Cambridgeshire’s top 100 businesses of 2022 show post-pandemic bounceback
Cambridgeshire’s top 100 businesses in 2022 have bounced back from Covid-19 lockdowns to surpass pre-pandemic levels.
In its annual Cambridgeshire Limited report, business and financial adviser Grant Thornton finds that turnover, earnings and employee numbers are higher at these leading companies than they were in 2019 – the last full year before the pandemic.
Compiled from the latest publicly available accounts as of November 2022, the top 100 list - in full below - is ordered by turnover and features 18 new entrants.
Topping the list is, of course, AstraZeneca, but since the Cambridge-based biopharmaceutical company has a turnover of £27.6bn that would have a disproportionate impact on the results, it has been excluded from the analysis. Only businesses that are owned and managed in the county are included.
The data shows that over the past three years, the top 100 companies –excluding AstraZeneca – have recorded turnover of £13bn, up 15 per cent, or £1.7bn, compared to 2019.
The total combined earnings –using EBITDA measurements – showed a 19 per cent increase, up from £809million to £965m, while employee numbers across the companies has risen to 52,677, up 5.8 per cent on 2019.
James Brown, partner and practice leader at Grant Thornton UK LLP in the East of England, said: “The Cambridgeshire Limited report provides us with an opportunity to assess how the county’s economy has fared over the past year by analysing the wealth created, retained and reinvested by key business decision makers.
“From this, we can see that Cambridgeshire’s leading companies are now officially exceeding where they were prior to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. This comes despite another turbulent 12 months, which is a real testament to the resilience of these companies and their ability to become ever more agile, efficient and dynamic.”
Food and beverage has moved ahead of automotive this year to become the sector with the highest overall turnover in the county, bolstered by the likes of Huntingdon-based food packaging business Hilton Food Group, which is second on the list, and Barway-based salad and vegetable producer G’s Spain Holdings, which is fifth.
Hilton Food Group is also second in the list of the county’s 100 most profitable businesses, second only to Cambridge Innovation Capital, the life science and technology venture capitalist company.
Property developer Brookgate, which is behind the development around Cambridge’s two railway stations, comes in third.
In terms of earnings (EBITDA), the technology sector trumps all others by a margin of more than £200,000.
The table of the top 20 leading international businesses based here is topped by sequencing heavyweight Illumina, based at Granta Park, while Cambridge semiconductor and wireless technology business Qualcomm edges out chip maker Arm to secure second place.
Industrial software business Aveva, being sold to Schneider Electric for £9.9bn, has two entries in this list.
Grant Thornton predicts that the top 100 will continue to thrive in spite of the challenges facing the economy.
“While there are still many economic headwinds ahead, the Chancellor’s support for energy security, infrastructure developments and R&D in the recent autumn budget could prove an important boon for the county’s businesses moving forward,” said Mr Brown.
“Whatever is on the horizon, the Cambridgeshire Limited report can give us confidence that Cambridgeshire’s companies are well prepared to meet the challenges and maximise the opportunities that 2023 brings.”
You can compare the list to 2021 here.
Top 100 Cambridgeshire companies in 2022 by turnover
- 1 AstraZeneca Plc
- 2 Hilton Food Group PLC
- 3 Marshall of Cambridge (Holdings) Limited
- 4 BGL (Holdings) Limited
- 5 G’S Spain Holdings Limited
- 6 Abcam PLC
- 7 PRO CAM Europe Limited
- 8 Vindis Group Limited
- 9 Napp Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited
- 10 Hutchinson Group Limited
- 11 George Thurlow and Sons (Holdings) Limited
- 12 Darktrace Holdings Limited
- 13 Mick George Limited
- 14 Produce Investments Limited
- 15 Russell Burgess Limited
- 16 Frontier Developments PLC
- 17 Raspberry PI Foundation
- 18 AK Retail Holdings Limited
- 19 J.B Shropshire & Sons Limited
- 20 F.P.Smith(Holdings)Limited
- 21 Brookgate Limited
- 22 Chemical Intelligence Limited
- 23 Science Group PLC
- 24 G’S Growers Limited
- 25 Aiic Holdings Limited
- 26 Hexagon Investment Holdings Limited
- 27 Aferian PLC
- 28 Welding Institute(The)
- 29 Quixant PLC
- 30 Cambridge Commodities Holdings Limited
- 31 Shamrock Topco Limited
- 32 Creightons PLC
- 33 Xaar PLC
- 34 Bidwells LLP
- 35 Sandfields Farms Limited
- 36 SDI Group PLC
- 37 Friar’s Pride Limited
- 38 Hales Group Limited
- 39 CAR World (Cambs) LTD
- 40 Nason Davis Holdings Limited
- 41 Adcock Group Holdings Limited
- 42 Frederic Smart & SON Limited
- 43 ROE Bros. & CO Ltd.
