1998 - Fast Track 100 League Table

What is the Fast Track 100 – 1998?
The Fast Track 100 league table ranked Britain’s 100 private companies with the fastest-growing sales in 1998 over their latest three years. To find out more about the research and to view all the league tables from 1997 to 2023 click here.

Sunday Times Fast Track 100 - Full 1998 Results

Rank	Company	Activity	Location	Year end	Annual sales rise over 3 years	Latest sales £000s	Staff	Comment
1	Progressive Computer Recruitment	Recruitment agency	South-west London	1997	197.79%	26,434	111	High flying workers can earn up to £150,000 a year [† Latest sales]
2	Optical Express	Optical retailer	Cumbernauld, Glasgow	1997	188.43%	36,650	935	A Scottish optician with an eye for acquisitions
3	Rotrax Engineering Services	Electrical and mechanical contractors	Middlesbrough	1997	148.72%	10,740	80	Rapid growth is result of repeat business from big contractors
4	Travel Counsellors	Travel agency	Bolton	1997	147.72%	8,330	71	Holiday consultants visit clients in their own homes to plan and book trips
5	Technetix	Telecoms equipment maker	West Sussex	1997	138.77%	10,294	83	Investment in new equipment halved labour costs in three years
6	Oxford Asymmetry International	Chemicals researcher	Oxfordshire	1997	138.64%	10,143	150	Oxford University spin-off that went public this year
7	Beresford Blake Thomas	Recruitment agency	London	1997	138.44%	8,991	55	Having survived one downturn, the company has taken measures to withstand the next
8	Wilson James	Security provider	Essex	1997	133.96%	6,096	265	One of two companies in league table founded by a teenager
9	Great Bear Distribution	Warehouser and distributor	Chester	1997	132.55%	10,544	146	Stores and distributes food for big grocers such as Sainsbury
10	Antal International	Recruitment agency	Central London	1997	131.19%	3,921	100	The company places middle managers in 58 countries
11	DR Simpson Chilled Foods	Fish freezing and processing for supermarkets	Hull	1997	130.27%	8,599	120	Started with mother's redundancy cheque, now supplies Somerfield and Asda
12	A-Gas International	Chemicals and gases distributor	Bristol	1997	128.85%	11,986	29	Struck gold in newly regulated refrigerant-gas market
13	Software Warehouse	Mail-order and reseller of software and hardware assembled	Birmingham	1997	127.88%	38,141	324	Young founder has recruited his sailing friends to help manage the business
14	McGregor Boyall Associates	Recruitment agency	London	1997	123.99%	18,526	41	Former design lecturer turns techno-recruiter
15	Meica Group	Electrical contractor	West London	1997	123.82%	18,573	82	Company gained backing by venture capitalists after being rejected by banks
16	Gemstone Travel	Travel agency	Berkshire	1997	122.88%	16,446	91	Offers cheap airline seats via teletext and national newspaper advertising
17	Team 121	Software installer	Birmingham	1997	121.57%	12,433	115	Good profits earned on export sales to mainland Europe [† Latest sales]
18	Computer Futures	Recruitment agency	Central London	1997	115.92%	70,528	283	Company says it adds 2,000 candidates to its database every week
19	C-Mar Services (UK)	Marine consultancy	Aberdeen	1997	112.30%	5,933	27	Launched by two sea captains while decommissioned from their drill-ship
20	Management Services International	Hotel operator	Berkshire	1997	109.10%	4,974	281	Three men turned ailing hotel company into profitable chain of six
21	Bulldog Computer Services	Furniture maker	Leicestershire	1997	103.57%	5,011	71	Two days before ISO9000 certification, a storm blew off the factory roof
22	S&J (Chatteris)	Building contractors	Cambridgeshire	1997	102.76%	6,777	26	Late-blooming family business jumps 48 places on the list
