operator, first featured in 2012, with sales of
T
£14m, and listed on the LSE last month, valued at £250m
£69.0bn
Total employees
15,500
19,000
•
£12m
£49m
Acquisitions and mergers
Top company
Sales
Other Fast Track 100 companies have been acquired, including
innocent, which sold a majority stake to Coca-Cola in 2013,
valuing the company at £440m; Naked Wines, which was sold to
Majestic Wine for £70m in May; and Travelex, which was acquired
by UAE Exchange owner for £1bn in 2014.
© 2015 Fast Track 100
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
10
The first Fast Track 100
Companies that featured in the first Fast Track 100 league table
in 1997 include:
Serial entrepreneur Steve Bennett founded The Genuine
Gemstone Company, and Software Warehouse, which
featured on the first Fast Track 100
•
yretel, the call centre software developer, featured as No 1
E
company, floated on LSE in 2000 and was acquired by Witness
Systems for $60m in 2003
•
Carphone Warehouse, featured with sales of £65m, floated in 2000 and merged with Dixons Retail in 2014 - the combined group is now valued at £5.6bn
•
opps Tiles, the tile retailer, featured with sales of £22m,
T
floated in the same year and is now valued at £310m
•
oftware Warehouse, the mail order business started by
S
entrepreneur Steve Bennett, who sold it to Great Universal
Stores for £37m in 2000. Steve has gone on to found home
shopping jewellery retailer The Genuine Gemstone Company,
which featured on the league table for three consecutive
years, topping the table in 2012
Failures
According to the Office of National Statistics, just over half of
startups fail within four years, but less than 20% of Fast Track 100
companies have gone bust
Companies that have failed include Focus DIY, which featured in
2002 but fell into administration in 2011 after having grown to
be the fourth largest DIY retailer in the UK; and Land of Leather,
which featured twice before going into liquidation during the
recession in 2009 due to difficult trading conditions and the lack
of liquidity in the banking system.
Fast Track 100 alumni
© 2015 Fast Track 100
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
11
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.
Founders and their families
Butterfly Twists (No 33) was set up by brothers Emmanuel
and Frank Eribo with two friends
Heck! Food
4
Gourmet sausage producer
33
CAGR§
159%
Sales 2015
£5.7m*
Sales 2012
£0.3m*
OP 2015
£0.5m*
Staff
30
Founded
2004
Location
North Yorkshire
The pair previously set up a sausage business Debbie and
Andrew’s in 1999, and sold it to food manufacturer JJ Tranfield
in 2005 for an undisclosed sum. Their new venture Heck! Food
targets a younger market, with quirky products such as square,
skinless, and Valentine’s-special heart-shaped sausages stocked
in retailers including Tesco, Asda, and Morrisons. In 2014,
Panoramic Growth Equity bought a 25% stake for £1m. The
North Yorkshire company grew revenues to £5.7m this year.
Brothers Emmanuel and Frank Eribo, together with two friends,
came up with the idea of making comfortable, foldable shoes
CAGR§
71%
Sales 2015
£5.1m*
Sales 2012
£1m
OP 2015
£0.5m*
The idea was conceived in 2007 when one of the four founders
had to wear a pair of six-inch stilettos to a party after losing a
bet. They began by making foldable ballerina pumps, but have
since expanded to sell non-folding pumps, wellies and sandals
to customers in more than 50 countries, including Japan, the
Philippines and Mexico. In 2012, brand management business
Pentland Group took a minority stake in the business. Sales
reached £5.1m this year.
Staff
30
Founded
2009
Location
Central London
Childrensalon
Founded in 1952 by the late Sybil Harriman, it is now headed by the
founder’s daughter, Michele Harriman-Smith, and her husband George
CAGR§
50%
Sales 2014
£28.2m
Sales 2011
£8.3m
The Tunbridge Wells company operates websites in seven
languages and sells in Europe, the Middle East, America and
Australia to parents who buy Dior, Gucci and Burberry among
other branded clothes and accessories. Its customer service
staff speak 30 languages and are based in the UK, Italy and
United Arab Emirates. It generated 85% of its £28.2m sales
abroad last year. Michele and George’s daughter, Sorcha, is
also involved in running the business.
Childrenswear retailer
§
Husband and wife team, Andrew and Debbie Keeble,
launched this premium sausage and burger brand in 2004
Butterfly Twists
Footwear designer
77
Despite the challenges of parents, siblings and couples working
together, a proportion of the companies have thrived under
family leadership – 18 were founded or run by either brothers,
father-and-son, or husband-and-wife teams. Husband and wife
team Andrew, 36, and Hayley Gait-Golding, 37, founded fruit
snack manufacturer BEAR & Urban Fruit in 2006. Brothers
Reg, 33, and Louis Rix 31, set up online car finance broker
Carfinance247 nine years ago, following their father and
grandfather into the motor industry. Other examples of founders
and their families are profiled below.
OP 2014
£6.6m
Staff
124
Founded
1952
Location
Tunbridge Wells
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
* supplied by company
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
12
Serial entrepreneurs
There are 20 serial entrepreneurs that either run or back
companies on this year’s league table, suggesting that experience
does pay.
Founder Tom Byng previously ran two restaurants before
setting up Byron (No 90) in 2007
1
GreenTech Distribution
Co-founders Richard Crawley and Lucky Anand also own and
run telecoms distributors RP Europe and Melon Telecom
CAGR§
248%
Sales 2015
£48.9m
Sales 2012
£1.2m
Founded in 2010, GreenTech Distribution has ridden the
boom in smartphones – and their relatively short lifespan.
It offers a range of services to network operators, insurers
and distributors such as EE and US firm Asurion. These
include repairing and reselling faulty and unwanted handsets,
recycling components and wiping data. A new deal has also
seen the firm partner with Samsung to offer an in-house
repair service in stores. Sales grew to £48.9m in 2015, and
are expected reach £65m next year.
Mobile phone recycler and distributor
53
OP 2015
£1.7m
Staff
20
Founded
2010
Location
High Wycombe
New World Trading Company
Founder Tim Bacon previously set up multiple restaurants,
including Living Ventures and The Alchemist Bar and Restaurant
CAGR§
95%
Sales 2015
£17.7m*
Sales 2012
£2.4m
OP 2015
£1.4m*
Noted for their "hanging kebabs", botanical themes and
nautical influences, this upmarket pub chain offers food and
cocktails at 11 branches in London and northern England,
operating venues such as The Botanist, The Smuggler’s Cove,
and The Oast House. Led by managing director Chris Hill, 35,
it has expansion plans that include a Hamptons-style beach
house at the Liverpool One complex. In 2013 it received
£2.7m of growth capital from Hill Capital Partners and LDC.
