South East: 41 companies feature in Top Track 250
Published this weekend, the 15th annual Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250 league table ranks Britain’s private mid-market growth companies with the biggest sales.
The 41 companies headquartered in the South East (compared to 38 in 2018) have made a strong contribution to the regional economy. These companies increased combined sales 15% to £9.1 billion and operating profits 39% to £769 million, and employ more than 58,000 people.
The company to have appeared most frequently on the league table is budget hotel operator Travelodge, with 14 appearances. Based in Thame, Oxfordshire, it operates more than 580 hotels and employs 7,200 people across the UK, Ireland and Spain. Its sales rose 9% to £693m in 2018.
There are 23 entrants in the southeast that were not on the league table last year, including sporting events promoter Matchroom Sport; Sussex-based Brighton & Hove Albion FC; and waste management services firm Grundon, headquartered in Oxfordshire.
The companies in the South East appear with businesses from around the UK, including Mountain Warehouse, Princess Yachts, PureGym and David Lloyd Leisure.
The Top Track 250 is sponsored by Grant Thornton and Lloyds Banking Group, and compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
Jim Rogers, partner at Grant Thornton UK LLP, the title sponsor of the league table, praised the companies for their performance: “Whilst the headwinds of political and economic uncertainty have been a consistent feature of the UK economy over the past year, mid-market firms have continued to prove their resilience. They’ve demonstrated their adaptability to uncertain times and found opportunities for growth, both at home and abroad.”
Ordered by county and rank: Mid-market private growth companies in the southeast
| HQ location County | Rank
[2018 rank] |
Company
Activity |
Sales £m | Profit £m^ | Staff | Year end | Main shareholders |
| Reading Berkshire |
73 | CH&Co Group Catering group |
286 | 9 | 6,211 | Dec 18 | Management (>50%), Equistone Partners (<50%) |
| Reading Berkshire |
112 | Huntswood Customer services provider |
221 | 28 | 226 | Sep 18 | David Brownlow (69%), management (31%) |
| Slough Berkshire |
172 [227] |
IRIS Software Group Business software developer |
*162 | *79 | 1,388 | Apr 19 | HgCapital (c50%), Intermediate Capital Group (c50%) |
| Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire |
31 | Steven Eagell Car dealer |
427 | 10 | 830 | Dec 18 | Steven Eagell (85%), management (15%) |
| Little Chalfont Buckinghamshire |
127 [183] |
The Entertainer Toy retailer |
*204 | *15 | 1,937 | Jan 19 | Grant family (100%) |
| High Wycombe Buckinghamshire |
167 [205] |
InHealth Diagnostic services provider |
165 | 4 | 1,797 | Sep 18 | The Damask Trust (100%) |
| Eastbourne East Sussex |
52 [59] |
The Little Group Media wholesaler |
338 | 17 | 1,218 | Feb 18 | Jonathan Little (30%), Andrew Little (30%), Yvette Stafford (30%), Alan & Jean Little (10%) |
| Brighton East Sussex |
206 | Brighton and Hove Albion FC Football club |
139 | 31 | 305 | Jun 18 | Anthony Bloom (94%), others (6%) |
| Waltham Abbey Essex |
22 [38] |
Hill Housebuilder |
502 | 48 | 503 | Dec 18 | Hill family (95.5%), employee trust and management (4.5%) |
| Basildon Essex |
148 | Toomey Group Car dealer |
183 | 8 | 448 | Dec 18 | Michael Toomey (100%) |
| Romford Essex |
160 [230] |
Readie Construction Construction contractor |
173 | 7 | 142 | Mar 19 | Stuart Read (49%), Paul Stephens (35%), management (16%) |
| Dagenham Essex |
164 [176] |
APP Wholesale Plumbing wholesaler |
167 | 6 | 159 | Jul 18 | Allan Pierce (100%) |
| Harwich Essex |
188 [241] |
Flying Trade Group Conglomerate |
153 | 11 | 815 | Dec 18 | Suki Dulai (42.5%), Chandan Dulai (32.4%), Kewal Dulai (25.1%) |
| Brentwood Essex |
200 | Matchroom Sport Sporting events promoter |
*145 | *30 | 90 | Jun 19 | Hearn family (100%) |
| Chelmsford Essex |
208 | Saxton 4X4 Car dealer |
*138 | *7 | 109 | Jun 19 | Alan Austin (50%), Janice Austin (50%) |
| Billericay Essex |
238 | Ground Control Grounds maintenance services |
120 | 10 | 782 | Mar 19 | Simon Morrish (64%), Chris Bawtree (8%), Philip Trehern (8%), management (20%) |
| Havant Hampshire |
98 [107] |
Fat Face Clothing retailer |
