THE SUNDAY TIMES PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS PROFIT TRACK 100 Caffe Nero has been ranked as one of Britain's 100 privately-owned companies with the fastest-growing profits revealed in the latest Sunday Times PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100 league table compiled for the ninth year by research and networking events company Fast Track. The Sunday Times PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100 annual league table features a host of very successful British brands. Companies are ranked by their annual growth rate in profits over the three years to their last available audited accounts (either between 2003 and 2006, or 2004 and 2007). Profits are defined as operating profit with directors' remunertaion added back. Companies must be unquoted, independent and registered in the UK. The research was carried out by Fast Track, primarily between 1st October 2007 and 1st March 2008. The majority of companies were interviewed by phone or visited by the Fast Track research team. The companies have achieved phenomenal growth in profits in the years leading up to the credit crisis. The 100 companies have recorded growth of between an average of 114% and 49% a year over the last three years of available audited accounts. Their combined profits have increased from £459m to a total of £2bn. Together they employ more than 77,000 staff, having added 34,500 jobs in the last three years. The business services sector is the most strongly represented, with 47 firms making an appearance, followed by 21 companies in construction, 16 in manufacturing, 9 in wholesale and 7 in retail, Caffe Nero being one of the 7 retailers. Well known names on this year's league table include Aston Martin, luxury yacht maker Sunseeker International, Longleat Enterprises, which runs Longleat Safari Park and the Cheddar Caves and Gorge attraction, coffee house operator Caffe Nero, sandwhich shop operator Eat and fabric designer Designers Guild. The full findings are available on the internet at www.fasttrack.co.uk or download the profittrack-supp-2008. This information is provided by THE SUNDAY TIMES PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS PROFIT TRACK 100. Copyright - Caffè Nero 2008 Caffè Nero Group Ltd, Head Office: 3 Neal Street, London WC2H 9PU Tel: 020 7520 5150