East Anglia: Anglian Water and Marshall Group in Sunday Times BDO Top Track 100 listing

Two of the largest employers in the East of England feature in a new league table of Britain’s 100 biggest private companies.

Anglian Water, which is based in Huntingdon and servce customers across the region, and the Cambridge-based Marshall Group are both included in the latest Sunday Times BDO Top Track 100 listing, which ranks companies according to annual turnover.

Anglian Water, which has been privately owned since 2006 by a consortium including Canadian and Australian institutional investors and private equity house 3i, is ranked in 29th place, one place lower than last year, with annual revenues of £1.474billion, 4% up on the previous year.

The company, which provides sewerage services throughout the East of England and also supplies water to most parts of the region, employs nearly 7,500 peopl.

Marshall Group, a fourth-generation car dealership and defence equipment maker which also owns Cambridge Airport, is ranked in 41st place, six places higher than last year, with its sales having grown by 12% during 2012 to a record £1.126billion. It has a workforce of around 4,200.

Marilyn Martin, a partner and regional head of accountants BDO in the East of England, said: “Despite concerns over the health of the national economy, the strong performance of the biggest private companies in East England shows what can be achieved by management teams that have clear vision and ambition.

“The companies have proven their resilience and adaptability, and by delivering a service-led approach in their markets, they continue to generate the growth so keenly needed.”

The Sunday Times BDO Top Track 100 is published this weekend.