- 44 Fenmarc Holdings Limited
- 45 M P J Enterprises LTD
- 46 Knowles (Transport) Limited
- 47 Buffaload Logistics Limited
- 48 Pretoria Energy Company Holdings Limited
- 49 Flo-Mech Holdings Limited
- 50 Cambridge Sensors LTD
- 51 EU Kabel LTD
- 52 Princebuild Group Limited
- 53 Chivgate Limited
- 54 TOY Brokers Holdings Limited
- 55 Pico Technology (Holdings) Limited
- 56 Access Platform Sales Holdings Limited
- 57 Rapidrop Global Limited
- 58 WBW City Holdings LTD
- 59 Centrado Trading Limited
- 60 Alan Bartlett & Sons (Chatteris) Limited
- 61 Systemsaccountants Holdings Limited
- 62 Taylor Vinters LLP
- 63 1spatial PLC
- 64 Velocity Outlet LTD
- 65 Littleport Mushroom Farms LLP
- 66 Quartix Technologies PLC
- 67 Fencor Packaging Group Limited
- 68 Masteroast Holdings Limited
- 69 Mundipharma International Limited
- 70 CMR Surgical Limited
- 71 Linaro Limited
- 72 G. Webb Haulage Limited
- 73 RGE Capital Limited
- 74 Dagless Holdings Limited
- 75 GCH Farms Holdings Limited
- 76 Featurespace Limited
- 77 Encocam Limited
- 78 DB Broadcast Holdings LTD
- 79 Secure Automotive Support LTD
- 80 Coastfields Leisure Limited
- 81 Barnack Estates Holdings Limited
- 82 Costello Medical Consulting Limited
- 83 Monkfield Nutrition Limited
- 84 Hawkins & Associates Limited
- 85 Radical Sportscars Limited
- 86 Cambridge Maintenance Services Limited
- 87 Scotsdale Nursery and Garden Centre Limited
- 88 P.C. Howard Limited
- 89 KEW Investments LTD
- 90 Clarksteel Holdings Limited
- 91 L.J.A.Miers & Company Limited
- 92 Escape Fitness Limited
- 93 Cycle Group Holdings Limited
- 94 Manchetts Holdings Limited
- 95 LIL Packaging Limited
- 96 Coel Business Group LTD
- 97 WMS Recruitment Limited
- 98 London Internet Exchange Limited
- 99 Horseway Holdings Limited
- 100 Photocentric Limited
Top 50 most profitable in the county
- 1 Cambridge Innovation Capital Limited
- 2 Hilton Food Group Plc
- 3 Brookgate Limited
- 4 Chemical Intelligence Limited
- 5 Marshall Of Cambridge (Holdings) Limited
- 6 Napp Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited
- 7 Welding Institute(The)
- 8 Abcam Plc
- 9 Bidwells Llp
- 10 Hutchinson Group Limited
- 11 Mick George Limited
- 12 Sdi Group Plc
- 13 Coulson Group Limited
- 14 G’s Spain Holdings Limited
- 15 Cambridge Sensors Ltd
- 16 Taylor Vinters Llp
- 17 Ak Retail Holdings Limited
- 18 Bulgin Limited
- 19 Roe Bros. & Co Ltd.
- 20 Vindis Group Limited
- 21 Pico Technology (Holdings) Limited
- 22 Centrado Trading Limited
- 23 L.j.a.miers & Company Limited
- 24 J.b Shropshire & Sons Limited
- 25 Quartix Technologies Plc
- 26 Scotsdale Nursery And Garden Centre Limited
- 27 G S Shropshire Holdings Limited
- 28 Rapleys Limited Liability Partnership
- 29 George Thurlow And Sons (Holdings) Limited
- 30 Buckles Solicitors Llp
- 31 Coastfields Leisure Limited
- 32 Encocam Limited
- 33 Aferian Plc
- 34 Hexagon Investment Holdings Limited
- 35 Flo-mech Holdings Limited
- 36 Quixant Plc
- 37 Cambustion Limited
- 38 Fidion Limited
- 39 Smo Uk Limited
- 40 M P J Enterprises Ltd
- 41 Costello Medical Consulting Limited
- 42 Jensten Underwriting (Commercial) Limited
- 43 Checkit Uk Limited
- 44 Arcus Global Limited
- 45 Nason Davis Holdings Limited
- 46 Mm Wealth Ltd
- 47 Adcock Group Holdings Limited
- 48 Monkfield Nutrition Limited
- 49 North West Steel Limited
- 50 Rapidrop Global Limited
International top 20
- 1 Illumina Cambridge Limited
- 2 Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd.
- 3 Arm Limited
- 4 Perkins Engines Company Limited
- 5 Ppd Global Ltd
- 6 Aveva Group Plc
- 7 Whirlpool Uk Appliances Limited
- 8 Diligenta Limited
- 9 Services Machinery & Trucks Ltd
- 10 Coloplast Limited
- 11 Cgn Global Uranium Limited
- 12 Domino Uk Limited
- 13 Amgen Limited
- 14 Am Fresh Uk Limited
- 15 Bosch Rexroth Limited
- 16 Bayer Cropscience Limited
- 17 Aveva Solutions Limited
- 18 Mm Flowers Limited
- 19 Frontline Limited
- 20 Lifeplus Europe Limited
Grant Thornton has a Cambridge base on the Science Park.
