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BGL Group Ltd is among Britain's 250 Largest Mid-Market Private Companies

Immediate release: 15 October 2007

The BGL Group is the one of the largest mid-market companies in Britain, according to the latest Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 250 league table published this weekend.

The annual table, now in its third year, ranks Britain's 250 mid-market private companies by latest sales.

Peterborough-based BGL Group, one of Britain's leading independent insurance brokers with two million customers, was rated number 229th on the list. The Group currently employs more than 2,250 people. It operates major contact centre operations (Fusion) in Peterborough, Coventry, Sunderland, Peterlee in the UK, and Cape Town, South Africa.

The Group's affinity business, Junction, has numerous successful partnerships with companies including the Post Office®, M&S Money, Autotrader and Bradford & Bingley. Other BGL Group businesses and brands include the price comparison website comparethemarket.com, Bennetts bike insurance, BUDGET insurance and the new carbon-neutral motor insurance, ibuyeco. The BGL Group dates back to 1992, when entrepreneur Douw Steyn set out to repeat in the UK the success he had enjoyed with his South African motor insurance company Auto & General. A change in direction in 1997 from insurer to broker has resulted in a rapid and sustained growth in revenues. Sales reached £154.3 million in 2006 on which our rating is based. They have subsequently risen to £206 million under chief executive Peter Winslow.

Peter Winslow, Chief Executive Officer of the BGL Group said: "We have always been a successful business but the last few years have been phenomenal. We are seeing 50 per cent compound growth each year, and are consistently over-delivering on targets. We're thrilled to have gained recognition within the Top Track 250 which is a hugely influential business accolade.  The basis of our success hinges around our culture and our people. We have an entrepreneurial spirit which means we can react quickly to market changes and implement new ideas fast. At the same time we offer our people a fun and challenging environment where they can really develop their talents. We hope that this is the first of many placements in the Top Track 250."

The Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 250 annual league table is compiled by Oxford-based research company Fast Track. In addition to its title sponsor HSBC, the league table is co-sponsored by KPMG.

The league table ranks Britain's biggest mid-market private companies by latest sales. It complements The Sunday Times Top Track 100 of Britain's largest private companies, listing the next 101 to 350 biggest firms.

Companies are ranked by sales reported in their latest accounts (2007, 2006 or 2005). Sales must not exceed £419 million, which is the size of the 100th-ranked company on the Top Track 100.

Companies have to be registered in the UK, unquoted and ultimate holding companies, not subsidiaries. Companies may have their ultimate holding company offshore, but businesses with the majority of sales generated by their quoted subsidiaries are excluded.

Companies with fewer than 100 employees are excluded, as are not-for-profit companies, co-operative societies, member-owned buying groups, mutual societies, provident associations, betting exchanges and partnerships, such as lawyers and accountants. The research was carried out by Fast Track between 1 July and 1 September 2007.