“You dream big, overcome challenges and relentlessly pursue opportunities which has most definitely paid off,” said Ward Hadaway’s Damien Charlton as he addressed the audience at the 2023 Ward Hadaway North East Fastest 50 awards, organised in partnership with The Journal.

The awards, now in their 26th year, celebrate the region’s fastest-growing privately-owned businesses and their remarkable achievements. Not only do they recognise North East businesses for their impressive growth but they acknowledge the diversity and dynamism embedded within our region’s business community.

The annual event, which included a keynote speech from TrendBible CEO Joanna Feeley, took place at Baltic last week. Despite the increasingly greater challenges North East businesses face, this year’s Fastest 50 has been one of the strongest years yet with the top 50 businesses boasting a combined turnover of £1.6bn.

The list speaks for itself, with total turnover of all businesses £932m higher than three years ago. The construction and manufacturing sectors performed particularly well, with 16 construction firms appearing in the list and seven manufacturing companies. Technology, transport, retail and recruitment were also well represented.

One of the most positive aspects of 2023’s list is the diverse mix of businesses it represents - from the new, emerging, rapidly growing businesses to the well-established companies making regular appearances. For example, D.C. Handrails and Ironwork Parts mark their ninth consecutive appearance this year and Northern Gas & Power and Prima Cheese are both celebrating their fifth appearance.

Fastest 50 event in Gateshead - Ward Hadaway partner Damien Charlton
Fastest 50 event in Gateshead - Ward Hadaway partner Damien Charlton

Damien continued: “The innovation, agility and passion demonstrated by the region’s businesses are admirable. Powered by incredibly talented workforces whose spirit and dedication to doing a great job is unparalleled, North East businesses are continuing to grow, evolve and succeed. What I find particularly pleasing about this year’s Fastest 50 is the diversity in those businesses that have appeared. Fifteen companies are making a return from last year, demonstrating steady, sustained growth. Twenty-three companies are new to the list which signals a wave of emerging innovation and prosperity in the region. Twenty-seven companies have been recognised in the Fastest 50 in past years, showing their continued success. The North East business community genuinely is a powerhouse of ambition and sustained growth and I’m proud to celebrate that today.”

Awards were won by the fastest growing businesses in three categories: large (£30m+), medium (£10-£30m) and small (under £10m) as well as the overall fastest growing business of 2023. The list is based on growth over the previous three years of trading, with verified data from Companies House records.

Housing regeneration specialists RE:GEN Group were double winners this year, securing the overall fastest growing business of the year and fastest growing medium-sized business awards. The Group has established itself as one of the region’s key social housing partners, working closely with local authorities and housing associations.

Double Eleven, a video game developer and publisher based in Middlesbrough, was victorious in the large category. The company, which was the fourth overall fastest growing business, employs approximately 365 people. Double Eleven’s latest release was the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch ports of the original Red Dead Redemption in collaboration with publisher Rockstar Games.

The fastest growing small business award went to Aspect Facades, specialists in designing, supplying, and installing cladding and roofing systems. The business, which secured the overall fifth spot in the list - the only small business inside the top five - hails from Newton Aycliffe and was established in 2017 by founders Andrew Howe and Dan Parker.

Closing the awards, Damien added: “The North East has a unique entrepreneurial spirit that’s daring, resilient and strong and it is this that underpins their continued growth and success. Congratulations to all the businesses that feature in this year’s Fastest 50, it’s a credit to you and your dedicated, capable and accomplished workforces.”

