Nine companies headquartered in Scotland (compared to 11 last year) have grown their international sales by an average of 42% a year over the last two years to a total of £464m, and together they now employ more than 4,100 people.
The eighth annual Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 league table ranks Britain’s mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales.
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Perthshire-based GLD Group appears on the league table for the first time. The group licenses or owns the rights to design and distribute fashion and sportswear brands, including Umbro, and it also supplies Italian shoe line Superga and French rain jacket brand K-Way. Demand from Germany, Benelux and Switzerland helped exports reach £12.3m in 2016.
Scotland’s largest independent brewery, BrewDog, features for the third time this year. The Aberdeenshire firm exports to more than 60 countries and international sales reached £13.4m in 2016. It was valued at £1bn in April when it sold a 22% stake to American private-equity firm TSG Consumer Partners for £213m.
The companies in Scotland appear with businesses from around Britain, including jewellery designer Monica Vinader, premium cycling brand Rapha, appliance manufacturer Gtech, and sandwich shop chain Pret. Past stars range from drinks maker Fever-Tree to travel search engine Skyscanner.
The league table reflects the importance of Europe to Britain’s mid-market exporters ahead of the Brexit negotiations. Almost 85% of the companies (167) sell to the continent, the most popular market, followed by North America (112) and Asia (75).
It is sponsored by HSBC and DHL Express, and compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
Amanda Murphy, UK head of commercial banking at HSBC, commented:
“This year’s Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 is testament to the exciting opportunities available to ambitious Scottish businesses with appetite to grow their goods and services abroad. The nine companies in Scotland are putting the country firmly on the map as a thriving business hub. We work very closely with our business customers to help them achieve their goals, so it makes me immensely proud to see so many of them succeed.”
Private companies in Scotland with the fastest-growing int’l sales – ordered by location then rank
Private companies in Scotland with the fastest-growing int’l sales – ordered by location then rank
HQ location | Rank[2016 rank] | CompanyActivity | Annual int’l sales growth over 2 yrs | Int’l sales (£m) | Total sales (£m) | Staff | Year end | Comment |
Aberdeen,Aberdeenshire | 113[81] | Balmoral GroupPolymer engineer and manufacturer | 37% | 103.7 | 134.5 | 576 | Mar 16 | Demand from offshore oilfields in Brazil and West Africa are sustaining overseas sales |
WesthillAberdeenshire | 186[43] | EntierFacilities services provider | 19% | 16.6 | 44.9 | 411 | Sep 16 | Provides catering services to clients in 26 countries |
EllonAberdeenshire | 193[118] | BrewDogBrewery | 17% | *13.4 | *71.9 | 650 | Dec 16 | Plans to open The DogHouse hotel in Columbia, Ohio, featuring beer spa treatments |
GlasgowGlasgow | 111[109] | Compello Staffing GroupRecruitment consultancy | 37% | *20.2 | *64.5 | 165 | May 16 | Has offices across America and the Middle East |
Port GlasgowInverclyde | 140[113] | AMG VangoCamping outdoor supplier | 30% | 3.7 | 35.2 | 92 | Dec 15 | Its Vango range is popular in Germany, Benelux, the Czech Republic and South Korea |
FochabersMoray | 34[72] | BaxtersFood producer | 84% | †198.6 | †293.8 | 1,539 | Apr 16 | Manufactures in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Poland, and sells to more than 30 countries |
BlairgowriePerthshire | 20 | GLD GroupClothing and footwear supplier | 112% | 12.3 | 32.7 | 83 | Jan 16 | Has strong sales in northwest Europe, especially the Benelux countries and Germany |
InchinnanRenfrewshire | 185[151] | Peak ScientificGas generator manufacturer | 19% | *40.3 | *46.1 | 360 | Sep 16 | Makes a range of gas generators for labs on every continent |
Bathgate,West Lothian | 167[79] | RedeemElectronic device recycler | 24% | 55.4 | 80.2 | 289 | Mar 16 | Its Macclesfield facility processes 200,000 handsets a month for European customers |
* Supplied by the company † Annualised figure