Sales rose to £17.7m this year, aided by new openings.
Pub and restaurant operator
Staff
347
Founded
2011
Location
Cheshire
Byron
90
Restaurant operator
§
Andrew Malcher and Jim Coleman previously founded the
American Shopping Channel in 1999, which they sold to Richard
Desmond in 2002 for an undisclosed sum. In 2003, the pair
launched Golf TV, which was sold to JJB Sports for a reported
£3m in 2006. In 2008, they invested £250,000 and set up High
Street TV (No 96). Restaurant tycoon Richard Caring is the majority
shareholder of Bill’s Restaurants (No 14). He also owns The Ivy, Le
Caprice, Soho House, and others, and previously owned Strada.
Other examples of serial entrepreneurs are profiled below.
CAGR§
47%
Sales 2014
£55.2m
Sales 2011
£17.5m
OP 2014
£6.4m
Staff
1118
Founded
2007
Location
Central London
Founder Tom Byng previously set up Zucca restaurant in Notting Hill
and also ran 192 on Kensington Park Road
Tom set up Byron in 2007 with the aim of bringing Americanstyle hamburgers to Britain. Since then, it has differentiated
itself through its individually styled branches, and by serving
unusual specials such as a rarebit burger. It was acquired by
Hutton Collins Partners from the Gondola Group in 2013 for
£100m, and sales reached £55.2m in 2014. Its chairman is
former Virgin Group CEO Stephen Murphy.
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
* supplied by company
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
13
Profitability
The 100 companies generated combined operating profits of
£342m in 2014/15, up from £38m in 2011/12. Seventy-five
companies have profits above £1m and 17 have passed the
£5m mark, including hair products supplier Tangle Teezer
(No 31), whose profits reached £7.3m this year on sales of
£23.2m. The average profit margin is a healthy 11%, and more
than half (53) the companies increased their profit margins
over the last three years.
Oak Furniture Land (No 30) achieved a record profit of
£11.3m on sales of £191.5m last year.
Anesco
19
Energy efficiency consultancy
CAGR§
96%
Sales 2015
£160.2m
Sales 2012
£21.4m
OP 2015
£20.7m
Staff
114
Founded
2008
Location
Reading
AlphaSights
21
Business information provider
30
CAGR§
94%
Sales 2014
£31.5m
Sales 2011
£4.3m
OP 2014
£6.9m
Staff
193
Founded
2008
Location
Central London
Anesco installs and maintains renewable energy equipment
such as solar panels and heat pumps for homeowners,
local authorities and businesses. It also provides advice on
energy efficiency and works with investors who want to back
renewable energy installations. It was spun out of Scottish
& Southern Energy in 2010 by co-founders Adrian Pike, 48,
and Tim Payne, 52. Diversification into new products, such
as biomass boilers and battery storage, helped sales grow to
£160.2m this year.
Is one of 15 companies on the league table to achieve profit
margins above 20%
Max Cartellieri and Andrew Heath, both 43, met at Stanford
business school in California and had set up their own
companies before joining forces to found AlphaSights in
2008. Describing itself as a “knowledge broker”, the company
connects clients from the corporate, investment and advisory
community with experts in a particular discipline. It is based
in London and has opened offices in New York, Dubai and
Hong Kong. Sales hit £31.5m last year.
Oak Furniture Land
Has grown sales every year since it was founded in 2004, and
made a record profit of £11.3m last year on sales of £191.5m
CAGR§
78%
Sales 2014
£191.5m
Sales 2011
£34.1m
Several years as a furniture salesman convinced Jason
Bannister, 44, to set up his own business in 2004 selling
furniture on eBay. Strong demand for hardwood products,
which Bannister designs himself, led the Swindon firm to
expand to 66 showrooms. It deals direct with manufacturers,
which enables it to keep prices low, and sales hit £191.5m
last year. SofaStore, a sister brand, was launched last year
and shares many of the sites, with the combined business
occupying 1m sq ft of showrooms.
Furniture retailer
§
Has grown profits twentyfold in the last three years to
£20.7m in 2015 on sales of £160.2m
OP 2014
£11.3m
Staff
880
Founded
2004
Location
Swindon
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
14
External capital
Thirty-six companies have received equity funding from
investors such as venture capital, private equity firms, business
angels or corporations. Twenty of these have sold minority
stakes to external investors. The 64 companies that have
not secured outside investment have typically been financed
through personal savings, retained profits, or debt. Examples
of companies that are backed by external investors are
profiled below.
CEO Fergal Roche led a buyout of The Key (No 85) from Ten
Lifestyle Management, with backing from Isfield Investments
last year
2
Honest Burgers
Secured a reported £7m investment from Active Private Equity
in January
CAGR§
206%
Sales 2015
£6.9m*
Sales 2012
£0.2m
In 2011, university friends Tom Barton, 29, and Philip Eeles,
32, were joined by experienced restaurateur Dorian Waite,
48, to turn their pop-up fast food venture into an upmarket
burger chain. It has capitalised on demand for “posh
burgers”, with a simple menu and high quality ingredients,
and the trio have expanded to 10 sites, growing sales to
£6.9m this year. In January, the company secured a reported
£7m investment from Active Private Equity, and is aiming to
have 20 sites by the end of next year.
Burger restaurant operator
54
OP 2015
£1.4m*
Staff
252
Founded
2011
Location
Central London
CRUISE.co.uk
Risk Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in 2013 for an
undisclosed sum
CAGR§
61%
Sales 2014
£30.1m
Sales 2011
£7.3m
OP 2014
£1.8m
This Redditch company says it runs Britain’s biggest cruise
holiday website, offering travel packages alongside discussion
forums, cruise reviews and comparison tables. It acts as an agent
for cruise operators including Royal Caribbean, Cunard and P&O.
Founder Andrew Gardner, 61, and chief executive officer Seamus
Conlon, 46, led a management buyout in 2013, backed by Risk
Capital Partners. The company’s revenues hit £30.1m last year
as it invested in its online platform, and it recently bought two
companies in Ireland and Australia for undisclosed sums.
