A Pembrokeshire business is the fastest growing in Wales and one of the fastest in the UK.

The Sunday Times has ranked the UK’s 100 fastest-growing companies for the first time, and revealed Ascona Group, a petrol forecourt operator, was Wales’s fastest.

It is also the 32nd fastest-growing company in the UK, with £201m in sales last year.

Darren Briggs, 51, launched Ascona in Pembrokeshire in 2011, but it was in 2018 when he began to take it from two sites in its home county to 61 across the UK - backed by investment firm Crestline Europe and Nash Business Capital.

Its retail partners include Nisa and Budgens, and revenues, which include fuel duty, more than doubled to £201 million in the last year, and has grown a staggering 97.73% a year in the last three years.

The company aims to own and manage as many as 300 petrol station forecourts within five years. 

The full rankings can be found here, and will also be published as a supplement in The Sunday Times on July 3.

Jim Armitage, business editor of The Sunday Times said: “The Sunday Times 100 is our new-look annual celebration of the UK’s entrepreneurial achievements.

“The founders of these exciting businesses are vital job creators and innovators.

“The top 100 have performed exceptionally during the pandemic and show how some companies used the change to consumer and work habits to their advantage.”

The research for the Sunday Times 100 was done in partnership with Beauhurst.

As well as a dedicated online hub and print supplements, The Sunday Times 100 will also host a series of exclusive networking events for participants.