UK Grid makes top ten in Deloitte Technology Fast50

Deloitte, the business advisory firm, this week announced the results of its 2010 Technology Fast 50 awards, an independent ranking of the UK’s fastest growing technology companies. Manchester Science Parks tenant, UK Grid, featured at number nine, one of only two northern companies in the top 10.

Rob Garbutt, CEO at UK Grid, said: “We are delighted with the result, and it is a great reward for all of the hard work that has taken place at UK Grid over the last five years. The growth of our company has been fantastic, and we attribute this firstly  to our staff and also to our business model that gives us great flexibility for continued expansion in a competitive market, without compromising on the quality of service we deliver to our customers across the UK.

“We are already into our next phase of growth, driven by our use of innovative, environmentally sustainable technologies, and we are looking forward to building on our success to date with some mould-breaking initiatives in the near future.”

Will Smith, Technology Partner at Deloitte in the North West, said: “In spite of the challenging financial market conditions, the 2010 Deloitte Fast 50 shows that tremendous growth rates are still possible, with the mobile technology and software sectors showing particular strength.

“The Technology Fast 50 awards are an opportunity for businesses to gain recognition for their successes and achievements over the previous 12 months. Successful companies have overcome many challenges to grow their businesses, and maintaining their growth will rely on attracting and retaining the most able staff.”

This year’s Deloitte Technology Fast 50 highlights the dominance of London, with five of the top ten coming from London and London companies make up 40% of the ranking. Internet companies were typically based in London with eight in the Fast 50.

Regional breakdown

* Cambridge and East   14%
* South West   4%
* South East   18%
* Scotland    4%
* Northern Ireland   2%
* North   10%
* Midlands   8%
* London   40%


Survey of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 companies

The Fast 50 companies cited their biggest operational challenges in managing their rapid growth was hiring and keeping top quality talent (48%). Concerns around systems and process (15%), innovation of new products and services (11%) and increasing customer demand (7%) were the other key issues they had to tackle.

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