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INEOS GROUP IS BRITAIN’S TOP PRIVATE COMPANY

Chemicals giant climbs two places to number 1 in Jordans‘ new “Britain‘s Top Privately Owned Companies” rankings

New Top 20 includes Gala Coral, Unipart and C&J Clark

Chemicals company INEOS Group Ltd. is today named the UK‘s leading privately-owned company.

The world‘s third largest chemical company, based at Lymington in Hampshire, INEOS recorded a turnover of £17.914 billion for the year ended 2007, making it comfortably the largest private company in the country, up from its position at number 3 last year.

The findings are contained in the new edition of “Britain‘s Top Privately Owned Companies”, published by Jordans, the UK‘s biggest provider of professional business services and information to companies and their advisers.

The publication contains analysis of the 10,000 leading private companies, ranked not only in terms of turnover but also according to categories including pre-tax profits, profit margins, profitability, wage bill and net assets.

Global steel trading company Stemcor Holdings Ltd., based in London, stays at number 2 in the latest list with a turnover of £3.308 billion, while Birmingham-based Specialist Computer Holdings plc moves up from number 5 to number 4 with sales of £2.04 billion.

The company is one of two plcs to appear in this year‘s Top 20 listing of privately owned companies, because it has no official listing on the Stock Exchange.

Four companies appear in the Top 20 not having appeared anywhere in last year‘s Top 2,000 – Innovative Global Business Group, based in Stanmore, Middlesex, which was only formed in 2005 and goes straight in at number 3,

Darlington-based Hotelier Group, formed in 2004, at number 10, London-based Colt Telecom Group Ltd., at number 14, which provides data, voice and managed services, and mobile phone company Electron Global Ltd., also based in the capital.

Meanwhile London-based companies The Export Company (UK) Ltd., and Vetco International Ltd., move up the rankings from 511 to 15, and from 86 to 8, respectively.

The Top 20 also features famous names such as bingo and casino operator Gala Coral Group, at number 13, logistics and automotive parts company Unipart Group Ltd., at number 18, and footwear company C&J Clark Ltd., at number 20.

And while Greater London has the most companies in the 20, with nine, there are three entries from Scotland and two from Birmingham.

The AA Ltd. (27), Guardian Media Group plc (30), James Dyson Ltd. (55), Bernard Matthews Holdings Ltd. (69), and whisky distillers William Grant and Sons Holdings (70), also appear in the Top 100. 

Geoff Wilcock, Director of Business Information Services at Jordans, said: “Once again this annual survey illustrates the great diversity in the UK‘s leading private companies.

“Although a number of ‘hardy perennials‘ appear again at the top of the list, some new star performers have entered the rankings and acquisition has removed some notable companies.”

Here is the full list of the UK‘s Top 20 private companies, with last year‘s position in brackets: 

1.                  INEOS Group Ltd., (Lyndhurst, Hampshire), sale and manufacture of chemicals, £17.914 billion (3)

2.                  Stemcor Holdings Ltd., (EC2), international trading in steel products, £3.308 billion (2)

3.                  Innovative Global Business Group Ltd. (Stanmore), company with a wide range of products and services in the consumer, business and international markets, £1.545 billion (-)

4.                  Specialist Computer Holdings plc (Birmingham), sale and distribution of computer systems, £2.150 billion (5)

5.                  Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd., (Glasgow), sale, hire and servicing of motor vehicles, £1.873 billion (8)

6.                  Grampian Country Food Group Ltd., (Aberdeen), meat processing,  £1.807 billion (7)

7.                  European Metal Recycling Ltd., (Warrington), transport and reclamation of metals, £1.690 billion (12)

8.                  Vetco International Ltd., (W1), manufacture and sale of drilling equipment for oil and gas exploration, £1.599 billion (86)

9.                  Bestway (Holdings) Ltd., (NW10), cash and carry warehouses, £1.329 billion (17)

10.             The Hotelier Group plc, (Darlington, Co. Durham), hotels, £1.258 billion (-)

11.             Newarthill Ltd., (WC1) civil engineering and building contractors, £1.253 billion (22)

12.             Wilkinson Hardware Stores Ltd., (Worksop, Notts), retail hardware,  £1.246 billion (15)

13.             Gala Coral Group Ltd., (Barking), bingo clubs and casinos, £1.226 billion (44)

14.             Colt Telecom Group Ltd., (EC3), data, voice and managed services, £1.213 billion (-)

15.             The Export Company (UK) Ltd., (SE1), sourcing agents for distribution and wholesale of telecommunications products, precious stones and metals, £1.159 billion (511)

16.             Linpac Group Ltd., (Birmingham), plastic conversion, logistics, paper manufacture and conversion, metal conversion, pallet racking and waste paper, £1.151 billion (14)

17.             The Miller Group Ltd., (Edinburgh), property development and investment, £1.092 billion (30)

18.             Unipart Group of Companies Ltd., (Oxford) logistics and automotive parts, £1.083 billion (16)

19.             Electron Global Ltd., (E1), purchasing and selling of mobile phones and accessories, £1.014 billion (-)

20.             C&J Clark Ltd., (Street, Somerset), worldwide shoe retailing and manufacturing, £0.972 billion (19) 

This is the 25th edition of Jordans‘ annual survey, charting the progress of the UK‘s private companies. The full survey comprises five volumes based on company size. For more information, including costs, contact Denise Sebastian on 0117 918 1283, or email denise_sebastian@jordans.co.uk 

ENDS             28th February 2008

For further information please contact Neil Fraser, Sturgess Van Damme, on 01275 349011 or email neil@sturgessvandamme.co.uk

 Notes to Editors

 

• Jordans Limited has been providing professional business services for over 140 years. These services now include company formations and administration in the UK and internationally, business information and conveyancing support.
• Jordans‘ business information services include company searches, data sales (either large or small batches of data on companies and directors) and three branded products – JordanWatch, a database of information and reports on companies, NameGuard, a company name-watching service, and KYC (Know Your Client) Reports used for anti-money laundering information.
• Jordans is committed to providing a first-class service and enjoys a reputation for quality, reliability and professionalism.