WHOLESALERS and retailers of greetings cards, stationery and fancy goods - Ron Wood Greetings Cards of Bury - are one of five North West companies who have won an award for being among the top 100 fastest-growing private companies in the country. They are also one of the UKs top 50 Middle Market companies, a prestige category for larger companies with annual sales of at least £5 million in the first year of the five years over which growth is measured.

Ron Wood Greetings Cards will be among other top performing North West enterprises to be hosted by business advisers Price Waterhouse at a special July awards ceremony at Arley Hall near Northwich in Cheshire.

The Independent 100 league table, compiled by Price Waterhouse, lists Britain's leading independent companies based on average sales growth.

"This is the sixth listing and is now recognised as a leading benchmark of privately owned growth companies," said Brian Leyland, Price Waterhouse North West partner responsible for services to high growth companies.

"This year's results have again identified a wealth of entrepreneurial energy and talent in our region with the welcome inclusion of a significant number of manufacturing and processing companies as well as service industry enterprises."

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