Published this weekend, the 12th annual Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250 league table ranks Britain’s private mid-market growth companies with the biggest sales.
The 29 companies headquartered in Scotland (compared to 23 last year) have made a strong contribution to the local economy. The companies increased combined sales 17% to £7.2bn and operating profits 49% to £562m, and they employ more than 41,000 people.
The biggest mid-market growth company in Scotland is bus and coach manufacturer Alexander Dennis, based in Larbert in Stirlingshire, whose fuel-efficient, environmentally-friendly buses are used across Asia, Australasia and North America. Sales have grown 20% to over £600m, helped by orders from Hong Kong.
There are 17 entrants in Scotland that were not on the league table last year, including Edinburgh-based travel search engine Skyscanner, food producer Baxters, based in Fochabers in Moray, and Edinburgh Airport, which is celebrating its centenary this year and whose sales grew 11% to reach £145m.
Langholm-based clothing retailer Edinburgh Woollen Mill achieved the biggest profits in Scotland with £83m, up 17%. The company operates more than 1,000 outlets with brands such Austin Reed, Country Casuals and Jane Norman, and recorded sales of £563m in 2015.
The companies in Scotland appear with businesses from around the UK, including Arsenal, Barbour, Dr Martens, Nando’s, Virgin Active and Wagamama.
The league table and awards programme is sponsored by Grant Thornton, and compiled for the 12th year by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events company.
Vishal Chopra, Partner at Grant Thornton UK LLP, the title sponsor of the league table, praised the companies for their performance:
“In the wake of the EU referendum it is more important than ever that businesses, and the public and the third sectors work together to help the UK to build on its strengths and ensure that the economy continues to grow. I am heartened to see how these businesses are embracing a collaborative approach to drive prosperity throughout the UK and wider society.”
Ordered by county: Mid-market private growth companies in Scotland
| HQ location and county | Rank
[2015 rank] |
Company
Activity |
Sales £m | Profit £m‡ | Staff | Year end | Main shareholders |
| Aberdeen Aberdeenshire |
68 | Stewart Milne Group Housebuilder & timber systems maker |
253 | 12 | 793 | Jun 15 | Stewart Milne and family (100%) |
| Aberdeen Aberdeenshire |
203 | Balmoral Group Polymer engineer and manufacturer |
137 | 31 | 557 | Mar 15 | Jim Milne & family (100%) |
| Aberdeen Aberdeenshire |
204 | Dingbro Automotive component distributor |
136 | 9 | 1,281 | Sep 15 | James Dingwall (51%), Kenneth Dingwall (49%) |
| Earlston Berwickshire |
110 [170] |
BSW Timber Timber supplier |
210 | 10 | 1,042 | Mar 15 | Brownlie family (93%), other (7%) |
| Langholm Dumfriesshire |
9 [12] |
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Clothing retailer |
563 | 83 | 10,205 | Feb 15 | Philip Day (100%) |
| Markinch Fife |
220 | James Donaldson Group Timber merchants |
127 | 6 | 680 | Mar 16 | Donaldson family (85%), employees (15%) |
| Dunfermline Fife |
246 | Scott Group Industrial supplier |
117 | 4 | 878 | Dec 14 | John Scott (76%), Norman Scott (24%) |
| Fraserburgh Grampian |
226 | Gray & Adams Trailer & vehicle manufacturer |
*125 | *8 | 700 | Apr 16 | James Gray Jnr (43%), Peter Gray (43%), Marie Gray (14%) |