Cruise travel operator
Staff
140
Founded
1984
Location
Worcestershire
The Key
85
School support provider
§
CAGR§
48%
Sales 2015
£6.9m*
Sales 2012
£2.1m
OP 2015
£1.6m*
Staff
100
Founded
2007
Location
Central London
Completed a buyout from Ten Lifestyle Management, with
backing from Isfield Investments last year
Started as a government project in 2007, The Key was spun
off as a private business in 2009 under the leadership of
chief executive Fergal Roche, 54, a former headteacher. It
provides management support and advice to school leaders,
including 64,000 managers and 14,000 school governors
in 9,600 schools. Last year it completed a buyout from Ten
Lifestyle Management, with backing from Isfield Investments,
which is led by former HgCapital chair Ian Armitage, 60. This
year it increased sales to £6.9m.
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
* supplied by company
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
15
International activity
Designer Habitat (No 36) generates a third of its £21.4m
sales overseas from markets including America
31
Tangle Teezer
Its hairbrushes feature in beauty magazines globally,
including OK! China and Australian Vogue
CAGR§
73%
Sales 2015
£23.2m
Sales 2012
£4.5m
Tangle Teezer makes 850,000 of its distinctive de-tangling
hairbrushes each month. Rejected by the Dragons’ Den
tycoons in 2007, hairdresser and founder Shaun Pulfrey, 54,
clinched a deal in 2008 to stock the brush in Boots, and sales
started to climb. The London company now ships its Britishmade products to customers in 110 countries and exports
accounted for more than 80% of its sales of £23.2m this
year. It launched a blowdrying brush in February and plans to
introduce a new set of styling brushes next year.
Hair products supplier
74
OP 2015
£7.3m
Staff
22
Founded
2005
Location
South London
Designer Habitat
Generates a third of its £21.4m sales overseas from markets
including America
CAGR§
71%
Sales 2015
£21.4m*†
Sales 2012
£4.3m
OP 2015
£2.3m*†
This Manchester homeware company makes products ranging
from cake decorations and pressure cookers to power tools
and clocks under its VonHaus and VonShef brands. It sells them
through its online store Domu.co.uk, as well as retailers such
as Amazon, Tesco, eBay and Rakuten. Founders and old school
friends Mark Januszewski, 33, and Craig Foster, 34, started Designer
Habitat in 2009. Its launch into America helped to boost sales to
an annualised £21.4m this year. It has also diversified into home
exercise equipment, with the launch of the Gold Coast brand.
Homeware manufacturer
91
Staff
90
Founded
2009
Location
Manchester
Spencer Ogden
Its Asian and US businesses account for more than 50%
of revenue
CAGR§
60%
Sales 2014
£76.8m
Sales 2011
£18.7m
After selling his first recruitment business for £52m, David
Spencer-Percival, 45, teamed up with tech entrepreneur
Sir Peter Ogden, 68, to form this energy sector recruitment
agency in 2010. The London firm opened offices in Dubai,
Canada and America last year, bringing its worldwide total to
14. Spencer Ogden says this geographical reach has enabled
it to place more than 10,000 candidates in energy jobs. Strong
growth in Asia and America helped sales grow to £76.8m last
year, though the company’s profit margins were slim.
Recruitment consultancy
§
Almost half (48) the companies have expanded overseas
to boost revenue growth. Some, such as fashion retailer
Missguided (No 12), have launched international websites
to target non-UK customers. Others have opened overseas
offices to expand their geographical reach, such as Kinapse
(No 89), which provides pharmaceutical regulations
consultancy from nine offices in India, America and the UK,
and generates three-quarters of its £20.8m sales overseas.
Other examples of international businesses are profiled below.
OP 2014
£1.2
Staff
388
Founded
2010
Location
West London
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
* supplied by company † annualised figure
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
16
Manufacturing
Gtech (No 11) designs and outsources manufacturing to China
for its cordless and lightweight vacuums
Gtech
11
Domestic appliance manufacturer
41
CAGR§
117%
Sales 2014
£48.3m
Sales 2011
£4.7m
OP 2014
£4.7m
Staff
65
Founded
2001
Location
Worcestershire
Inventor Nick Grey, 47, left Vax in 2001 to design his own
cordless floor sweeper from his home office, funded by his
savings. Taking on established brands such as Dyson, Vax and
Hoover, his company’s latest vacuums are cordless, lightweight
and intended to be easy to use. The Worcester company also
makes cordless sweepers and garden tools, and in August
launched an electric bicycle, with a concealed motor and a
battery disguised as a water bottle. The popularity of its flagship
AirRam vacuum helped propel sales tenfold to £48.3m last year.
Builds specialist craft for the offshore wind farm, leisure and
military sectors in a historic shipyard in Essex
CAGR§
69%
Sales 2014
£31.7m
Sales 2011
£6.6m
OP 2014
£3.3m
Based on the site of a historic shipyard that built ships for Henry
VIII and torpedo boats during the Second World War, this Essex
firm builds and operates specialist craft for the offshore wind
farm sector. Using a patented flexible pod system that enables
the deck space of the boats to be changed in about eight hours,
the company is now extending its technology to the leisure and
military sectors. Founded in 2008 by managing director Andy
White, 59, the company has plans to build a £7.3m technology
and training centre in Colchester. Sales reached £31.7m last year.
Staff
134
Founded
2008
Location
Essex
Vegware
Recyclable packaging manufacturer
§
Designs and outsources manufacturing to China for its
cordless and lightweight vacuums
CTruk Group
Offshore wind services
67
Twenty-five companies are engaged in manufacturing, either
directly (9 firms) or indirectly, via outsourcing to third parties
(16 firms). Eight out of the 9 direct manufacturers make
their products in Britain, including Wholebake (No 93), which
manufactures all of its gluten-free snack bars by hand in
north Wales. Companies that outsource their manufacturing
typically choose lower-cost production bases in the Far East.
They include Butterfly Twists (No 33), which has three footwear
factories in China, and Oak Furniture Land (No 30), which has
suppliers in India, China and Vietnam.
CAGR§
57%
Sales 2013
£9.8m*
Sales 2010
£2.6m
OP 2013
£0.6m*
Staff
41
Founded
2006
Location
Edinburgh
Outsources the manufacturing of 250 compostable products,
all made from plant-based materials such as sugar cane
Vegware’s range of compostable products includes cutlery,
drink cups and packaging for takeaways. Its clients include
contract caterers, food distributors, NHS departments and
high street delicatessens. Founded in 2006 by managing
director Joe Frankel, 39, the Edinburgh company opened a
second office in August in Bristol. A six-figure investment
by Bradenham Partners in 2009 helped Vegware to expand
overseas and growing exports helped to boost its latest sales
to £9.8m.
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
* supplied by company
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
17
Food and drink innovation
There are 18 food and drink companies and many have
developed distinct products and services to stand out in
this highly-competitive sector. Some have pioneered novel
products such as Heck! Food's (No 4) skinless sausages, while
others have used quirky packaging and marketing techniques
such as Graze's (No 86) letterbox-sized snack boxes. Other
examples are profiled below.
