Fastest-growing private companies in the East Mids revealed

Five East Midlands companies have been named in the the 22nd annual Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing sales.

The region’s top-ranked company is clinical trials supplier Midwinter Solutions, which is also in the top 3 nationally. Founded in 2013 by two former employees from Clinigen, the Burton-on-Trent pharmaceuticals company that was No 1 on Fast Track 100 in 2011, and now works with 70 global biopharmaceutical manufacturers. It grew its sales by an average of 233% a year over the last three years to £61.8m in the year to February – £11m of which were overseas.

The other new entrants include Northamptonshire-based gin distiller Warner Edwards. Husband-and-wife team Tom Warner and Tina Warner-Keogh from farming families established it in 2012, and now produce six flavours of small-batch, handcrafted gin at Falls Farm. Sales grew 143% pa to £6.1m last year.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Group, said: “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.”