Rank Company Name Category Date of last analysed accounts Turnover (£000s) Average turnover growth
1 RE:GEN North East Limited
Winner: Overall Fastest Growing Business and Fastest Growing Medium Business		 M 31/3/2022 14,579 176.1%
2 Pennguin Limited M 31/12/2021 13,160 133.3%
3 Northern Metal Recycling Ltd M 31/12/2022 21,157 127.7%
4 Double Eleven Limited
Winner: Fastest Growing Large Business		 L 30/9/2022 50,414 125.4%
5 Aspect Facades Limited
Winner: Fastest Growing Small Business		 S 31/3/2022 5,637 123.9%
6 Winn Holding Limited L 31/3/2023 234,622 108.3%
7 Casper Shipping Holdings Limited L 31/12/2022 41,815 104.7%
8 Coatsink Software Ltd M 31/12/2021 21,050 88.7%
9 MAP Group (UK) Limited L 30/9/2022 94,238 80.8%
10 Adderstone 1993 Limited S 31/3/2022 8,954 74.2%
11 Planhappy Investment Management Ltd S 31/12/2022 3,824 72.5%
12 Cleveland Containers Limited L 28/2/2022 58,618 69.0%
13 Coleman James Ltd S 30/6/2022 4,390 63.1%
14 The Storage Place Ltd S 30/9/2022 8,452 61.2%
15 Samy Limited M 30/6/2022 25,957 60.4%
16 Herrenknecht International Limited L 31/12/2022 32,774 58.1%
17 Bell Access (Holdings) Ltd S 31/3/2022 3,273 57.9%
18 Mccarrick Construction Company Limited S 30/6/2022 4,299 56.4%
19 Metallink Fluid Power Systems Limited M 31/12/2022 15,369 56.0%
20 Arian EMS Limited S 31/3/2023 6,671 53.6%
21 Hathaway Roofing Holdings Limited L 30/9/2022 82,503 53.2%
22 BCE Northern Limited S 31/3/2023 7,263 50.0%
23 Opencast Software Europe Limited M 31/12/2021 13,185 49.6%
24 Geoffrey Robinson Limited L 31/12/2021 40,295 47.5%
25 NE & C Windows & Doors Limited S 30/9/2022 5,771 46.0%
26 Theresa Spinks Limited S 28/2/2022 3,922 44.0%
27 PBU (UK) Ltd M 30/9/2022 20,084 43.7%
28 Education World Limited S 31/12/2022 7,612 43.3%
29 Liveco Limited M 30/11/2022 15,173 42.9%
30 Merit Group Services Limited L 30/6/2022 60,220 42.36%
31 Bulk Tainer Group Limited L 31/12/2021 83,828 40.8%
32 Lusso Stone Ltd M 31/12/2021 23,981 39.85%
33 Primex Plastics Limited M 31/12/2022 16,773 39.84%
34 Primary Care Recruitment Ltd M 28/2/2022 13,090 38.3%
35 Next Level Security Services Ltd S 31/3/2023 2,544 37.9%
36 Northern Gas & Power L 31/12/2021 83,124 37.5%
37 C.A. Group (Holdings) Limited L 30/9/2022 110,399 36.6%
38 Mammoet (UK) Limited L 31/12/2021 67,676 36.5%
39 Durhamlane Limited S 31/3/2023 5,937 36.4%
40 Explain Market Research Limited S 31/3/2023 2,965 35.7%
41 Grab & Deliver Limited S 31/5/2022 4,062 35.5%
42 High Force Research Limited S 30/6/2022 4,719 34.1%
43 K. Ord Paving & Groundworks Limited S 31/5/2022 3,679 33.8%
44 Able UK Limited L 31/12/2021 62,587 33.7%
45 Synergi Software Limited S 31/12/2021 5,024 33.1%
46 Prima Cheese Limited L 31/3/2023 121,656 33.08%
47 Whitehead Alloys Limited M 31/8/2022 20,929 32.8%
48 D.C. Handrails and Ironwork Parts Limited S 30/6/2022 8,629 32.7%
49 Flexible Support Options Holdings Limited M 31/10/2022 14,328 32.6%
50 Cleveland Land Services (Guisborough) Limited M 30/9/2022 21,918 32.5%

[S] Small business - turnover between £1m - £10m

[M] Medium business - turnover between £10m - £30m

[L] Large business - turnover over £30m

The companies in this list are the fastest growing profit-making, private, regional companies, based on average turnover growth.

Information has been compiled using data which is publicly available at Companies House of UK listed companies or by verification of smaller firms’ abbreviated accounts. The average turnover growth has been assessed on a percentage increase based on the difference between turnover figures filed for the last three years.

To qualify, companies must be trading entities and have turnover in excess of £1m in the last three years of filed accounts, which are up to date as at 31 July 2023. Companies must also have made profits in each of the past three years’ accounts. Companies must have filed new accounts since last year’s deadline.

Private limited companies which are subsidiaries of listed companies do not qualify.