BEAR & Urban Fruit (No 74) has provided 325m five-a-day
portions to children in the UK.
Brewdog
35
It once brewed the world’s strongest beer at 55% ABV and has
used its 'Equity for Punks' crowdfunding to finance its growth
Brewery
74
CAGR§
71%
Sales 2014
£29.6m
Sales 2011
£5.9
OP 2014
£3.9m
Staff
277
Founded
2007
Location
Aberdeenshire
BEAR & Urban Fruit
Has provided 325m five-a-day portions to children in the UK and
launched new products which contain no salt or refined sugar
CAGR§
52%
Sales 2015
£22.6m*
Sales 2012
£6.4m
OP 2015
£3.0m*
YoYos and Paws feature among the range of healthy and colourfully
packaged fruit snacks produced by this company, which aims to
provide family food “with no added nonsense”. Hayley, 37, and Andrew
Gait- Golding, 36 founded Urban Fresh Foods in 2006. In 2009 they
were joined by former Innocent director Giles Brook, 41, who invested
in the business. Sales have grown to £22.6m, thanks to continued
growth in the UK, international expansion and new product launches
— such as Urban Fruit snack packs and Alphabites children’s breakfast
cereals, which contain no added salt or refined sugar.
Fruit snack manufacturer
Staff
35
Founded
2006
Location
Central London
Graze.com
86
Online food retailer
§
Scotland’s largest independent brewery launched a world record
£25m crowdfunding appeal in April and hit the £10m mark
in October. The craft beer company, whose recent offerings
include gluten-free Vagabond pale ale, exports to more than 50
countries and has opened bars as far afield as Brazil and Japan.
It is targeting America, with plans for five bars and a brewery.
Sales reached £29.6m last year under the leadership of founders
James Watt and Martin Dickie, both 33, who have used television
shows in America and Europe to celebrate and promote the
making of craft beers. in 2015.
CAGR§
48%
Sales 2015
£68.1m*
Sales 2012
£20.9m
OP 2015
£4.4m*
Staff
218
Founded
2007
Location
Richmond
Has developed more than 1,000 snack recipes since launch
in 2007 and sends individual portions to your door
For £3.99, Graze will send a letterbox-sized pack filled with individual
portions of healthy snacks, such as nuts or popcorn, to your house
or workplace. The London company, led by chief executive Anthony
Fletcher, 33, was set up in 2007 by seven friends and now ships more
than 300,000 boxes a week. Sales reached £68.1m this year, helped
by an expanding business in America and the introduction of larger
boxes. This year it has launched a range of 12 snacks into 4,000 UK
shops, including branches of Sainsbury’s, Boots and WH Smith.
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
* supplied by company
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
18
Well-known brands
Household names on the league table include restaurant
operators Bill's (No 14), Ed's Easy Diner (No 66) and Byron (No
90), brewer BrewDog (No 35), healthy food chain Pure (No 45),
hairbrush brand Tangle Teezer (No 31), as well as the other
examples below.
Nicole Scherzinger has launched a range of clothes with
fashion retailer Missguided (No 12)
Pure Gym
9
Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy joined as an investor and
adviser in June
Gym operator
CAGR§
121%
Sales 2014
£68.6m
Sales 2011
£6.3m
OP 2014
£4.6m
Staff
229
Founded
2008
Location
Leeds
Missguided
12
Online fashion retailer
CAGR§
115%
Sales 2015
£87.2m
Sales 2012
£8.7m
OP 2015
£4.8m
Staff
225
Founded
2009
Location
Manchester
Rapha
79
Cycling apparel maker and retailer
§
CAGR§
44%
Sales 2015
£38.8m
Sales 2012
£12.9m
OP 2015
£0.6m
Staff
223
Founded
2004
Location
North London
Most of Pure Gym’s sites are open 24/7 and offer lowcost memberships – starting at £9.99 a month – with no
fixed-term contracts. Chairman Peter Roberts, 70, founded
the Leeds company in 2008 and sold a majority stake to
American private equity firm CCMP in 2013. Humphrey
Cobbold, 51, joined as chief executive in January. Four
months later, the company announced a deal to buy LA
Fitness’s 43 gyms. In June – coinciding with the opening of the
company’s 100th site – Sir Chris Hoy invested in the company
and joined as an adviser. Sales hit £68.6m last year.
Its popularity and growth has been boosted by a partnership with
pop diva Nicole Scherzinger
Founded in 2009 by Nitin Passi, 33, online retailer Missguided
offers catwalk looks and celebrity-inspired fashion to women
aged 16 to 35. The Manchester business has expanded into
France, America and Australia, and its website carries more
than 8,000 products and has 3m registered users. Sales
reached £87.2m this year. This year also saw the brand
launch concessions in multiple sites, including the American
department store Nordstrom, in Selfridges at the Trafford
Centre and Exchange Square, and on Asos.com.
Has signed a clothing deal with Sir Bradley Wiggins, and is
the official supplier to Team Sky
In the 10 years since he launched Rapha, Simon Mottram, 49,
has built an international brand with a strong following among
affluent cyclists around the world. The London company is the
official supplier to Team Sky until the end of the 2016 season
and has signed a clothing deal with Sir Bradley Wiggins. Its
range of premium cycling clothing is predominantly sold online
and through its stores on four continents, generating sales
of £38.8m in the year to January 2015. It also offers cycling
holidays in Europe, Japan and America through Rapha Travel.
