14: South Eastern Fuels
Sales 2007: £68m Sales 2004: £5.1m Annual growth: 137%
This fuel distributor delivers domestic-use gas, oil, diesel and paraffin to London and the home counties. The Chertsey-based firm saw healthy sales last year with a £68.3m turnover, though margins are almost non-existent – profits stand at a trifling £255,000. Managing director Robert Saw founded the company in 1992, and the past four years have seen a compound growth of 137 per cent. Trading as Advance Fuels, the company also has a sideline in knick-knacks, selling photo frames, clocks, animal paraphernalia and the like via the website. However, the burgeoning fuel market, propelled by inflated oil prices, is no doubt the primary revenue generator.