Business leaders from across the North East gathered at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead last Friday to celebrate the region’s fastest-growing companies at the Ward Hadaway North East Fastest 50 Awards.
Now in its 27th year, the awards, held in partnership with The Journal, once again highlighted the drive, innovation and resilience of the region’s business community. The annual Fastest 50 recognises the region’s privately-owned companies that have achieved the greatest growth in turnover, a list objectively compiled from Companies House data.
The 2025 Ward Hadaway North East Fastest 50 illustrates the breadth and depth of the North East’s economy. Together, the 50 companies recorded a combined turnover of £1.7bn, matching last year’s total despite a tougher economic climate. Average turnover growth stood at 41.97%, with an overall increase of £824m between their first and latest accounts.
Opening the ceremony, Damien Charlton, Head of Commercial at Ward Hadaway, said “The businesses represented here today are proof that growth never stands still. Every year new names emerge, yet the same qualities shine through – hard work, creativity and the confidence to invest in new ideas. It’s encouraging to see long-established names alongside ambitious new entrants.
From clean-energy specialists and digital consultancies to recruitment and engineering firms, the region’s growth is being driven by a remarkable mix of talent and innovation. Whether in construction, technology, manufacturing or professional services, these companies are driving progress across the North East. Their success underpins jobs, investment and opportunity in every corner of the region.”
The overall 2025 Fastest 50 winner, and medium business of the year, was Elite Energy, a Stockton-on-Tees based provider of energy-efficiency solutions. Their services include solar PV installations, air-source heat pumps, boiler upgrades, insulation and smart heating systems, often supported through government grant schemes. Over the past decade, they have grown from a regional heating installer to a full low-carbon retrofit specialist, leveraging ECO and other funding programmes to help households reduce both their carbon footprint and energy bills.
RE:GEN Group, which secured top spot in the large business category for the second year running, delivers large-scale housing regeneration and maintenance programmes for local authorities and housing associations across the region. Its continued growth reflects sustained investment in local jobs, training and social value initiatives within the communities it serves.
In the small business category, AJP Recruitment was named fastest-growing small business. Based in Newcastle, the company provides specialist recruitment services across construction, engineering and manufacturing, supporting regional employers with workforce expansion and skills development.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr Bill Scott OBE, founder and chief executive of Wilton Universal Group, who spoke about his journey from launching a small engineering business in Teesside in 1994 to building a successful multimillion pound enterprise operating across multiple sectors. His message focused on belief, persistence and the region’s potential to lead in clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
There are 16 small (turnover less than £10m), 19 medium (turnover between £10m and £35m) and 15 large (turnover over £35m) firms on this year’s list, employing more than 11,000 people across County Durham, Northumberland, Teesside and Tyne & Wear. Fourteen also featured in last year’s Fastest 50, while 23 have appeared in previous editions, showing how many businesses are sustaining growth year after year.
With an average growth rate above 40 per cent, this year’s Fastest 50 demonstrates that the North East’s business base remains both diverse and resilient. Construction and manufacturing continue to feature strongly, while technology, renewable energy and professional services are playing an ever-greater role in the region’s success.
Nick Gholkar, Executive Partner in Ward Hadaway’s Newcastle office, said “The Fastest 50 is about more than numbers. It celebrates the spirit that defines the North East – businesses that are innovating, creating jobs and showing that ambition here has no limits. Growth doesn’t happen by accident. It takes persistence, leadership, enterprise and belief. The companies we’ve celebrated today show that the North East remains one of the most dynamic and determined regions in the Ƶ.”
Elite Energy - Winner: Overall Fastest Growing Business and Medium Business
Rhys Davies, Finance Director at Elite Energy: “Our success comes down to the people behind the business. We’ve invested in a team that’s dynamic, adaptable and genuinely passionate about what we do. The renewable energy sector is moving fast and we’ve been able to grow by spotting opportunities early and responding quickly.
