Four Northern Ireland firms in UK’s 100 fastest-growing companies 2024 list - but which is top?

According to the newly released Growth Index 2024, Ballymena bus manufacturer Wrightbus comes out top out of the local companies at number 74 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 75.92%.  

Next, at number 85, is Ready Egg, a Enniskillen-based company that processes eggs from local family farms in Northern Ireland number 85, with a CAGR of 73.03%.

Shortly behind, at number 86, is Ballymena steel fabrication, surface finishing and assembly company Maine Surface Finishing, with a CAGR of 73.02%.

And also making the list at number 100 is Newry-based B2B food-to-go manufacturer Around Noon Foods, with a CAGR of 65.06%.

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Wrightbus, said: "Wrightbus has a long-stated ambition of reducing the environmental impact of public transport and driving a greener future, leading the market with innovative zero-emission technologies and solutions, to accelerate the decarbonisation of our customers’ fleets.

“These have a vital role to play in decarbonising public transport and in partnership with operators, local authorities and governments to meet their carbon reduction targets.

“I am really proud of what we have achieved over the last 12 months, including becoming the number one zero-emissions bus maker in the UK and fastest growing bus manufacturer in Europe.

"Demand for our world-class electric and hydrogen buses continues to grow all over the world.

“A year ago, we had 200 zero-emission buses on the road. Today, we have over 700 and in the next year we will get to 1,700. No one else comes close.

"We will continue to grow at pace as we expand our geographic and product footprints in the future, which will result in more green jobs and roles.

“We're the UK leader now, and we want to become a European leader and then a world-leading company.”

​Now in its third year, ORESA Growth Index is the definitive ranking of the UK companies with the fastest growing sales, created to celebrate the companies that have supercharged growth and the leaders that have inspired and driven it.

Companies are ranked by compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in sales over their last two financial accounting years (including filings up to February 2024).

The ranking shines a spotlight on the most successful sectors and companies in the UK, championing good growth and the equitable democratisation of business opportunity in the UK.

Commenting on the results, Orlando Martins, founder of Growth Index and ORESA, said: “What our findings this year confirm, for me, is that growing revenue and making a profit are not mutually exclusive goals.

"This is something to be welcomed, not least because profitability is an essential feature of good growth: without it, an enterprise cannot be sustainable.

“The wider spread of sectors in Growth Index 2024 could be a sign of a broader economic recovery from Covid lows or simply a response to contraction in equity funding - we suspect a combination of both.”

Gareth Chambers, chief executive at Around Noon added: “Being included in the UK’s 100 fastest-growing companies 2024 reflects the hard work and dedication of our whole team here at Around Noon. We have been rapidly growing, including with our acquisition of North London-based Soho Sandwich Company, and we have our new factory in Slough, near London, set to open this summer.

"This will bring our total employee numbers across the company to 1,000 people. I want to pay tribute to the ongoing fantastic efforts of our team.”

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