238 | 30 | 2,705 | Jun 18 | Bridgepoint & syndicates (89%), current and previous management (11%) |
| Farnborough Hampshire |
192 | EBB Paper Paper and board merchant |
149 | 4 | 284 | Dec 18 | Jeremy Elliott (36%), Tim Elliott (36%), Elliott family (28%) |
| Totton Hampshire |
205 | Millbrook Group Furniture manufacturer |
141 | 7 | 1,085 | Jun 18 | Croll family (100%) |
| Tadley Hampshire |
218 | Bewley Homes Housebuilder |
133 | 17 | 136 | Sep 18 | The Patricia Settlement Trust (100%) |
| Southampton Hampshire |
207 | CLC Group Painting and maintenance contractor |
139 | 11 | 1,021 | Dec 18 | Hilbre Holdings Limited |
| Hatfield Hertfordshire |
24 [42] |
David Lloyd Leisure Health club operator |
483 | 65 | 5,620 | Dec 18 | TDR Capital (>50%), management (<50%) |
| Harpenden Hertfordshire |
137 [190] |
Churchill Contract Services Facilities services provider |
*192 | *9 | 11,407 | Jun 19 | Joel Briggs (29%), Philip Moxom (29%), Caroline Briggs (18%), Sarah Moxom (18%), employee benefit trust (6%) |
| Borehamwood Hertfordshire |
169 [225] |
Durkan Building developer and contractor |
165 | 11 | 182 | Nov 18 | The Camden K Trust (52.52%), The Hadley Trust (47.48%) |
| Hitchin Hertfordshire |
189 | HG Construction Construction services |
153 | 13 | 75 | Dec 18 | Chris Benham (50%), Kevin Quinn (50%) |
| Borehamwood Hertfordshire |
193 | Masterson Holdings Building contractor |
149 | 11 | 285 | Aug 18 | Michael Masterson (47%), Mona Masterson (27%), Michael Masterson Trust (26%) |
| Royston Hertfordshire |
211 | Welding Alloys Alloy Welder |
137 | 6 | 956 | Dec 18 | Catherine Stekly & Derek Fray (55.4%), Catherine Stekly (25.4%), BIM Invest (19.2%) |
| Watford Hertfordshire |
226 | Medivet Veterinary practices |
128 | 5 | 1,967 | Apr 18 | Richard Leonard (16%), Arnold Levy (16%), Guy Carter (9%), Inflexion (<50%), management and employees (<50%) |
| Canterbury Kent |
33 [44] |
Thor Group Chemicals manufacturer |
423 | 61 | 1,454 | Dec 18 | Eurotrust (62%), 3i (27%), other (11%) |
| Dover Kent |
116 | Megger Electrical products manufacturer |
218 | 23 | 1,328 | Nov 18 | TBG AG (100%) |
| Addington Kent |
126 | Big Motoring World Car dealer |
206 | 8 | 230 | Dec 18 | Pete Waddell (68%), Trustees of Jack Waddell estate (20%), John Bailey (12%) |
| Dartford Kent |
153 [218] |
Europa Worldwide Logistics provider |
*180 | *5 | 663 | Dec 18 | Andrew Baxter (85%), management (15%) |
| Borough Green Kent |
156 | Richard Hochfeld Fruit importer and farmer |
179 | 4 | 64 | Jun 18 | Alan Guindi (67%), Christian Guindi (33%) |
| Yiewsley Middlesex |
235 | Shorterm Group Recruitment consultancy |
124 | 5 | 112 | Dec 17 | Growth Capital Partners (100%) |
| Thame Oxfordshire |
Top 3 [8] |
Travelodge Budget hotel operator |
693 | 61 | 7,210 | Dec 18 | Institutional investors (>50%), management (<50%) |
| Witney Oxfordshire |
70 [141] |
Audley Travel Tour operator |
*291 | *‡34 | 574 | Dec 18 | 3i (>50%), management (<50%) |
| Benson Oxfordshire |
245 | Grundon Waste management services |
118 | 6 | 858 | Sep 18 | Grundon Family & trust (100%) |
| Leatherhead Surrey |
44 [74] |
HH Global Marketing services provider |
*377 | *16 | 1,051 | Mar 19 | Robert MacMillan (54%), Sanne Trust (45%), others (1%) |
| Guildford Surrey |
113 [140] |
Solventis Solvent distributor |
220 | 6 | 45 | Dec 18 | David Lubbock (100%) |
| Woking Surrey |
132 | James Walker Group Sealing and railway systems |
*199 | *8 | 2,020 | Mar 19 | Management (12.5%), other shareholders (87.5%) |
| Caterham Surrey |
140 | Croudace Homes Housebuilder |
189 | 23 | 284 | Dec 18 | Brotherton-Ratcliffe family (100%) |
^ Profit = operating profit * Supplied by the company ‡ Profit = EBITDA
The national picture
The Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250 complements the Top Track 100, published in July, which features Britain’s private companies with the biggest sales. It ranks the next 250-biggest companies by sales, provided they meet our growth and profitability criteria (see below). The 250 companies grew combined sales by 16% to £63.4b, operating profits by 22% to £6b and employees by 11% to 373,000.
The 250 companies are headquartered across the country. London is home to 68 companies and the southeast 41. The Northeast and Yorkshire has 35, Northwest 29, West Midlands 22, Scotland 16, East Midlands 12, Southwest 9, East 8, Wales 7 and Northern Ireland has 3.