“The North East has a strong heritage of innovation and we’re proud to be part of its next chapter. Our clients have put their trust in us, and we repay that by staying true to our values and delivering great work every day. For me, the advice to any growing business would be simple - stay flexible, surround yourself with the right people and enjoy the journey.”
AJP Recruitment - Winner: Fastest Growing Small Business
Andrew Paton, Managing Director at AJP Recruitment: “Our growth is entirely down to the people we have around us both in the office and out on site. We’ve got a small but incredibly dedicated team who’ve been with us for years and genuinely care about doing a great job for our clients and contractors.
“We work in a specialist sector where relationships really matter and I think that trust and consistency have been key to our success.
“Winning a Fastest 50 award is fantastic recognition for everyone involved.”
RE:GEN - Winner: Fastest Growing Large Business
Paul Flannigan, Director of People & Culture at RE:GEN: “Sustainability has always been at the heart of how we grow - not just in terms of the environment, but in building something lasting for our people, clients and communities. We’ve invested heavily in decarbonisation work across the region, helping households reduce energy use and carbon emissions, while creating new jobs and skills in emerging green industries.
“What’s most rewarding is that we’ve achieved rapid growth without losing sight of our values. We care about our people, we care about our clients and we care about the impact we have on the North East. That sense of purpose is what drives everything we do.”
The Ward Hadaway North East Fastest 50
1 Elite Energy Eco Ltd (Winner: fastest overall growing business and fastest growing medium business)
2 RE:GEN North East Limited (Winner: fastest growing large business)
3 Opencast
4 AJP Recruitment Limited (Winner: fastest growing small business)
5 MH Electrical Contractors NE Ltd
6 Black and White Engineering Limited
7 Advanced Composites Engineering Limited
8 Adderstone 1993 Limited
9 Onegym Ltd
10 Leighton Corporation Limited
11 Ascot Care (Holdings) Limited
12 Enhanced Elderly Care Limited
13 Hays Travel Limited
14 On A Roll Sandwich Company Limited
15 T.Manners & Sons Limited
16 Renown Group Limited
17 ZTL Contracting Ltd
18 Fortify Solutions (N.E.) Ltd
19 Coleman James Ltd
20 PCR Holdings Limited
21 Forfusion Ltd
22 Contego Environmental Services Ltd
23 Wilson Group Holdings Limited
24 Nova Finance Limited
25 Bulk Tainer Group Limited
26 Brims Building Group Limited
27 Northern Metal Recycling Ltd
28 Troo Ltd
29 Crown Care Holdings Limited
30 Outrank Limited
31 Kia Stockton Limited
32 Millfield Composites Group Limited
33 Superlec Electrical Distributors Limited
34 Derek Slack Motors Limited
35 Retroflo Limited
36 Opus Building Services
37 Hewitson Group Ltd
38 Liberty Coaches NE Ltd
39 D.R. Caswell Limited
40 Ramside Holdings Limited
41 J D Winter Ltd
42 CFMS Holdings Limited
43 Teescraft Engineering Limited
44 Tyne Tees Entertainments Limited
45 Razorblue Group Ltd
46 Kymel Trading Limited
47 Woodyfuel Ltd
48 W & M Wholesale Limited
49 Simply Thank You Limited
50 The Interflex Group Europe Limited
The companies in this list are the fastest growing profit-making, private, regional companies, based on average turnover growth. Information has been compiled using data which is publicly available at Companies House of Ƶ listed companies or by verification of smaller firms’ abbreviated accounts.
The average turnover growth has been assessed on a percentage increase based on the difference between turnover figures filed for the last three years. To qualify, companies must be trading entities and have turnover in excess of £1m in the last three years of filed accounts, which are up to date as at 30 June 2025.
Companies must also have made profits in each of the past three years’ accounts. Companies must have filed new accounts since last year’s deadline. Private limited companies which are subsidiaries of listed companies do not qualify.