23	Eyretel	Developers of multimedia recording and analysis equipment	West Sussex	1997	102.14%	17,344	156	Last year's top company on list recently raised £22.5m in venture capital
24	Classic Choice Furnishings	Furniture maker	Mid Glamorgan	1997	102.12%	3,197	59	Chief executive nominated by venture capitalists decided to put up the money himself
25	AGP Distribution	Computer components wholesaler	Hampshire	1997	100.36%	22,025	29	Arranges staff football matches to foster camaraderie
26	Karavale Enterprises	Electronic design and assembly of circuit boards	Welwyn Garden City	1997	98.89%	14,186	450	600-worker firm created from blue-chip plant closure
27	Humana Consulting	Recruitment agency	London	1997	98.78%	11,319	28	Loyalty club for temps offers free training in exchange for hours worked
28	Backup Staff	Recruitment agency	Worcester	1997	98.33%	3,690	25	Squeezes prospective staff and clients' for competitors' practices
29	Argo Holidays	Tour operator	London	1997	98.21%	10,894	30	Frenchwoman ships Britons to Cyprus to learn western-style line dancing
30	Manning Gottlieb Media	Advertising agency	London	1997	96.80%	63,925	25	Clients include Nike and Virgin. Acquired by Omnicom
31	Gyro	Marketing agency	London	1997	96.45%	4,607	17	Employee incentives include trips to Majorca and Armani suits
32	Schallenberg International Transport	Freight forwarder	Suffolk	1997	94.24%	3,342	10	Removal of east European borders presented threats but also opportunities
33	Yardbrace	Chemicals distributor	Hull	1997	94.21%	48,915	93	One of the largest exporters on the list, with 70% of revenues generated overseas
34	FDi	Recruitment agency	Brighton	1997	90.92%	14,787	112	Prides itself on training local youth and the unemployed
35	Highfield Group	Nursing home operator	Edinburgh	1997	90.57%	29,104	3,228	Largest employer in the league table with 3200 workers in 1997
36	DCS Group (UK)	Toiletry products distributor	Stratford-upon-Avon	1997	90.36%	35,562	24	Former hockey international joined three brothers to export to more than 49 countries
37	Roldec Systems	Assemblers and direct re-sellers of computers via mail order	Wolverhampton	1997	89.78%	10,075	50	Claims to assemble and deliver its computers faster than Dell and Gateway
38	Link Licensing	Licensing agency	London	1997	89.73%	4,247	28	Positioning its Teddybears brand to be the next Teletubbies
39	Hedon Salads	Food processor	Humberside	1997	88.96%	13,198	191	Plans to generate own electricity from waste lettuce
40	Custom Cable (Communications) Co	Cable installer	Surrey	1997	88.15%	6,680	55	Founder moved from mother's basement to kitchen, then took over the whole house
41	Panacea Services	Provision of computer maintenance services and sale of computers	London	1997	86.74%	6,974	20	Partners originally set out to open a jazz bar
42	Bon Bon Buddies	Confectionery maker	Gwent	1997	86.16%	4,593	14	Sells chocolate RugRats and Monopoly to leading retailers
43	Plan-Net Services	Computer services provider	London	1997	85.85%	3,933	42	IT contractors teamed up to get big bank's business
44	Camco Air Conditioning	Air conditioning distributor	West Midlands	1997	85.66%	8,229	15	Rewards customers with its Ferrari for a day
45	Gamble Jarvis Plant	Industrial equipment provider	West Sussex	1997	85.13%	13,095	37	27 year-old family business shifts into high gear by selling imports from Canada
46	Thomson Pettie Tube Products	Steel products maker	Lanarkshire	1997	84.96%	5,602	150	After firm went into receivership owner bought it back at a quarter of the price
47	PMR Group	IT recruitment consultancy	Kent	1997	83.97%	7,454	20	Staff vote on major decisions
48	Systems Capital	Computer lessor	London	1997	83.75%	13,346	49	One-stop shop for computer leasing