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
* supplied by company
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
19
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1
GreenTech Distribution
High Wycombe Feb 15 248.40% 48,936
Mobile phone recycler & distributor
2
Honest Burgers
Burger restaurant operator
Central London Jan 15 205.67%
*6,900
252 2011
3
Talon Outdoor
Media agency
Central London Dec 14 194.71% ^7,975
77 2007
Placed outdoor advertising for the new James
Bond movie
4
Heck! Food
Gourmet sausage producer
North Yorkshire Jul 15
*5,674
30 2004
Named after a line in the 1983 movie Risky
Business, starring Tom Cruise
Day Webster
Northeast
Healthcare recruitment consultancy London
Mar 15 155.62% *63,696
144 2009
Has more than 12,000 temporary healthcare staff
on its books
6
Carfinance247
Vehicle finance provider
Manchester
Jun 15 148.50%
*9,747
176 2006
Receives on average 35,000 inquiries a month for
car finance
7
Athena PTS
Electrical engineering services
Cumbria
Jul 15
*5,116
29 2011
Has won business from clients such as EDF, Eon
and BAE Systems
G2 Energy
Electrical & civil engineer
Buckinghamshire Mar 15 121.72% 32,348
60 2006
Has connected almost 1GW of renewable energy
to the National Grid since 2011
Pure Gym
Gym operator
Leeds
Dec 14 121.19% 68,631
229 2008
Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy joined as an investor
and adviser in June
The Car Finance Company
Vehicle finance provider
Portsmouth
Jun 15 119.43%
400 2007 Finances nearly 2,000 new customers every month
5
3
8
7
9
18
10
2
158.82%
126.33%
†*53,918
Gtech
Worcestershire Nov 14 117.45% 48,347
Domestic appliance manufacturer
11
20 2010
Is rolling out an in-store repairs service with
Samsung and network operators
Founders financed their second restaurant in 2012
with a friends-and-family fundraiser
65 2001
Has sold more than 22m domestic appliances in
19 countries
225 2009
Its website carries 8,000 styles and ships 280,000
items a week
Missguided
Online fashion retailer
Manchester
Mar 15 115.31% *87,195
ESM Power
Electrical engineer
Scunthorpe
Apr 15 113.23%
*9,357
28 2002
Bill's Restaurants
Restaurant operator
Central London Aug 15 107.98%
†*89,952
2,371 2004
15
Crystal Palace Football Club
Football club
South London
Jun 14 107.18% 90,401
142 1905
Has been promoted to the Premier League more
times than any other football club
16
Mobile Phones Direct
Online mobile phone retailer
Berkshire
Mar 15 101.35% 63,581
56 2011
Sells the latest mobile phone handsets from
manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, and Sony
Has 34 gyms and plans to have 100 in the UK and
continental Europe by the end of 2017
12
5
13
14
19
17
21
Xercise4Less
Gym operator
Leeds
18
28
Lily's Kitchen
Pet food manufacturer
19
1
Anesco
Energy efficiency consultancy
Has plans to expand overseas into continental
Europe and the US
Has recently opened restaurants in Trafford and
Bishop's Stortford
Jul 15
99.44% *21,798
572 2006
Northwest
London
Mar 15
97.68% *11,704
33 2008
Reading
Mar 15
95.55% 160,194
114 2008
Claims to have helped to take more than 275,000
people out of fuel poverty
Mar 15
94.83% *17,737
347 2011
Offers a record 151 rums at its Smugglers Cove
branch in Liverpool
Conducts 1,500 projects every month across more
than 100 countries
New World Trading Company
Cheshire
Pub & restaurant operator
20
Its wholesome pet treats include snack bars for
dogs containing wheatgrass, spirulina and kale
21
11
AlphaSights
Business information provider
Central London Dec 14
94.32% 31,550
193 2008
22
42
Enra Group
Specialist loan provider
Borehamwood Dec 14
90.73% †16,203
52 2009
Acquired the bridging lender West One Loans
last year
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Iam-Sold
Newcastle
Property auction services provider upon Tyne
Oct 14
89.86%
*8,655
57 2009
Two graduates started the business with £10,000
borrowed from family and friends
LSE Retail Group
Online lighting retailer
Manchester
Dec 14
88.70% 10,252
51 2010
Develops more than 1,000 new lighting products
every year
Lioncourt Homes
Housebuilder & developer
Worcestershire Mar 15
88.64% 40,123
35 2006 Expects to sell about 200 homes next year
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
* supplied by company † annualised figure ^ net revenue, excluding ad spending on clients' behalf
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
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Supernutrients
Superfood wholesaler
Bath
Mar 15
85.79% *12,506
27 2010
Supplies organic superfoods such as Chia seeds
and goji berries to Waitrose
27
Troy Group
Fit-out contractor
Suffolk
Aug 15
84.08% *14,744
13 2011
Has renovated more than 12,000 rooms for
Travelodge since 2013
28
MedicsPro
Essex
Healthcare recruitment consultancy
Aug 15
78.77% *41,961
111 2001
29
UK Power Solutions
Gloucestershire Sep 14
Utility connection services provider
78.05% †17,004
88 2009
Acquired a new agency in August focusing on
supplying GPs and practice nurses nationwide
Conducted overseas projects last year in the
Caribbean, Middle East and Africa
30
37
Oak Furniture Land
Furniture retailer
Swindon
Sep 14
77.81% 191,516
31
35
Tangle Teezer
Hair products supplier
South London
Mar 15
73.01% 23,176
22 2005
20 brushes are sold every minute in more than 70
countries
32
24
Andrew James
Durham
Kitchen appliance manufacturer
Jan 15
72.28% †17,544
90 2005
Provided vacuum pack equipment to Sir Ranulph
Fiennes on an Antarctic expedition
33
880 2004 The founder designs most of the furniture himself
Butterfly Twists
Footwear designer
Central London Mar 15
71.18%
*5,134
30 2009
Sells its footwear in more than 50 countries,
including Japan, the Philippines and Mexico
A new 8,000 sq ft Battersea Shack has an ice
cream parlour and games room
34
52
Loaf
Furniture retailer
Central London Mar 15
71.05% 22,108
72 2008
35
40
BrewDog
Brewery
Aberdeenshire Dec 14
71.04% 29,615
277 2007
Once brewed the world’s strongest beer, The End
of History, at 55% ABV
36
Designer Habitat
Homeware manufacturer
Manchester
Jun 15
70.84%
†*21,427
90 2009
Mark Januszewski started the business with a £120
loan from his brother
37
PJA Distribution
Stockton-OnMobile phone accessories distributor Tees
May 15
70.57%
*7,308
68 2010
Stocks gadgets such as selfie sticks alongside
mobile phone accessories
Southampton Football Club
Football club
Jun 15
70.55% 113,735
302 1885
38
34
Southampton
Former Saint, Charles Miller, introduced football to
Brazil in 1894
39
BTL Property
Southwest
Residential construction contractor London
Apr 15
70.47%
*7,551
22 2002
Employs former military officers to challenge the
disorganised small-builder stereotype
40
Cult Wines
Wine merchant
Southwest
London
Aug 15
69.54% *17,232
16 2007
Has more than 1,600 clients in 55 countries
worldwide
41
CTruk Group
Offshore wind services
Essex
Sep 14
68.75% 31,704
134 2008
42
Giggling Squid
Restaurant operator
Guildford
Mar 15
68.44%
7,655
300 2008 Secured a £6.4m investment from BGF last month
Secured £1m funding through the government’s
Regional Growth Fund in February
43
