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Revealed: Four North East firms make Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 league table

Four North East private firms will feature in the 17th annual Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 league table, set to be published this weekend.

The table ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing profits over three years and highlights those who have made a strong contribution to the local economy..

The four companies headquartered in the region, compared to two last year, include three new entrants to the league table. Together they employ 2,400 staff and have achieved combined profits of £33m.

Entrants

The top ranked entrant from the North East is Billingham-based Able Group, an industrial services company specialising in decommissioning of ships and offshore installations, which is listed at number 13 on the list.

Chris McManus, pictured above, features in our North East appointment roundup this week following his appointment as Able’s new Group Finance Director.

Over the last three years the firm has recorded annual profit growth of 111% at £11m. Currently, the business, which employs 87 people, is developing a £450m marine energy and logistics port on the River Humber.

Ranked 26th on the list is protection equipment manufacturer Mech-Tool Engineering. The Darlington-based business, which recently won contracts in South Korea and Kazakhstan, saw recent profits rise by 75% to £12m.

Among the new entrants in the region is Sunderland-based Hays Travel. The travel agency more than doubled its retail shop network in 2013 when it bought Bath Travel for an undisclosed sum, helping profits rise by an average of 85% a year to £6m in 2015. It plans to open a further 30 stores in West Yorkshire this year.

Above image shows John Hays pictured with travel and tourism students from Sunderland College.

Featuring for the third time is Durham-based Esh Group, which has divisions involved in most areas of construction, including civil engineering, property development and social housing maintenance.

Improved market confidence, the acquisition of Border Construction for an undisclosed sum, and investment in its Yorkshire operations helped it grow profits by an average of 75% a year to £12m in 2014.

Brian Manning, Esh Chief Executive, pictured above.

Terry Jones, partner at BDO, the title sponsor of the league table, said: “Medium-sized businesses across the UK are thriving, creating one in four jobs and responsible for one third of the country’s total revenue.

“They are seizing the opportunities a recovering economy presents and the most profitable have remained focused on sustainable growth through investment in innovation, diversification and overseas expansion.”

At a glance

A look at where the North East firms sit in the table.

The companies in the region appear with businesses from around the UK, including domestic appliance manufacturer Gtech, craft beer maker BrewDog, sushi bar chain Wasabi and toy retailer The Entertainer.