Two regional newspaper publishers have been named among the UK’s top 100 private companies.

Norwich-based Archant, which publishes the East Anglian Daily Times, Eastern Daily Press, Evening News and Evening Star, as well as 50 weekly newspapers, is listed along with the Kent Messenger Group, which prints 30 titles and runs five radio stations.

Companies were ranked in the Sunday Times PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100 according to their compound annual growth rate in profits over the qualifying period.

Archant was ranked at number 68. The Kent Messenger Group was at number 81.

Archant’s annual profit growth was listed as 34 per cent a year from £10.6m in 1997 to £25.1m in 2000.

It is the third year in a row it has made the list and financial director Chris Lawrence said: “This is a great achievement and is testament to the talents and energy of people in our business.”

KM Group’s profits have been driven up by 30 per cent a year from £2.2m in 1997 to £4.8m in 2000.

The company was set up in 1859 with the launch of two local papers, the Kent Examiner and Ashford Chronicle. The business has remained in the family and now has around 670 staff.

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