A celebration of the fastest movers

We reveal the businesses who have made it into the Yorkshire Fastest 50 2013 – the most comprehensive list of the region’s fastest-growing companies.

Sponsored by Top 100 UK law firm Ward Hadaway and backed by the Yorkshire Post, the list highlights and celebrates companies in the region who have shown the largest growth over recent years. By recognising high achieving companies, we aim to encourage others to follow in their foot- steps.

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls MP will be the guest of honour at the Fastest 50 2013 Awards ceremony.

Mr Balls, the MP for Morley & Outwood, has been Shadow Chancellor since 2011 and is one of the most influential thinkers in Labour circles on the economy.

The Yorkshire Fastest 50 2013 contains businesses from a wide range of sectors, including manufacturers, engineers, retailers and logistics firms.

It has been compiled in association with Top 100 UK law firm Ward Hadaway, which has itself seen strong growth since setting up its Yorkshire operation in Leeds in summer 2008.

A dazzling range of companies appear on the list, which is testament to the Yorkshire economy’s strength in depth.

They include Sheffield-based William Cook Holdings, a family-owned firm which started out as a steel casting manufacturer and now concentrates on sophisticated components. Under its chairman, Andrew Cook, the company has established a commanding presence in the defence equipment market. In a sign of the times, the list includes Leeds-based Poundworld Retail, which sells more than 3,000 products at £1 each in more than 180 stores. Also featured on the list is Skipton-based Wage Day Advance, which specialises in short-term loans of up to £750.

Batley-based Transglobal Fuels walked off with the titles of Fastest Growing Large Business and Overall Fastest Growing Business in the 2012 Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards.

The company, which is one of the biggest suppliers of petrol and diesel to independent fuel retailers and road hauliers, is also in contention this year.

Martin Hulls, the head of office at Ward Hadaway Leeds, said yesterday: “We wanted the Yorkshire Fastest 50 to be a celebration of achievement by companies from right across the region and we think it has delivered exactly that.

“It has also hopefully provided a fascinating snapshot of the region’s economy and the sheer variety of businesses which call Yorkshire home.”

Ward Hadaway managing partner, Jamie Martin, added: “All the businesses listed here are forging ahead and growing in difficult economic conditions – they are real trailblazers who deserve our support, encouragement and our congratulations.”

Following today’s publication of the Yorkshire Fastest 50, an awards ceremony will take place at Aspire Leeds on Friday, March 15 when the winners of the Yorkshire Fastest 50 2013 will be revealed.

There, awards will be given to the fastest growing small, medium and large business, as well as an overall award for the fastest growing business of the year.

FASTEST 50 LIST

Here is the Yorkshire Fastest 50 for 2012 in alphabetical order:

Abbey Forged Products Ltd, Sheffield. This family-owned company is one of Europe’s leading metal forging and stainless steel suppliers. The main focus of the company is on the provision of bespoke Open Die and ring rolled forgings for the oil and gas market.

Access Hire Nationwide Limited, Normanton. A supplier of vehicle mount access platforms and specialist equipment throughout the UK, Access Hire Nationwide deals with most leading power, utility, telecommunications businesses and public sector local authorities.

Advanced Engineering Techniques Limited, Sheffield. This Sheffield manufacturer uses the latest techniques to provide engineering solutions to companies in a wide range of sectors including transport, defence, renewable energy, agricultural and construction.

Advanced Processing Limited, Bradford. Based in Bradford, Advanced is a logistics specialist which offers its clients the ability to manage every element of the supply chain from the factory to the sales floor. As well as transport, it also provides services such as garment processing and e-fulfilment.

Andrew Marr International Limited, Hessle. With a history stretching back over 100 years, this company is involved in a broad range of marine and shore-based activities including seafood trading and marketing, fishing vessel investment and management, ice manufacture, temperature controlled storage and food manufacturing.

Angelbell Ltd, Sheffield. This food wholesale company operates from the Handsworth area of Sheffield.

BDB Design Build Limited, Sheffield. Formed in 1988, BDB Design Build is a specialist building contractor operating throughout the UK. It carries out projects in sectors including retail, leisure, industrial, office and motor retail.

BJSS Limited, Leeds. An IT consultancy specialising in solutions to complex IT problems, BJSS was founded in 1993 and now employs over 380 technologists delivering IT architecture, project management, business analysis, software design, development and testing services to an international client base.

