TWO family firms from York are on a list of Britain's 100 biggest private companies.

York-based construction firm, The Shepherd Building Group, were named as the 48th largest private company by the Sunday Times. The firm, which is owned entirely by the Shepherd family, has moved up two places from its position at number 50 on last year's list.

The firm employs 3,727 workers and its sales in the year ending June 2003 were £605 million. Its operating profit was £14 million. It has 1,300 outlets in the UK and Ireland.

A spokesman of Shepherd Building Group said: "League tables mean very little. But it provides a reminder that the group is in a good profit position."

Convenience store group, Costcutter, which is based in York, was placed number 90 in the list. This is an improvement on last year when the firm was listed as the 92nd largest private company in Britain.

In the year ending April 2003, Costcutter had sales of £383 million and an operating profit of £4 million. The firm, which is entirely owned by Colin Graves and family, employs 733 people. Founder and managing director Colin Graves said sales were up ten per cent year on year and over the next 12 months it was forecast that the company's turnover would increase by between £37 and 39 million.

He said: "It is extremely pleasing to be in the top 100 especially considering that Costcutter operates in one of the most difficult sectors in business with multiples like Tesco and Sainsbury's moving into convenience food. It's even better news when you take that into consideration.

"We are not only holding our own but expanding and taking on between 100 and 200 stores each year."

Grampian Country Food, which owns Malton Bacon Factory, one of Ryedale's biggest employers, came in at number 19 on the list.

The Aberdeen-based firm employs 19,032 workers in total and has a turnover of £1,470 million.

Updated: 11:31 Wednesday, June 30, 2004