49	Taran Microsystems	Computer assembler	Hampshire	1997	83.65%	8,121	18	The school of hard knocks: lost £60,000 to a disappearing supplier
50	BUE Marine	Marine services provider	Edinburgh	1997	83.27%	9,211	51	Operate solely in unpredictable Caspian Sea region
51	Boden	Clothing retailer	Northwest London	1997	82.45%	9,491	61	Use friends and staff as models for up-market catalogue
52	Svenska Palmer Construction	Specialist builder	Tyne & Wear	1997	81.97%	4,306	60	Builder specialises in Swedish timber-framed system of construction
53	Glotel	Recruitment agency	Central London	1997	81.15%	49,085	133	Eighteen offices internationally from San Francisco to Sydney
54	Lucas Flett	Waste equipment maker	Buckinghamshire	1997	80.73%	20,603	180	Owner bought back business he founded 30 years ago
55	Telesoft Design	Telephony switch maker	Dorset	1997	80.68%	6,430	35	Achieves the second-highest return on sales of all companies in the league table
56	Pride Valley Foods	Baker	County Durham	1997	79.90%	8,027	155	Secured new premises within hours of catastrophic fire
57	Tai Computer Systems	Computer components distributor	London	1997	79.79%	9,314	13	Three cousins squeeze £9m in sales from just 13 staff
58	Voyager Networks	Computer consultancy	Coventry	1997	79.75%	5,866	50	Installs computer networks for clients such as PepsiCo and the Civil Aviation Authority
59	Modular Technology	Manufacture and supply of data communications products	Oxfordshire	1997	79.68%	7,808	61	Company claims one in four PCs sold in Britain contains its products
60	Mason Communications	IT consultancy	Manchester	1997	79.66%	6,043	80	Full-time culture chief conducts company samba drum playing rituals
61	Countrywide Consortium	Provision of grounds maintenance services to corporates	Cheshire	1997	78.73%	8,478	20	Family-run business is sole franchisor in league table with 50 UK franchisees
62	Ink (Clothing)	Clothes manufacturer	London	1997	78.66%	3,359	11	Competes with Calvin Klein and Diesel, but in much lower price bracket
63	ComDis	Audio visual equipment provider	West Midlands	1997	77.38%	3,360	27	Husband and wife team capitalises on audio visual boom
64	Phoenix Computers	Computer services contractor	Northampton	1997	77.20%	12,172	220	Owner used venture capital backers to retire partner
65	TPD Group	Publishers of magazines and directories	London	1997	76.38%	15,243	143	Company says quality and employees matter more than aggressive profit targets
66	ADA Computer Systems	Computer installer	West Sussex	1997	75.98%	3,642	25	Sales people are trained to turn away unprofitable business
67	Interdependence	Financial support service	Hampshire	1997	75.96%	11,528	15	Company believes female co-founder provides healthy balance
68	Extra Personnel	Provision of temporary and permanent staff to industry	West Midlands	1997	74.59%	9,414	87	Claims to help the unemployed in its area
69	Carphone Warehouse	Mobile phone retailer	Northwest London	1997	74.36%	107,371	451	Becoming a household name and has the largest sales on the list
70	New Forest Foods	Poultry importer	Wiltshire	1997	74.33%	18,366	111	Brothers claim they can track imports down to the chicken that laid the egg
71	Henson Corporation	Recruitment agency	Essex	1997	74.01%	14,395	139	Sleeping beauty awakened by demands for experts to tackle millenium bug
72	DX Communications	Retail of mobile phones & network contracts	Lanarkshire	1997	73.61%	21,217	173	Young founder has built Scotland's leading cellular retailer [† Latest sales]
73	Aculab	Telephony equipment maker	Buckinghamshire	1997	73.46%	9,373	73	Jazz musician switched from sound mixing to digital telephony
74	The Gadget Shop	Gift retailer	Humberside	1997	73.32%	12,151	160	21 groovy stores hawk inflatable furniture, lava lamps, and trendy yo-yo's
