A childcare business based in Lymm has been named in the top 100 companies in the country with the fastest-growing profits over the past three years.

Kids Planet, which has 59 nurseries in the north west, the south and the midlands, has nearly 1,400 members of staff and secured a contract to operate Oxford University’s five childcare settings in February.

The company recorded £4.6million in profits with a three-year annual average profit growth of 36 per cent and ranked 94th in the 22nd annual Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 list.

The league table ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing profits over their last three years, largely before Covid-19 struck.

CEO Clare Roberts is a mum of three girls and set up Kids Planet in 2008 when she was struggling to find childcare that offered flexible hours, which she needed to return to work.

The family-owned business opened in Warrington and Widnes and then added settings in Beamont and Lymm in 2009.

Kids Planet is responsible for the care of more than 7,500 children and is “committed to ensuring each child is given the best opportunities” putting “teaching and learning at the heart” of everything they do.

Kids Planet is one of 17 companies with headquarters in the north west to feature on this year’s list along with well-known British brands like Thatchers Cider and London-based bicycle manufacturer Brompton.

Ed Dwan, tax partner at BDO, said: “These ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited businesses punch well above their weight and are vital for the UK economy; they invest and this investment also creates jobs.

“As the vaccine programme continues to be rolled out and lockdown restrictions are eased, high-growth businesses like these must have adequate support.

“We are pleased to see the range of business support measures in this year’s budget.

“Developing and strengthening our innovation-focused economy is crucial and these businesses will play a key role in the UK’s wider economic recovery post-pandemic.”

Past star alumni of the league tables include Dyson which featured in 2000 with profits of £24million, seeing these rise to £711million in 2019 and global technology platform THG, which ranked number one in 2014 with profits of £11million.

THG floated last year valued at £5.4billion and is now worth £6.5billion.