Telecoms firm heads up list of fast growing firms in North West
Telecommunications firm Daisy Group is one of the fastest growing firms according to a league table published this weekend.
Twenty five companies from the North West feature in the annual league table of mid-market companies.
The 14th annual Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250 league table ranks Britain’s private mid-market growth companies with the biggest sales.
The 25 companies headquartered in the northwest – compared to 21 last year – have made a strong contribution to the local economy.
The firms increased combined sales 17% to £6.7bn and operating profits 27% to £913m, and employ almost 38,000 people.
Daisy Group, based in Nelson, Lancashire, features for the first time this year.
The communications services provider, which was founded by Matthew Riley, floated in 2009 and was delisted in 2015 in a £494m buyout backed by private equity firm Toscafund.
The company thrived last year despite the collapse of a major deal with TalkTalk and dales grew 14% to reach £684m.
There are 11 other entrants in the northwest that were not on the league table last year, including Village Hotels, the Warrington-based hotel operator; and Everton Football Club, which benefitted from the first year of the £5bn TV rights deal last year to post a 41% rise in turnover to £171m and almost fivefold increase in profits to £25m.
The companies in the northwest appear with businesses from around the UK, including Travelodge, Trainline, PureGym and The White Company.
The Top Track 250 is sponsored by Grant Thornton and Lloyds Banking Group, and compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
Karen Campbell-Williams, Partner at Grant Thornton, said: “Advances in robotics and artificial intelligence, the pervasive challenge of cybercrime, and the uncertain impacts of Brexit are among the significant issues facing Britain today.
“If we are to continue turning innovative ideas into businesses with international scale, we all need to play our part in shaping a vibrant economy that thrives.
“In this, the role of the mid-market is crucial.
“Resilient despite the headwinds, the Top Track 250 are innovating, winning business and adapting to generate value. There is much to learn from them.”
