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NET 250 shines spotlight on region’s elite

NET 250
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The North East’s most dynamic and successful businesses have been honoured at a special ceremony. Standout performers across a range of categories were showcased at the NET 250 awards event, which attracted hundreds of guests to Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. Celebrating the region’s top 250 organisations by turnover, the spectacle was delivered by N magazine publisher NET alongside Newcastle University Business School and international accounting and professional services firm PwC.

The North East’s best-performing businesses have been honoured at a special ceremony.

Organisations from across the region were celebrated at NET 250.

Attracting hundreds of guests to Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, the event – delivered alongside headline partner Knights – showcased standout operators from the Scottish Borders to North Yorkshire.

Compiled using publicly-available data – from Companies House accounts and business websites – NET 250 ranked organisations by turnover through research conducted by Newcastle University Business School and verified by international accounting and professional services firm PwC.

Returning after last year’s successful launch, the ceremony included a number of new categories and also commended organisations and individuals making a difference beyond businesses’ balance sheets.

Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd – Sunderland Plant, which recently revealed it was in talks to make Chery-branded vehicles at its Wearside factory, picked up two accolades.

The car maker was named Number One Company in the North East and Number One Company in the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (formerly the North East Combined Authority) Area after recording £6.63 billionturnover.

Stockton, Guisborough and Northallerton-based car dealership Simon Bailes Peugeot was named Fastest Growing Company, on the back of £104.01 million turnover, with Middlesbrough-headquartered national operator Cleveland Cable Company taking away the Top Family-Owned Company prize with turnover of £515.55 million.

The Highest New Entrant category was won by global intelligence and software firm Hubexo, which includes Newcastle-based NBS, with turnover of £121.45 million.

Newcastle Building Society picked up the Top 50 Breakthrough title, after seeing turnover rise from £259.90 million to £335.70 million.

The Giving Award – in partnership with Community Foundation North East – was won by Newcastle-headquartered national bakery chain Greggs, with Bellway and Esh Group highly commended.

The Number One Company in the Tees Valley Combined Authority Area honour was won by vehicle rental firm ZIGUP, which includes Darlington-based Northgate Vehicle Hire, for turnover of £1.81 billion.

The Top Privately Owned Company accolade went to Go-Ahead Group, which recorded turnover of £3.56 billion, with forecourt operator Penny Petroleum securing the Highest Climber honour after turnover of £183.62 million saw it rise more than 100 places to 79th in the 2026 list.

The inaugural NET 250 Champion Award – delivered alongside headline partner Knights – celebrated an organisation’s financial successes and its wider market and community impact.

The accolade was won by Newcastle-based British Engines, with judges hailing its longstanding apprenticeship programme, which has supported more than 1000 people into work since the mid-1960s.

The century-old company, which employs about 1200 staff across 12 countries and includes Bishop Auckland-based Stephenson Gobin and South Shields’ Rotary Power, was also praised for “creating skilled jobs, driving innovation and keeping the region at the heart of British industry”.

And Dame Irene Hays, owner and chair of Sunderland-headquartered Hays Travel, received the Special Recognition Award.

Founded by Dame Irene’s late husband John in a shop in Seaham’s Church Street in 1980, Hays Travel has grown to become the UK’s largest independent travel agency, operating more than 500 stores nationwide.

Dame Irene, who was born in Newcastle and raised in Ashington, charted the business’ expansion alongside John, overseeing market moves that included the headline acquisition of hundreds of Thomas Cook stores in 2019 that saved more than 2000 jobs.

More recently, the firm – which employs hundreds of staff at its North East head office – has grown with deals for operators including Spear Travels Group and Polka Dot Travel, which has branches across Cheshire, Shropshire and North Wales.

Steven Hugill, NET editor-in-chief, who hosted the NET 250 event, says:

“As a multi-platform publisher rooted in the North East, we’ve long served as an authoritative voice for regional enterprise, championing ambition and inspiring future success.

“NET 250 extends that mission, and it was a pleasure to once again celebrate the North East’s fantastic business community.

“Our region’s commercial landscape is rich with organisations that are delivering not just great services but the innovations of tomorrow.

“Congratulations to all NET 250 category winners, and to every company that made it onto the list – their achievements are a credit to the skilled teams, innovative spirit and resilient mindset that define the North East’s business culture.”

The 2026 NET 250 Category Winners

Number One Company in the North East, in partnership with Womble Bond Dickinson – Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd – Sunderland Plant: Turnover £6.63 billion

Fastest Growing Company, in partnership with Hill Dickinson LLP – Simon Bailes Peugeot: Turnover £104.01 million

Top Family-Owned Company, in partnership with Maven Capital Partners – Cleveland Cable Company: Turnover £515.55 million

Highest New Entrant, in partnership with Entrepreneurs’ Forum – Hubexo: Turnover £121.45 million

Top 50 Breakthrough, in partnership with FRP Corporate Finance – Newcastle Building Society: Turnover £335.70 million

Number One Company in the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (formerly the North East Combined Authority) Area, in partnership with Motivait – Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd – Sunderland Plant: Turnover £6.63 billion

The Giving Back Award, in partnership with Community Foundation North East – Greggs (Highly commended: Bellway | Esh Group)

Number One Company in the Tees Valley Combined Authority Area, in partnership with Jackson Hogg – ZIGUP: Turnover £1.81 billion

Top Privately Owned Company, in partnership with S&W – Go-Ahead Group: Turnover £3.56 billion

Highest Climber, in partnership with Raymond James Monument – Penny Petroleum: Turnover £183.62 million

NET 250 Champion Award, in partnership with Knights – British Engines

Special Recognition Award, in partnership with PwC – Dame Irene Hays, Hays Travel owner and chair

NET 250 – The Research Process

Every organisation that appears in the 2026 NET 250 list does so through reference to its name, location, sector and turnover.

Several factors were considered during data analysis and final reporting:

• Companies are included where they had a registered office address in the North East during the reporting period; regional divisions or manufacturing bases are not included.
• Subsidiaries are listed where they demonstrate major decision-making authority within the region.
• Companies with a registered North East address, but that had no obvious presence following analysis of accounts and websites, are not included.
• Where turnover was reported in different currencies, it has been converted using the exchange rate at the reporting year-end date.
• Where firms have changed accounting dates, and a turnover figure covers more or less than a 12-month period, turnover is prorated.
• Accounts must have been submitted to Companies House (or equivalent) by January 31, 2026 to be considered for this year’s NET 250.

Research into the 2026 NET 250 list was led by Aidan Beck, Newcastle University Business School accounting lecturer, alongside students Raichal Joju Panakkal, Fabin Manu, Carly Martin, Will Lawson and Armel Konan.

The research process was supported by Dr Fiona Whitehurst, Newcastle University Business School associate dean – engagement and place, and verified by a team from international accounting and professional services firm PwC, led by North East market senior partner Richard Podd.

To access the 2026 NET 250 list, visit the website at the top of this article. Alternatively, if you would like a printed copy of NET 250, email NET editor-in-chief Steven Hugill at steven@netimesmagazine.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by N Magazine .