Boost Drinks Limited, Leeds. Launched in 2001, this company manufactures three ranges of energy drinks under the ‘Boost’ brand – Boost Energy, Boost Sport and Boost Active. It now sells its products in 12 different countries, including Nigeria, Ghana and Afghanistan, as well as the UK.

Bradbury Group Limited, Scunthorpe. Operating three different divisions - Bradbury Security, Cross-guard and Newton Security Doors - the Bradbury Group is a leading UK manufacturer of steel security products including fire safety doors, security grilles and computer server cabinets.

Bradford Hide Company Limited, Bradford. This company is one of the largest suppliers of UK domestic cattle hides, calfskins, sheepskins, lambskins and goatskins. It handles around 20,000 cattle hides and 50,000 sheepskins and lambskins a week, supplying leather tanneries around the world.

CF Booth Limited, Rotherham. Established in 1920, CF Booth has grown to become a leading independent metal recycling company with customers across the world. Its success and impact was demonstrated when the company won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2012.

Caterers Choice Limited, Huddersfield. Family-run food specialist Caterers Choice specialises in providing imported food and drink to a variety of markets in the UK. Its clients include contract caterers, hotel and restaurant groups, sandwich makers, manufacturers and schools.

Contract Natural Gas Limited, Harrogate. CNG provides a range of advice and services to commercial gas users, offering itself as a real alternative to the ‘Big Six’ gas companies. It is the first commercial gas supplier to receive the ‘outstanding’ Investor in Customers Award.

ELG Haniel Metals Limited, Sheffield. Established in 1981, ELG Haniel Metals Ltd specialises in trading and processing raw materials for the stainless steel industry with nine recycling operations across the UK. In 2006, the company won the Queens Award for Enterprise in Innovation.

Edmund Optics Ltd, York. Edmund Optics has supplied quality optics, imaging and opto-mechanical components for over 70 years. Its products are used in a variety of applications ranging from DNA sequencing to retinal eye scanning.

Evolution Power Tools Ltd, Sheffield. Evolution makes industrial power tools, particularly for the steel and fabrication industry. Based in Sheffield, the company also has offices and distribution in the US and worldwide agents in over 30 countries.

Freudenberg Filtration Technologies UK Limited, Elland. This company manufactures and supplies filtration systems for industrial and consumer applications. Its customers include major companies in the automotive and general engineering sectors while it also makes a range of human protection safety products.

FSH Maintenance Ltd, Castleford. FSH specialises in the repair, rebuilding and refurbishment of domestic and commercial properties suffering from the effects of fire, flood and other damage. It uses a range of tradesmen including bricklayers, joiners and plumbers to restore buildings.

Help-Link UK Limited, Leeds. This business has grown from a local heating engineering company into a national business which now carries out over 20,000 boiler installation and boiler replacements across the UK every year.

Hindle Group Limited, Bradford. Hindle Group is made up of three divisions – Hindle Gears, Hindle Reman and Hindle Control & Cables – involved with the gear and gearbox manufacturing, the remanufacturing of engine and transmission and components and the manufacture and distribution of industrial and marine controls.

Hudson Contract Services Limited, Bridlington. Hudson Contract Services specialises in providing contract and payroll services for companies in the construction sector. It has over 2,000 clients, ranging from single operatives to PLCs.

James Durrans & Sons Limited, Sheffield. Celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, this company supplies carbon-based materials such as refractory coatings, milled coal dust and anthracite, metallurgical and petroleum cokes to manufacturers across the world.

James Mortimer Limited, Driffield. Based in Driffield, James Mortimer Limited is a grain, seed and fertiliser merchants.

KA Anderson (Metal Recyclers) Limited, Ripon. This recycling company has been operating for over 40 years, and serves customers in the North East, North West and Yorkshire. It currently handles over 2,000 tonnes of material per week from private customers to large multinationals.

King Cole Limited, Keighley. Knitting yarns, patterns and accessories specialist King Cole has been a family business since it was founded in 1935. It supplies knitting wool retailers throughout the UK and was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2012.

M Kettlewell (Melmerby) Limited, Ripon. Specialising in road haulage and logistics services, M Kettlewell is based in Ripon in North Yorkshire.

