Here is part one of our 2022 list of the biggest firms in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
Today we launch our annual countdown of the 500 biggest companies by turnover in the East Midlands.
BusinessLive starts the rundown today with numbers 500 down to 351. Parts two and three will be published on Monday and Tuesday of next week, and the Top 20 will be published following a Top 500 breakfast at the Radisson Blu Hotel at East Midlands on Tuesday morning.
The event will be attended by representatives of many of the region’s biggest companies.
The 2022 list has been meticulously put together using figures publicly available on Companies House by researchers from the Business Schools at De Montfort, Derby and Nottingham Trent Universities, supported by East Midlands Chamber, and sponsored by Leicester property developer Bradgate Estates.
Many of the businesses on the list are household names – today’s section alone contains names such as Nottingham Forest FC, Bird’s Bakery in Derby, music royalty body PPL PRS in Leicester and Leicestershire’s Everards Brewery.
These are some of the biggest companies in Britain, leading the UK economy and shaping the region’s business scene.
Between them they employ hundreds of thousands of people and generate tens of billions of pounds of revenues.
The very success of Britain relies on their success.
Joe Levy is managing director of list sponsor Bradgate Estates which has built and sold more than £90 million worth of property in the last four years.
Projects include a flagship 132-bed scheme in London Road, Leicester and a 117-unit private rented scheme in Nottingham's Lace Market. As landlords, Bradgate Estates also has 350 flats in Leicester and commercial retail properties.
Mr Levy said the team was delighted to be backing the Top 500 list – and supporting industry and enterprise within the region.
He said: “Anything that can create a spotlight for the East Midlands as a united region and inspires others is great.
"The listing is very important, not just for companies that are mentioned but it highlights the need to work together as a region to build strength and inspire others to grow.
“We think this is the perfect opportunity to give back to bridge the gap between academia and business.
“We believe in building strength within the community by working together, keeping wealth within the region by employing local labour, suppliers, business professionals and lawyers.”
Following two years of Covid, and as the global economy enters a fresh period of upheaval, it is fascinating to see how the list has changed – the companies moving up, the new entries and the companies moving down.
Because of the way the list is compiled it does not use the latest accounting figures published on Companies House. That means that some of the figures relate to the start of the pandemic.
However they still provide an excellent indicator of the range and strength of businesses across the three counties covered by East Midlands Chamber.
Many of those businesses have seen big changes in turnover since the start of the pandemic - pretty much all of them will have been helped by the Government’s Covid support programmes.
It will be interesting to see how these companies fare as we enter this latest period of economic instability.
500 (n/a) PHENNA GROUP TOPCO
Investor in testing, inspection, certification and compliance (TICC) companies
499 (n/a) HENTON & CHATTELL
496 (n/a) MOTO DIRECT HOLDINGS
Motorcycle clothing and safety gear
Skip hire and waste management
493 (n/a) ITP ENGINES UK
Wholesale of agricultural machinery, equipment and supplies
Digital railway and connected transport solutions
489 (n/a) CLIFTON PACKAGING GROUP
488 (n/a) BRADGATE CONTAINERS (HOLDINGS)
Manufacture and installation of containers and purpose built modules
Licensed merchandise from brands such as Disney, Marvel and DC
486 (n/a) NOTTINGHAM FOREST FOOTBALL CLUB
International specialist in printing inks and printing aids
Replacement parts for cars and vans
480 (n/a) WB POWER SERVICES
Generator sales, hire and maintenance
478 (n/a) TOM HARTLEY CARS
Packaging for beauty, drinks, gift, entertainment and corporate markets
473 (n/a) R.A.LABONE & CO
Plastic injection mouldings, metal pressings, insert mouldings, assemblies and tools
Manufacturer and developer of bio-pharma products
Earthing, lightning and surge protection products
Industrial valve and pump manufacturer
Combustion and environmental systems for petrochemicals, power generation, pharmaceutical, biogas, renewable feedstock and other industries
Human albumen for medical science
Manufacturer of aftermarket catalytic converters, DPFs and front pipes
Manufacturer of medical and dental instruments
456 (n/a) TRUST GROUP HOLDINGS (trading as TRUSTMED PHARMACY)
Dispensing services for Leicester hospitals trust
455 (n/a) LRS BROADHURST HOLDINGS (trading as LONG RAKE SPA)
Trade supplier of electrical products
447 (477) G.A.E. SMITH (HOLDINGS) (trading as CASEPAK)
446 (n/a) AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES UK
Truck and other transport parts
444 (n/a) PWP BUILDING SERVICES (HOLDINGS)
Supplier of CNC machines and printer technology
439 (n/a) MIDLAND COMMUNICATIONS DISTRIBUTION
HR, employment law, health and safety services
Production machining and assembly of castings
433 (453) TBH RECRUITMENT (trading as THORN BAKER)
432 (n/a) PREDAPTIVE OD (trading as HOLOVIS UK)
AV, virtual reality and real-time immersive experiences
431 (n/a) W M BUILDING SERVICES (LEICESTER)
Mechanical and electrical contracting services
Contract hire and fleet management
426 (n/a) BCD MEETINGS & EVENTS
Corporate meetings and events agency
Measuring equipment for sectors such as aerospace, automotive and energy
Manufacturer of concrete pipes, manholes, culverts and drains
421 (n/a) PEOPLE POTENTIAL POSSIBILITIES
Manufacturer of natural animal feed additives
418 (n/a) WALKER & SON (HAULIERS)
Mens and ladies shoes, boots and sandals
416 (424) APERAM STAINLESS SERVICES & SOLUTIONS UK
Stainless, electrical and specialty steel products
The importation & sale of wine
411 (n/a) WOOLLEY GMC ENGINEERING HOLDINGS
Machining and assembly of products for power generation and off-highway machinery
Control room design and management
Specialist in lime, dolime and other minerals
Design, manufacture and supply of bathroom products
403 (n/a) PARKERS MOTOR SERVICES (SYSTON)
Goods and services for cosmetic retail outlets
Chemical product manufacturing and packaging
393 (n/a) LUBRICANT HOLDINGS (MIDLANDS)
Importer and wholesaler of garden, home and leisure products
Home, garden and leisure products
Corporate, promotional and sportswear/visual communications/digital textile printing
389 (399) BCM EMPLOYMENT & MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Products for industry, construction, civil engineering and agriculture
384 (n/a) ASRA CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
Number of employees: (n/a)
McDonald’s restaurant chain operator
381 (392) TRIGON GROUP (formerly TRIGON HOLDINGS)
Sale of vehicle parts, accessories, tyres and exhausts)
Bakery, confectionery, preserves, chutneys and other food
Print and post services, online document portals and digital communications
375 (n/a) HOPTON TRADING HOLDINGS
371 (n/a) EVOLUTION FUNDING GROUP
Motor finance broker and technology provider
Water and gas pipes, ducting and other fittings/utility network quality assurance/property
Making seals, coatings and connectors for industry
Drainage, plant hire, groundwork and remediation
Distribution boards, control panels and control centres
Manufacturing and installing shutters, blinds and curtains
Sale of timber and building materials
Manufacturer of refractory and technical ceramics products
Research and experimental development in biotechnology
Shop display and merchandising equipment
354 (n/a) LINCOLN PROTEIN HOLDINGS
352 (n/a) INTEGRATED DEBT SERVICES
Debt collection for government departments
Manufacturing machinery for global construction industry