32
Ventia
Serviced office provider
Central London Apr 15
68.25%
*9,282
42 2009
44
51
Engage Partners
Recruitment consultancy
Watford
67.03% 28,107
102 2009
Matches teachers from around the world with
more than 1,000 UK schools
45
Pure
Healthy food chain
Central London Dec 14
65.17%
*7,766
160 2009
Has 20 bicycles to deliver its seasonal, healthy
food across London
46
Vardags
Family law firm
Central London Mar 15
62.65%
*6,506
48 2005
47
Natoora
Fresh produce supplier
Southeast
London
62.43% *11,405
121 2004
48
MCCGLC
Creative design agency
Central London Sep 14
62.14%
8,868
35 2005
LION Trackhire
Temporary roadway provider
Nottinghamshire Mar 15
61.99% *15,427
132 2009
Recently provided Irish National Ploughing
Championships with 24km of roadway
instantprint
Online printer
Rotherham
61.97% 14,412
149 2009
Won a Guinness world record for the largest
business card ever produced, at 3.41 sq m
49
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compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
Dec 14
Dec 14
Apr 15
Opened 7,000 sq ft of office space in Wimbledon's
Old Town hall in May
Founder Ayesha Vardag is known as "the
diva of divorce"
Supplies more than 100 tons of fresh fruit and
vegetables each week
Generates 97% of its sales abroad, including trade
shows in Barcelona, Berlin and Las Vegas
* supplied by company † annualised figure
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
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Rise Technical Recruitment
Recruitment consultancy
Bristol
Jun 15
61.78%
52
Readie Construction
Construction contractor
Romford
Mar 15
61.56% *51,569
41 2008
Is constructing 1.5m sq ft of warehousing across
the Midlands and southeast England
53
Opus Recruitment Solutions
IT recruitment consultancy
Bristol
Dec 14
61.50% *25,049
60 2008
Opened offices in Sydney last year and in
Amsterdam and New York this year
54
CRUISE.co.uk
Cruise travel agent
Worcestershire Nov 14
60.51% 30,075
140 1984
Encourages its travel consultants to develop their
own following on social media
Spencer Ogden
Recruitment consultancy
West London
Dec 14
60.23% 76,794
388 2010
Has placed more than 10,000 candidates in energy
jobs since founding
56
Pacific Produce
Fruit & vegetable importer
Oxfordshire
Nov 14
59.98% 30,986
10 2010
57
Your World Recruitment Group
Central London Dec 14
Healthcare recruitment consultancy
59.13% 66,820
120 2005 Provides 87% of the staff it sources to the NHS
58
Panther Warehousing
Logistics services provider
Northampton
Dec 14
59.01% 20,102
150 1989
Chairman Wilson Barrett started the business in
his spare bedroom
59
Cennox
ATM maintenance services
Camberley
Dec 14
58.97% †24,160
386 2006
Services cash machines in every American state
except Hawaii
60
Liquid Personnel
Recruitment consultancy
Manchester
Mar 15
58.11% 52,847
78 2006
Co-founder sold his car to raise the money to start
the business
61
Genpower
Power equipment distributor
Pembrokeshire Mar 15
58.04%
*5,500
42 2006
Expanded overseas to supply markets in
Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana this year
62
Welch & Tidy
Household goods wholesaler
West London
58.01% 26,877
48 2002
Featured in a challenge on BBC's The Apprentice
in 2011
63
4most
Central London Sep 15
Credit risk analytics consultancy
57.81%
*5,013
50 2011
Plans to launch overseas within the next 12
months
64
Energy Light Bulbs
Lighting products supplier
West London
Mar 15
57.73%
*5,296
14 2010
Has sold about 15m energy-saving light bulbs
since 2010
Aug 15
57.14%
*8,401
16 2009
Signs up record holders and endurance athletes to
promote its sports nutrition products
57.10% *36,500
980 1987
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65
33
Grenade
Sports nutrition developer
Coventry
66
59
Ed's Easy Diner
Restaurant operator
Central London Sep 15
*9,147
73 2005 Has 290,000 engineers on its database
Distributes fruit and vegetables grown in Latin
America to European customers
Has plans to expand its chain to well over 100
diners across the UK
67
Vegware
Edinburgh
Recyclable packaging manufacturer
Jan 15
56.61%
*9,830
41 2006
Its Food Waste Network matches UK businesses
with local food waste recycling services
68
Pet Brands
Pet accessory manufacturer
Wakefield
Jan 15
56.18%
*7,220
29 2008
Sells pet products — from dog shampoo to bird
feeders — in 54 countries
69
T.O.M. Vehicle Rental
Rental vehicle provider
North
Lanarkshire
Mar 15
55.03% 143,165
491 1990
Plans to expand its rental fleet to 15,000 vehicles
by 2018
70
Acrobat Carbon Services
Energy efficiency consultancy
Manchester
Dec 14
54.51% 21,973
69 2010
Claims to have helped more than 2m homes to
save energy
71
Prospero Group
Recruitment consultancy
Central London Jun 15
54.21% 16,850
77 2000
Runs school workshops with sports celebrities
such as Gareth Thomas and Non Evans
72
Hallam Medical
Sheffield
Medical recruitment consultancy
Apr 15
54.04% *20,352
54 2007
Supplies staff to more than 1,000 primary care
centres throughout the UK
73
McGinley Human Resources
Recruitment consultancy
Watford
Dec 14
52.49% 50,536
63 2010
Provides more than 1,000 contract pilots in 40
European countries
74
53
BEAR & Urban Fruit
Fruit snack manufacturer
Central London Oct 15
52.44% *22,618
35 2006
Has provided 325m five-a-day portions to children
in the UK
75
36
Miers Construction Products
Cambridgeshire Sep 15
Construction products supplier
51.47% *15,602
46 2010
Signed a UK distribution deal this year for a new
waterstop system
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
* supplied by company † annualised figure
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
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85
Abra Wholesale
Consumer products wholesaler
North London
Mar 15
50.55% *49,576
68 2003
77
80
Childrensalon
Childrenswear retailer
Tunbridge Wells Dec 14
50.41% 28,215
124 1952
Stocks children’s clothes from 270 brands,
including Dior, Gucci and Burberry
ACT Training
Training provider
Cardiff
Jul 14
50.39% 28,977
305 1988
Employs a Head of Happiness to ensure staff enjoy
their work
Golden Charter
Funeral plan provider
Glasgow
Mar 15
49.55% 37,810
384 1990
Works on behalf of more than 3,300 independent
funeral directors throughout the UK
80
SCM World
Community learning provider
Central London Dec 14
49.45%
*6,197
40 2009
Offers learning programmes to supply chain
professionals from the likes of Samsung
81
Masthaven Finance
Specialist mortgage provider
Central London May 15
49.12% 10,310
35 2004
Gives every member of staff a day off work for
their birthday
82
Aspin Group
Civil engineering contractor
Hertfordshire
48.76% *38,464
225 2000
Has worked on projects for Network Rail and
Balfour Beatty
83
Transline
Recruitment consultancy
West Yorkshire Dec 14
48.66% 178,571
244 1989
Has more than 120 sites in Britain and operates as
far afield as Thailand and Canada
Huntswood
Customer services provider
Reading
48.62% 250,135 1,379 1996
The Key
School support provider
Central London Aug 15
48.46%
Graze.com
Online food retailer
Surrey
Feb 15
48.19% *68,109
218 2007
87
Showcase Interiors