| Bellshill Lanarkshire |
165 [226] |
Dalziel Butchers’ supplier |
163 | 14 | 542 | Oct 15 | Stuart Dalziel (43%), John Darroch (21%), EBT (15%), other (21%) |
| Edinburgh Midlothian |
13 [2] |
The Miller Homes Group Housebuilder |
*526 | *76 | 722 | Dec 15 | GSO Capital Partners (Blackstone) (56%), Lloyds Banking Group & Shackleton Capital Partners (31%), Miller family and employees (13%) |
| Edinburgh Midlothian |
15 [21] |
CALA Group Housebuilder |
512 | 73 | 655 | Jun 15 | Legal & General & Patron Haut LP (95.3%), management (4.7%) |
| Edinburgh Midlothian |
187 | Edinburgh Airport Airport operator |
145 | 45 | 552 | Dec 15 | Global Infrastructure Partners (>50%), management (<50%) |
| Edinburgh Midlothian |
240 | Skyscanner Travel search engine |
120 | 13 | 674 | Dec 15 | Venture capital, including Sequoia Capital & Scottish Equity Partners (>50%), founders & management (<50%) |
| Fochabers Moray |
93 | Baxters Food producer |
226 | 10 | 1,600 | May 15 | Audrey Baxter (38%), Baxter family trust (36%), Andrew Baxter (25%), James Baxter (1%) |
| Airdrie North Lanarkshire |
106 [247] |
T.O.M. Vehicle Rental Rental vehicle provider |
*213 | *14 | 575 | Mar 16 | Rafferty family (50%), Hugh Stewart (25%), Grier family (25%) |
| Bellshill North Lanarkshire |
209 | Advance Construction Group Construction services |
133 | 8 | 1,047 | Mar 15 | Seamus Shields (50%), Daniella Shields (50%) |
| Linwood Renfrewshire |
101 [162] |
Malcolm Group Logistics and construction services |
216 | 8 | 1,921 | Jan 15 | Malcolm family (78%), Caird Capital (19%), other (3%) |
| Selkirk Scottish Borders |
244 | Spark Energy Energy supplier |
119 | 5 | 246 | Jun 15 | Numerous minority shareholders (100%) |
| Hamilton South Lanarkshire |
20 [39] |
Park’s Motor Group Car dealer |
448 | 17 | 1,267 | Mar 15 | Douglas Park and family (100%) |
| Larbert Stirlingshire |
4 | Alexander Dennis Bus and coach manufacturer |
602 | 26 | 2,314 | Dec 15 | Highland Global Transport fund (55%), Noble Grossart Investments (33%), Colin Robertson (6%), Deborah Robertson (5%) |
| Stirling Stirlingshire |
21 [84] |
Robertson Construction services |
*438 | *19 | 1,637 | Mar 16 | Robertson family (100%) |
| Falkirk Stirlingshire |
67 [115] |
Peoples Car dealer |
*255 | *7 | 397 | Jul 16 | Brian Gilda (85%), Stewart Ramsay (15%) |
| Stirling Stirlingshire |
117 | FES Construction support services |
204 | 7 | 1,905 | Aug 15 | Duncan S Fletcher & family (98%), other (2%) |
| Stirling Stirlingshire |
239 | Castle View Leisure services manager |
120 | 6 | 5,171 | Mar 15 | Martin Bell (95%), Caroline Bell (5%) |
| Glasgow Strathclyde |
22 [53] |
Peter Vardy Car dealer |
437 | 10 | 777 | Dec 15 | Sir Peter Vardy (55%), Peter Vardy (40%), Lady Margaret Vardy (5%) |
| Glasgow Strathclyde |
150 [222] |
Search Consultancy Recruitment consultancy |
174 | 6 | 625 | Jan 16 | Saints Capital (65%), management (35%) |
| Glasgow Strathclyde |
170 | Gap Group Plant and tool hire |
158 | 18 | 1,454 | Mar 16 | Douglas Anderson (37.5%), Iain Anderson (37.5%), Maureen Smith (20%), other family and management (5%) |
| Glasgow Strathclyde |
224 | CCG Building contractor |
125 | 7 | 609 | Mar 15 | Alastair Wylie (67%), Bernie Rooney (33%) |
| Bo’ness West Lothian |
181 | James Walker Timber merchant |
*151 | *11 | 600 | Mar 16 | Walker family (70%), John Campbell (24%), employees (6%) |
‡ Profits = operating profits * Supplied by the company
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