Magma Ceramics & Catalyst Ltd, Dewsbury. Magma Ceramics & Catalysts is a specialist manufacturer of precision cast, fired and unfired refractory ceramic components, catalysts and absorbent materials used in a wide variety of applications from glass and steel-making to the petro-chemical industry.

Minster Law Group Limited, York. This law firm specialises in providing legal advice on road traffic accidents and personal injury cases.

Morley Waste Traders Limited, Leeds. Operating 10 sites across Yorkshire, Morley Waste Traders processes iron, steel and other ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals. Its clients range from regional councils and major corporate businesses to small enterprises and private individuals.

MSM Foods Limited, Normanton. Food wholesaler MSM supplies and sells a wide range of Polish food products to customers across the UK.

Nicholas Associates Ltd, Rotherham. This company provides a range of services including recruitment, personnel development, software and consulting.

PDA Marketing Limited, Holmfirth. This West Yorkshire firm specialises in organising the manufacture of outdoor and leisure clothing overseas for leading UK brands.

Polyframe (Trade) Limited, Halifax. Established in 1992, Polyframe is a leading privately-owned manufacturer and supplier of trade windows, doors and conservatories.

Poundworld Retail Limited, Leeds. Poundworld sells over 3,000 products at £1 each at over 180 stores across the UK. The company’s Discount UK brand, which sells products priced from 28p to £25, now operates over 30 stores with plans to expand that to 130.

Principle Healthcare Holdings Limited, Skipton. Vitamin, minerals and supplements maker Principle Healthcare won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2012. Last year also saw the company celebrate its 10th anniversary and open its first UK tablet manufacturing plant.

Proctor Paper & Board Ltd, Leeds. This is an independently owned and managed distributor of Point of Purchase materials and substrates to the Screen Print and Digital Display markets.

Pure Collection Limited, Harrogate. Based in Harrogate, Pure Collection is a mail order and online retailer specialising in luxury womenswear. The company also has two boutique outlets, located in York and Tunbridge Wells.

Sanderson Limited, Glasshoughton. This building contractor specialises in fit-out and refurbishment services for the leisure and retail industries. The company has worked on a wide range of developments, including hotels, bars and restaurants.

Simpson’s Seafood, Hull. Based in Hull since 1992, Simpson’s is a fresh and frozen fish processor whose customers include employs retailers such as Aldi, Iceland, & Zona Sul of Brazil.

Sinemaster Motor Factors Limited, Sheffield. Starting out selling car number plates and replacement panels in 1972, Sinemaster is now a multi-centred operation with services ranging from delivering a tin of paint, designing a complete workshop and providing technical training to stock control, IT services and analysing customers’ profit.

SMEI Group Limited, Leeds. This insurance specialist operates four different divisions, encompassing activities including insurance for small to medium-sized businesses, online underwriting, insurance partnerships and underwriting software systems.

Special Steel Co Ltd, Sheffield. The Special Steel Group of Companies was originally founded in 1925. Based in Sheffield, with facilities and offices in Continental Europe and North America, its prime focus is on the forging, heat treatment, testing, machining and distribution of nickel-based superalloys and special steels.

Status International (UK) Limited, Cleckheaton. This independent light bulb and accessory manufacturer and supplier was founded in 1975 and counts supermarkets, high street retailers and discounters amongst its customers.

TS Glenfort Limited, Leeds. This company specialises in the merchanting of oils, fats and animal by-products.

Transglobal Fuels Limited, Batley. Transglobal Fuels was established in 2007 to supply petrol and diesel to independent retailers and road hauliers. It sells direct to commercial enterprises, supplies independent garages and forecourts and was the overall Yorkshire Fastest 50 2012 winner.

Transwaste Ltd, Hull. This recycling and waste disposal specialist offers a range of services including skip hire, waste management and waste recycling. It also exports fuel generated from the waste it has dealt with.

Valley Printing Company Limited, Bingley. Founded in 1892, Valley Printing Company is now run by the fourth generation of the founding family. It provides services including in-store marketing and point of sale materials.

Wage Day Advance Limited, Skipton. This company specialises in short-term loans of up to £750 and employs over 100 people at its headquarters in Skipton.

William Cook Holdings Limited, Sheffield. After starting out as a steel casting manufacturer, William Cook now concentrates on sophisticated components, assemblies and systems for a huge range of applications, designing and manufacturing its products in-house.