Published this weekend, the 22nd annual Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing sales.
The 20 companies headquartered in the southeast (compared to 16 last year) include 17 new entrants to the league table. Their sales have grown by an average of 69% a year over three years to a total of £639.5m, and together they employ more than 2,200 people.
The region’s top-ranked company is beauty products retailer Revolution Beauty, which makes its debut in the top 3 nationally. Based in Queenborough, Kent, its celebrity fans include US TV star Khloe Kardashian – who praised one of its £3 highlighters. Launched in 2014, its sales over the past three years have grown by an average of 153% a year, reaching £71.8m last year.
The other new entrants include Brighton-based retail leisure developer Boxpark. Set up by serial entrepreneur Roger Wade, its Croydon site played host to rapper Stormzy last year, who launched his Gang Signs and Prayer album there. It grew sales to £8.4m in the year to April. It is backed by Sir Charles Dunstone, who appeared on the first Fast Track 100 league table with Carphone Warehouse in 1997.
The companies in the southeast appear with businesses from around Britain, including burger chain Five Guys, beauty products retailer Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, and brewer BrewDog, which was valued at £1bn last year. Past stars include chip designer ARM, which featured in 1997 with sales of £17m, floated and was acquired by Japan’s SoftBank in 2016 for £24bn; and mixer drinks maker Fever-Tree, which floated in 2014 at £154m and is now worth £2.6bn.
The Fast Track 100 is sponsored by Virgin Atlantic, Barclays, BDO, BGF and N+1 Singer, and is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Group, which has supported Fast Track 100 for all 22 years, commented:
“Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of UK business and have always been the beating heart of positive change. In a climate of uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to recognise those entrepreneurs, like those of this year’s Fast Track 100, who are making the world a better place for everybody.”
Private companies in the southeast with the fastest-growing sales – ordered by county
‡ Financial year end of latest available accounts * Supplied by company
|
HQ location and county |
Rank [2017 rank] |
Company Activity |
Annual sales growth over 3 years |
Sales £m |
Staff |
Year end‡ |
Comment |
|
Reading, Berkshire |
26 |
Specialist online travel agency |
90% |
*10.1 |
36 |
Dec 17 |
More than 80% of its turnover is generated from bookings made by overseas customers |
|
Aldermaston, Berkshire |
37 |
TravelUp Travel agency |
75% |
77.3 |
74 |
Mar 18 |
Its websites receive 20,000 visits a day, up 65% on last year |
|
High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire |
14 |
Ridgepoint Homes Housebuilder and developer |
125% |
34.6 |
21 |
Dec 17 |
Is creating 135 family homes adjacent to the Grand Union Canal in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire |
|
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire |
32 [18] |
Wed2b Wedding dress retailer |
82% |
*18.4 |
418 |
Jul 18 |
Its wedding dresses range in price from £99 to £699 |
|
Brighton, East Sussex |
36 |
Boxpark Retail leisure developer |
76% |
*8.4 |
48 |
Apr 18 |
Grime artist Stormzy launched his 2017 album Gang Signs and Prayer at Boxpark Croydon |
|
Polegate, East Sussex |
78 |
Agon Systems Security tagging manufacturer |
51% |
*6.6 |
19 |
Sep 18 |
Its client JD Sports recorded a 66% reduction in shoplifting in stores where its tags are used |
|
Brentwood, Essex |
60 |
Matchroom Sport Sporting events promoter |
59% |
*137.2 |
85 |
Jun 18 |
This year its high-profile boxing matches have included Joshua v Povetkin, held at Wembley in September |
|
Southend-on-Sea, Essex |
63 |
Ventrica Outsourced contact centre operator |
58% |
9.4 |
354 |
Oct 17 |
Provides online customer service for Jimmy Choo, New Look and Ugg Australia |
|
Romsey, Hampshire |
74 |
Highwood Group Construction contractor and developer |
54% |
37.8 |
42 |
Feb 18 |
Is developing 750 homes at North Stoneham Park in Hampshire |
|
Hertford, Hertfordshire |
66 |
Smyle Creative agency |
56% |
*26.9 |
65 |
Mar 18 |
Its projects have included the Ryder Cup opening ceremony in 2010, 2014 and 2018 |
|
Watford, Hertfordshire |
72 |
ES Broadcast Broadcast equipment supplier |
55% |
*21.4 |
28 |
Jun 18 |
Plans to open a US office as part of its North American expansion plans |
|
Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire |
90 [73] |
Vanarama Vehicle leasing broker |
48% |
61.0 |
197 |
Dec 17 |
Founder came up with its catchy jingle after hearing the hymn Sing Hosanna at a wedding |
|
Queenborough, Kent |
In |
Revolution Beauty Beauty products retailer |
153% |
71.8 |
94 |
Dec 17 |
Has a range of cruelty-free beauty and cosmetic products starting at just £1 |
|
Erith, Kent |
87 |
ARB Recycling Charity sector recycler |
48% |
*8.2 |
74 |
Jun 18 |
Its collection drivers cover the equivalent of four journeys to the moon and back each year |
|
Oxford, Oxfordshire |
20 |
Oxford Summer Courses Educational course provider |
104% |
*8.1 |
26 |
Sep 18 |
Runs courses for overseas students across Cambridge, London, Stanford and Bangalore |
|
Camberley, Surrey |
93 |
Cinos Audio visual integrator |
47% |
10.3 |
49 |
Oct 17 |
Has delivered systems for command and control rooms in Singapore, America, the Middle East and the UK |
|
Guildford, Surrey |
99 [60] |
Giggling Squid Thai restaurant chain |
46% |
*23.7 |
492 |
Mar 18 |
Last March it found £20,000 of fine wine stashed in a secret cellar by previous owners of its Windsor site |
|
Haywards Heath, West Sussex |
76 |
AYMES Nutritional supplement developer |
52% |
*6.4 |
23 |
Mar 18 |
Says its entry into the market has saved the NHS £40m |
|
Lancing, West Sussex |
80 |
Fizz Creations Novelty items wholesaler |
50% |
*14.1 |
44 |
Jan 18 |
Started out as a way to make use of surplus warehouse space at another of the owners’ businesses |
|
Billingshurst, West Sussex |
82 |
Thakeham Group Housebuilder and construction contractor |
50% |
*47.6 |
13 |
Sep 17 |
Has more than 200 new homes under construction across southeast England |
The national picture
This year’s Fast Track 100 achieved, on average, sales growth of 78% a year over three years to a total of £3.1bn. Together they employ 16,900 staff, having added 12,200 jobs over the period.
The dominant region for company HQs is London (34), followed by the southeast (20). Of the remainder, 12 companies are based in the Midlands, 8 in the northeast and Yorkshire, 8 in the northwest, five in the southwest, four each in the East of England and Northern Ireland, three in Wales and two in Scotland.
The full league table is published on 2 December as a 10-page supplement with the business section of The Sunday Times both in print and in the digital edition, and on www.fasttrack.co.uk.
