Eazyfone tops Fast Track league in the region
FOURTEEN North West companies, which together employ 5,591 people and have combined sales of more than £546m, have been rated among the country’s fastest growing companies.
The number of companies from the region to have made the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 list has surged dramatically, from just eight last year.
Highest placed in the annual ranking was Macclesfield-based mobile phone recycler Eazyfone, which made it into the top five nationally, and is one of ten companies in the North West to make it onto the league table for the first time.
Founded in 2001 and now led by chief executive Nicholas Brown, the Cheshire company buys up to 200,000 old mobile phones each month, which are then sold on to customers in mainland Europe and the Far East. Sales have grown 177% a year from an annualised £1.7m in 2006 to £36.2m in 2009, according to the ranking.
Seven of the 14 North West companies that made the ranking were in the top 50 with Eazyfone, including Knowsley payroll provider I-Paye (ranked 7); online gift retailer Getting Personal (12); sports nutrition company Myprotein; recruitment firm Fine Green Associates (30); payroll provider Danbro (40); and Southport-based SFC, a fried chicken wholesaler (49).
Altrincham-based GettingPersonal.co.uk saw sales surge 149% to £6.3m over the year.
Co-founder Giles Harridge said: “It just goes to show that when you treat your customers as you’d wish to be treated then rewards will follow.”
He added: “The business is built on innovation; we strive to be first and best in what we do. We design hundreds of new products every day that customers simply can’t buy elsewhere. The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 is recognition that our company is rubbing shoulders with national brands and is one to watch.”
Blackpool-based B&M Retail has also made it onto the league table for the first time, and is the largest employer with 3,119 staff.
Brothers Simon and Bobby Arora bought the discount chain in 2004 and have expanded from 21 stores, to 140 high street and retail park outlets across the country. British shoppers’ flight to value have helped sales grow 55% a year from an annualised £69.3m in 2005 to £256m in 2008.
The full findings will be published with the business section of The Sunday Times on 6 December and on www.fasttrack.co.uk.
