Watson Petroleum, the Brinkworth-based fuel distributor, is featured for the first time in the latest Sunday Times/Deloitte Top Track 100, the ranking of Britain’s 100 largest private companies by sales.
The family-owned business, which had a turnover of £585m in the year to April 2010, enters the table at number 100. Watson employs more than 600 people and runs a fleet of 280 distinctive red tankers delivering fuel to domestic, industrial and agricultural customers. It made pre-tax profits during the period of £10m on revenue growth of 17% due to volume and price increases, as well as from acquisitions.
Watson joins Malmesbury-based household appliance maker Dyson in the table, which is now in its 10th year.
Dyson achieved pre-tax profits of £227m on sales of £770m in the year to December 2009.
Watson and Dyson are among 53 companies in the table, which is published this weekend, that are owned by families or entrepreneurs. The remainder are backed by private equity.