Furniture dealer
Essex
Mar 15
47.49% *14,763
24 2007
88
Phastar
South London
Statistical & medical consultancy
47.35%
73 2003 Expanded into the American market this year
78
79
84
75
56
85
86
89
25
69
Kinapse
Southwest
Pharmaceutical regulations consultancy London
Jul 15
Sep 14
Jul 15
Mar 15
*6,950
*5,091
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Opened a second warehouse in Luton in the
summer, adding 50,000 sq ft of floor space
Handles customer complaints for banks, pension
firms and insurance companies
100 2007 Says it works with 45% of schools in England
337 2005
Has developed more than 1,000 snack recipes
since launching in 2007
Has installed 70,000 pieces of furniture for clients
in past two years
Nine of the world's top ten pharmaceutical
companies use its services
90
Byron
Restaurant operator
Central London Jun 14
46.67% 55,229 1,118 2007 Sold its 18 millionth hamburger in October
91
Toppesfield
Specialist surfacing contractor
Ipswich
May 15
46.15% *75,106
114 2004
Mint Velvet
Ladies' clothing retailer
High Wycombe Apr 15
45.35% 63,107
519 2009 Is opening its fifth overseas store, in Switzerland
Wholebake
Gluten-free snacks manufac-
North Wales
Mar 15
44.72% *16,196
111 1996
Its 9BAR energy bars are fronted by British
Olympic gold medallist cyclist Ed Clancy
Rapha
North London
Cycling apparel maker & retailer
Feb 15
44.38% 38,850
223 2004
Has diversified into Rapha Cycle Clubs, a meeting
place for cyclists, a retail space and a café
95
Northvale Construction
Construction contractor
Northwest
London
Mar 15
44.28%
*6,529
14 2008
96
High Street TV
TV shopping channel
Harrogate
Dec 14
44.28% 46,401
103 2008
Is the UK distributor for Nutribullet blenders,
Xhose expandable hoses and Stompeez slippers
97
Aspens Services
Contract caterer
Worcestershire Apr 15
43.87% 11,851
639 2008
Sources all perishable ingredients within a 20-mile
radius of schools
Nurture Landscapes
Landscape maintenance
Surrey
Mar 15
43.64% 16,740
301 2008
Acquired Integritas Landscapes from Securitas UK
for an undisclosed sum last month
99
Watchfinder
Pre-owned watch retailer
Kent
Mar 15
42.90% *38,662
104 2002 Its average vintage watch costs about £4,000
100
Redeem
Electronic devices recycler
West Lothian
Mar 15
42.49% 80,016
288 1999
92
66
93
94
98
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92
compound annual growth rate between 2011/12 and 2014/15
© 2015 Fast Track 100
Recent projects include surfacing work on the A5
M1 link road, valued at about £10m
Has completed projects for Legal & General,
Foxtons and Galliford Try
Runs the O2 Recycle scheme, the largest of its kind
in Europe
* supplied by company † annualised figure
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
23
ONES TO WATCH
Ones to Watch showcases a selection of companies that do
not meet the criteria of the Fast Track 100 league table, but
which have achieved strong sales growth, or are forecasting
strong growth.
Pre-owned watch retailer Watchfinder was one of the companies
tipped as a One to Watch in 2014, and this year it features on
the Fast Track 100 league table at No 99.
Clare Hornby (left) founded womenswear brand ME+EM in
2009 and has built it to sales of £4.1m this year
The ten Ones to Watch companies have been assessed by Fast
Track after visiting the companies.
The finalists are shown in the table below.
Ones to Watch companies
Company
HQ location
Year
end
Sales
£000
Bounce
Ping pong & bar venue
Central London
Staff Founded Short profile
Sep 15
*6,500
200
2012
Backed by high-profile investors including Zoopla founder
Alex Chesterman, this firm forecasts sales will double to
£13.7m next year, when it plans to open in the US
Briggs Automotive Company
Liverpool
Sports car manufacturer
Jun 15
*2,400
15
2009
Built 21 supercars in 2015 after raising finance
from international investors, and plans to produce
50 next year, with sales forecast to triple to £7.5m
BULK POWDERS
Sports nutrition brand
Colchester
Dec 14
10,686
100
2004
Originally an import business, it has brought
manufacturing in-house and exports to 12 European
countries, helping sales double over two years to £10.7m
Craggs Energy
Fuel distributor
West Yorkshire
Dec 14
20,709
28
2011
Founded four years ago, this family firm will supply 50m
litres of oil this year and says it has introduced online
ordering and price transparency to a traditional industry
Five Guys
Burger restaurant chain
West London
Dec 14
*23,812
445
2013
Has opened 40 restaurants in two years with investment
from Carphone Warehouse founder Sir Charles
Dunstone, and has plans for a further 35 in 2016
Genius
Edinburgh
Gluten-free food manufacturer
Jan 15
41,991
452
2009
Acquired two 'free from' bakeries for £21m in 2013
and pie maker Chapel Foods for £3.5m last month, and
is targeting £65m sales in 2016 as it expands in Europe
Lintbells
Hertfordshire
Pet nutritional supplements maker
Dec 14
*4,620
24
2006
Partners with UK universities to develop its pet
supplements, which are sold in 15 countries and
sales are forecast to grow 56% to £7.2m this year
ME+EM
Fashion retailer
Central London
Feb 15
4,137
27
2009
Founded in 2009, this favourite of the Duchess of
Cambridge secured undisclosed funding from VCs and
business angels in August, including Sir Charles Dunstone
Red's True Barbecue
Barbecue restaurant chain
Leeds
Mar 15
*7,100
304
2012
It secured £5m funding in May from investors including
former Wagamama chairman Ian Neill, and plans to
expand from six restaurants to 20 in the next four years
The Knowledge Academy
Training provider
Bracknell
Mar 15 *16,620
126
2009
Run by a husband and wife team, it offers more
than 50,000 courses in over 200 countries to
customers such as BAE Systems and Disney
* supplied by company
© 2015 Fast Track 100
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
24
METHODOLOGY
The Fast Track 100 league table ranks the UK's privately-owned
companies with the fastest-growing sales over their latest three years of
available accounts, i.e. between 2011 and 2014, or 2012 and 2015. 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
• UK registered, unquoted, and not subsidiaries
• Annualised sales of at least £250,000 in the base year (2011 or 2012)
• Annualised sales of at least £5m in the latest year (2014 or 2015)
• Year-on-year sales growth in the latest year from 2013 to 2014, or
2014 or 2015, plus forecast (or actual) sales growth
• Sales growth was measured by unrounded compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) over the latest three financial years
• Operating profit of at least £500k in the latest year (2014 or 2015)
• Trading weeks in the base and latest years have to exceed 25
• Ten or more employees in the latest year (2014 or 2015)
• Recruitment firms and media agencies are required to have gross
profits of at least £5m. Sales for recruitment firms are the total amount
invoiced to clients and media agencies’ sales are net of advertising
spend on behalf of clients
• 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
predominantly between August and November 2015.