75	Sol-Tec	Computer distributor	Reading	1997	72.86%	3,156	26	First and largest client cold-called from co-founder's bedroom
76	Special Delivery Services	Courier	London	1997	72.66%	7,075	173	Sophisticated database pinpoints package location with picture of messenger
77	Basebuy	Clothes retailer	Lancashire	1997	72.46%	3,332	100	13 stores still run by four people from founder's living room
78	Noto Catering	Japanese caterer	London	1997	72.32%	3,444	50	Runs Harrods' sushi bar and supplies Pret a Manger
79	Anglia Telecom Centres	Telecommunications specialist	Suffolk	1997	71.83%	37,270	235	Chief executive slept in his car to save money for start-up
80	Quartz	Air conditioning maker	Dorset	1997	71.80%	5,958	87	Founder sold out this year for £4m after four years in business
81	Computappoint	Recruitment agency	London	1997	71.76%	6,836	16	Former Harrods' manager used £10,000 credit-card loan to fund start-up
82	Ashbourne Communications	Cable installer	Southwest London	1997	71.43%	36,515	175	Irish brothers turn £10,000 into £37m sales business
83	MBI MBO	Hotelliers	Hertfordshire	1997	70.86%	3,696	75	Planet Hollywood-type hotel for backpackers and other business hotels in central London
84	ROC Recruitment	Recruitment agency	London	1997	70.78%	4,978	41	Company set up by female entrepreneur later joined by ex-army husband
85	Prosoft Logistics	CD maker	West London	1997	70.73%	5,479	35	Textbook case of three management consultants with venture capital backing
86	Telecom Design Communications	Electronic components distributor	Hampshire	1997	70.71%	3,503	23	One of company's largest customers, Modular Technology, is also on the list
87	Kingsburgh	Technology value added reseller	Edinburgh	1997	70.41%	5,479	35	Has profited from implementing Microsoft's frequent upgrades
88	Steljes	Reseller & hire of audio-visual equipment	West London	1997	70.03%	14,969	37	Won over banker by displaying business plan on equipment he planned to sell
89	PCI LiveDesign	Marketing agency	London	1997	69.97%	7,806	36	Boss uses 30-second recruiting test, arguing clients do the same
90	Gardman	Garden products wholesaler	Lincolnshire	1997	69.73%	6,762	87	Tuned into national gardening obsession
91	Miletrian	Contract cleaner	Surrey	1997	69.70%	27,434	188	22 year-old trainee chef spotted opportunity while cleaning offices to pay bills
92	CAE Office Supplies	Computer distributor	Hertfordshire	1997	68.86%	6,071	15	Business was set up by Iranian and Lebanese couple
93	Grampian Electronic Components	Electronic components distributor	Aberdeenshire	1997	68.46%	4,096	20	Co-founder sold fish and chip shop to join childhood friend in business [† Latest sales]
94	MJ Quinn (Electrical)	Electrical contractor	Merseyside	1997	68.06%	5,332	39	Has won contracts with organisations such as Railtrack and London Underground
95	TeleAdapt	Hotel telecoms provider	Central London	1997	68.03%	4,118	71	Supplies more than 40 types of telephone sockets to business travellers
96	Prime Time Recruitment	Recruitment agency	Northampton	1997	67.32%	21,720	165	Opened seven regional offices on day one with the help of venture capital
97	Logistix	Marketing agency	Buckinghamshire	1997	67.29%	10,314	24	Founders mortgaged homes to buy company back from receiver
98	STH Stretch The Horizon	Marketing agency	London	1997	66.61%	7,654	32	Regular brainstorming sessions with staff
99	Glyn Webb Wallpapers	Suppliers of wallpaper and home improvements	Lancashire	1997	66.55%	24,789	447	Claims to have funded 10 new stores in past 3 years with retained earnings
100	The Jean Scene	Clothes retailer	West Lothian	1997	66.01%	4,818	116	Raju Tali started as market trader at the age of 21

* Supplied by Company † Annualised figure

Data Source: www.fasttrack.co.uk

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