THREE Hampshire businesses have figured in a league table of firms with the biggest sales.

They feature in the Sunday Times PwC Top Track 250, which ranks mid-market private companies by their revenue.

The top-ranked local business is Ringwood-based homebuilder Churchill Retirement Living, which was not in last year’s table but is at number 105 this year.

It achieved sales of £209million, with profits of £60m, and employs 606 people.

Brothers Clinton and Spencer McCarthy each own 39.7 per cent of Churchill, with others owning 20.6 per cent.

The sales figures for all the companies on the list were from pre-Covid times.

Churchill’s chairman and chief executive, Spencer McCarthy, said: “The impact of Covid-19 on the retirement sector has of course been considerable given that our average customer is in their late 70s. However, we’ve seen much lower infection rates among our owners compared to the general population, which underlines the safety of our developments.

“The loneliness of lockdown has made many people think hard about how suitable their home is for their changing needs, and consider the benefits of a brand new, safe, low maintenance apartment that will help them enjoy a happier, healthier lifestyle in their retirement.”

Southampton painting and maintenance contractor CLC Group is at number 157 on the list, up from 207th last year. It made sales of £154m and profit of £11m and employs 1,120 people. It is owned by Hilbre Holdings.

Philip Armitage, director of the firm, based on Northbrook Industrial Estate, said: “This achievement is only possible thanks to the hard work of all our teams who continue to work together to provide an outstanding service to our customers. We recognise that this year will be challenging for everyone, ourselves included. We are however up for the challenge and we will continue our drive to deliver works to our clients safely, and to exceed their expectations.”

Aldershot-based Segen, which distributes renewable energy equipment, is at number 220 on the list, with sales of £117m and profit of £4m. It has 119 staff and is owned by Andy Pegg (83 pwer cent), Julian Wiley (seven per cent), Jeremy Hawkey (five per cent), Michelle Roberts (two per cent) and Liz Macfarlane (two per cent).

The businesses find themselves alongside nationally known brands such as Barbour, BrewDog and Gymshark, which was valued at more than £1billion in August.

The Top Track 250 is sponsored by PwC and Lloyds Bank, and compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.

Arif Ahmad, a private business partner at PwC UK, said: “There’s no doubt that 2020 has posed unprecedented challenges. But time and again, we’ve seen business leaders rising to that challenge, adapting their plans and taking the opportunity to innovate. This year, it’s more important than ever to recognise and congratulate the companies featured in the Top Track 250. They are the backbone of the UK economy and it’s our pleasure to work with them, at every stage of their journeys.”