On a fast track
Two Blackpool-based businesses have been named in an elite list of Britain's fastest growing private companies.
Danbro, a payroll services provider based at Whitehills Business Park, was number 30 in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 list with annual sales growth of more than 100% a year over the past three years.
Founded by husband and wife team Damian and Helen Broughton using redundancy pay from a previous employer, the company has grown sales from £1.9m in 2004 to an estimated £15m in 2007.
The business acts as an umbrella company, relieving contractors and temporary workers of the burden of dealing with their own PAYE, expenses and pension administration.
Around 800 clients, mainly from the IT sector, use Danbro as an alternative to setting up a limited company, and pay a weekly or monthly flat fee for the service. Danbro employs around 30 staff.
The other company to feature in the Sunday Times list (at number 77) is Northerncare, a care home operator based on Whitegate Drive, Blackpool.
Northerncare - which has grown sales 68% a year from £2.8m in 2003 to £13.4m in 2006 - is one of the largest providers of residential children's homes with DfES registered education in the UK. The company operates 25 homes across the country.
These predominantly look after children aged between 5 and 17 with challenging behaviour/complex needs and children on the periphery of offending.
Northerncare also offers residential childcare for children displaying inappropriate behaviour and a short-term assessment centre.
The company, which employs more than 400 staff, is reported to be planning to open a further 10 residential homes over the next year.