Profit Track 100


The Sunday Times Profit Track 100 is an annual league table published in association with The Sunday Times newspaper in the UK. It ranks Britain’s 100 private companies with the fastest-growing profits over their last three years. It is published in The Sunday Times each April, with an awards event typically held in June, and alumni dinners during the year. The league table is researched and produced by Fast Track, an Oxford based research and networking events business.

About Fast Track

Fast Track is a leading research and events company that has built a network of the UK’s top-performing private companies, from the fastest-growing to the biggest, through its rankings in The Sunday Times. Founded in 1997 by Hamish Stevenson, it now publishes seven annual league tables and brings company founders and directors together at invitation-only networking awards events and alumni dinners.

Entry criteria

Companies have to meet the criteria below to be able to qualify for the Profit Track 100 league table:
Companies that do not meet the criteria can still be considered for the Ones to Watch programme. This is a selection of companies that have either achieved, or predict, good profit growth.
Exclusions
Excluded companies include pure property and financial trading companies, and those with restricted accounts; companies that are equal joint ventures, or majority-owned by quoted or other companies

Notable alumni companies

Profit Track 100 was launched in 2000 to recognise Britain’s private companies with the fastest growing profits. Since then, 1,500 companies have appeared on the league table, including:
The 21st annual Sunday Times Profit Track 100 league table supplement was due to be published on 5th April, 2020. However, given the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Fast Track delayed publication in order to liaise with the featured companies. Out of the original 100 companies, 70 explicitly asked to feature, and 30 did not want to be included. In addition to the league table ranking, the supplement highlighted the positive actions that some companies took to support their staff, local communities, the NHS and key workers during the initial stages of the pandemic. The number one ranked company was fitness clothing retailer Gymshark, which grew its operating profits from £1.1m in 2016 to £18.6m in 2019.

Yearly Winners

YearCompany NameCategoryProfit Growth Latest Profits
2000JobServeInternet Recruitment publisher124.14%7,250
2001Hazell CarrActuarial Services Provider114.24%14,472
2002Complete CommunicationsTV and Film Producer177.50%15,359
2003Apple CorpsMusic Rights Owner194.06%18,234
2004The Entertainment GroupFilm Distributor196.85%61,558
2005BinomialInsurance Underwriter159.30%13,556
2006HESCO BastionDefence Barrier Maker236.04%35,598
2007Virgin MoneyBank147.00%9,117
2008AFI UpliftConstruction equipment supplier114.24%5,402
2009Merlin EntertainmentVisitor Attraction operator129.66%127,400
2010Mayday HealthcareRecruitment Consultancy166.54%9,704
2011R&R Ice CreamIce Cream Manufacturer210.22%43,439
2012Partnership AssuranceLife Assurance Specialist210.53%37,701
2013Partnership AssuranceLife Assurance Specialist176.36%66,970
2014The Hut GroupOnline Retailer178.03%10,853
2015The Hut GroupOnline Retailer216.58%15,959
2016AnescoEnergy Efficiency Consultancy179.15%20,706
2017PaymentsensePayment processing services203%14,000
2018DreamsBed manufacturer and retailer166.89%34,505
2019LoveholidaysOnline travel agency190.96%13,350
2020GymsharkFitness clothing retailer156.20%18,565

Other Fast Track publications

Profit Track 100 is one of seven league tables of private companies produced by Fast Track and published in The Sunday Times: