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In the fast lane


With plans to curb energy bills and carbon emissions high on the political agenda, the future looks bright for Anesco, the Reading-based energy efficiency consultancy. It saw its sales rocket an average 267% a year over the past three years – to £55.1 million in 2013 – to head the Fast Track 100 league table which ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest growing sales.


The company claims to have helped take more than 40,000 people out of fuel poverty since it was spun out from Scottish & Southern Energy in 2010 by executive board director


Adrian Pike and Tim Payne, who was managing director of SSE’s contracting division. Between them the pair had 45 years’ service at the utility under their belts.


Anesco advises homeowners, businesses such as Whitbread and the Bodyshop, and local authorities on renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services. It then provides equipment and financing and secures maintenance contracts.


The majority of revenues come from domestic and commercial solar installation, energy efficiency


measures for homeowners, and ground-mounted solar panels – it installed and maintains one of Britain’s largest solar farms in the New Forest, which can generate enough electricity to power 1,000 homes.


A High Wycombe business launched only four years ago was the only other Thames Valley-based company to make the top 20. Mint Velvet (14th) was founded by Liz Houghton, Stuart Grant, Lisa Agar-Rea and Jane Rawlings to sell relaxed but glamorous clothing for women, and its sales have climbed to £34.4m this year. Annual sales growth over the three years averaged almost 133%.


Delivering excellence


The brand has now expanded to more than 100 stores in the UK and Ireland, of which 18 are stand-alone boutiques, and has a total staff of 350. The retailer’s clothing, shoes and accessories are also sold online and through concessions in John Lewis, Fenwick and House of Fraser. Mint Velvet recently ventured overseas, opening two concessions in Singapore.


Guildford group The Gym, which was the highest-placed regional company last year, was 25th in the latest list with sales of £22.6m. Former England squash player John Treharne founded the chain in 2008.


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The business offers low-cost membership without contracts, a model that has proved popular with sales climbing 104% a year to £22.6m in 2012. It now has 38 health clubs nationwide, with a further 26 in the pipeline. New owner Phoenix Equity Partners took over last June in a deal that valued the company at £90m.


Cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham uses the circulation boosting medical device of Actegy Health, the Ascot company listed 30th. Former accountants Josh and Roseanna Penny set up the business 10 years ago and, helped by a staff of 25, saw sales reach £26.3m last year.


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The company specialises in medical devices for use at home, and its


patented products include a blood circulation booster for legs and a respiratory device. The firm employs clinical researchers, product developers and sales and marketing teams through offices in mainland Europe, Australia, Singapore and North America.


Another Reading company making the top half of the table was Roc Search (47th), which specialises in the ICT and engineering sectors. Founded in 2007 by recruitment specialist Conor Roughneen, it opened two offices in Covent Garden and Frankfurt last year as sales reached £11.6m.


Huntswood (59), also based in Reading, was founded in 1996 to handle regulatory issues for banks, pension firms and insurance companies. It counts each of the top six retail banks, as well as many members of the FTSE 100, as clients. With a staff of over 1,400 led by chief executive Craig Coffield, sales reached £137.3m in 2012.


Oxford’s only entry in the list, Oroginal BTC (71), is a family- owned business which designs and makes high-quality lighting and was founded in 1989 by Peter Bowles. Son Charlie joined in 2009 and is responsible for design and sales. Turnover reached £6.1m last year.


Based in Marlow, FoundOcean (75) is a specialist in subsea grouting — the use of concrete and sea water to stabilise pipelines and secure offshore oil rigs and wind turbines. Chairman Keith Miller set up the firm in 1988 and has seen an increase in the number of offshore wind farms help sales to £18.3m in 2012.


Guildford-based Pearmain Pubs (97), founded by Richard Brown and Anthony Hancock, is a “smart suburban” group which operates five pub and restaurant sites in rural villages in Surrey. Sales reached £7.8m last year.


The 17th annual listing, compiled by Oxford-based Fast Track, was published in The Sunday Times and sponsored by Virgin.


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – FEBRUARY 2014


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