Ranked by sales turnover, research from Middlesbrough-based Plimsoll Publishing reveals that with an average sales growth of 8.4 per cent, only seven companies have kept their sales position from last year.

Some 64 companies have moved up in their sales performance and 117 have fallen. Showing the biggest improvement in position by moving up six places in the league was Empire World Trade, now the 16th biggest company in the industry.

Profitability ranking has seen the biggest changes with average margins in the group recorded at just 1.6 per cent. Only six companies have kept their same profit ranking with 64 moving up and 117 falling. The number of loss makers has increased to 24 companies with five of these now losing money for the second year running.