The final 100 companies are ranked by growth in sales over their latest
three years of available accounts which were not necessarily required to
be audited, i.e. between 2011 and 2014, or 2012 and 2015. Companies
were selected from a database of around two million private companies
in the UK followed by extensive desk-based research. Of the 100
companies, 34 had financial years ending in 2014 and 66 had financial
years ending in 2015.
Most companies on the league table were interviewed over the
telephone and/or visited by the Fast Track research team.
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.
© 2015 Fast Track 100
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
25
SPONSORS & MEDIA PARTNER
Fast Track would particularly like to thank Virgin, Barclays,
BDO and BGF for their sponsorship, and The Sunday Times for
their continued support of the Fast Track 100.
The sponsors do not endorse, guarantee or recommend
investment in any of the companies.
Sponsors
Virgin has been the title sponsor for all 19 years.
Sir Richard Branson
Founder
Virgin is a leading international investment group and one
of the world's most recognised and respected brands.
Conceived in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group
has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors
including mobile telephony, travel & transportation, financial
services, leisure & entertainment and health & wellness.
virgin.com
Barclays is a main sponsor for a fifth year.
Gavin Isle
Co-head of UK & Ireland,
Corporate Banking
Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in
personal banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking
and wealth and investment management with an extensive
international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia.
Barclays’ purpose is to help people achieve their ambitions – in
the right way.
With 325 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays
moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and
clients worldwide.
barclayscorporate.com
© 2015 Fast Track 100
barclayswealth.com
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
26
BDO is a main sponsor for a second year, having previously
been a sponsor from 2010 to 2011
Stuart Lisle
Partner, Corporate
Tax Services
BDO provides assurance, tax and advisory services to
organisations across a number of sectors throughout the UK.
With the BDO global network present in over 150 countries,
we can help businesses realise both their domestic and
international growth ambitions. We pride ourselves on our
collaborative approach and our commitment to exceptional
client service and are delighted that BDO has the highest client
satisfaction scores among its peers for the third year in a row*.
bdo.co.uk
* research undertaken by Meridian West (Mid-Market Monitor 2014)
BGF is a main sponsor for a third year.
Stephen Welton
Chief executive
BGF is the UK’s most active provider of growth capital for small
and mid-sized companies. BGF initially invests between £2m
and £10m into a business in return for a minority equity stake
and provides follow-on funding to support further growth. The
companies BGF backs are privately-owned or listed on AIM.
Growth potential is the key criteria. BGF recently expanded its
activities by launching the largest ever venture capital fund - BGF
Ventures - dedicated to earlier stage UK technology companies.
The £200m fund is being run by a new, dedicated team.
bgf.co.uk
Media partner
The Sunday Times has been Fast Track's media partner for all 19
years.
Dominic O'Connell
Business editor
The Sunday Times is Britain’s No 1 newspaper for business, and
the leading broadsheet newspaper attracting over three million
readers every week. More than half (54%) of the business elite
read The Sunday Times, a greater market share than any other
publication, according to the latest Ipsos survey. The Sunday
Times business section celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
thesundaytimes.co.uk
© 2015 Fast Track 100
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
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ABOUT FAST TRACK
Compiler & publisher
Hamish Stevenson owns and runs Fast Track, which he
founded in 1997 after securing cornerstone sponsorship
from Richard Branson. He works closely with leading
entrepreneurs, sponsors and media partners to try to
ensure their expectations are exceeded, and that they
remain engaged with the alumni network.
He is an associate fellow at Green Templeton College,
Oxford University, where he completed his masters and
doctorate in management studies and subsequently set-up
and held the Virgin research fellowship in entrepreneurship.
The authors
Richard Tyler leads Fast Track’s research and editorial,
working closely with sponsors and companies within our
network.
He was 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 is responsible for managing the Fast Track 100
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.
© 2015 Fast Track 100
fasttrack.co.uk
Fast Track 100 research report 2015
28
Fast Track
Fast Track 100 is compiled by Fast Track, the UK's leading faceto-face networking events and research company, which ranks topperforming private companies and entrepreneurs.
Fast Track has compiled league tables on private companies in
partnership with The Sunday Times for the last 19 years.
It publishes six other annual league table awards programmes:
SME Export Track 100 ranks Britain's SMEs with the fastestgrowing international sales (total sales less than £25m)
Tech Track 100 ranks Britain's private technology (TMT)
companies with the fastest-growing sales
International Track 200 ranks Britain's mid-market private
companies with the fastest-growing international sales(total
sales over £25m)
Profit Track 100 ranks Britain’s private companies with the
fastest-growing profits
Top Track 250 ranks Britain's leading mid-market private
growth companies with the biggest sales (£140m to £620m; and
minimum 10% growth in sales or profits)
Top Track 100 ranks Britain’s private companies with the
biggest sales (£650m to £20bn)
Fast Track is based in Oxford with 23 staff, and a network of
freelance researchers.
CONTACT DETAILS
Fast Track
Angel Court
81 St Clements Street
Oxford
OX4 1AW
Tel: Fax: 01865 297 100
01865 297 001
Email:[email protected]
Web:www.fasttrack.co.uk
twitter:@ST_FastTrack
© 2015 Fast Track 100
fasttrack.co.uk