Research report 2018 Britain's 200 mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales - Fast Track
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Research report 2018 Britain's 200 mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales Sponsored by
International Track 200 research report 2018 i
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
Top 10 International Track 200 companies 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2
International sales 2
Key themes 2
KEY STATISTICS 3
International sales 3
Overseas markets 4
Sector breakdown 5
Industry breakdown 5
Regional breakdown 6
Job creation 7
Main ownership 7
Foundation dates 7
Brexit 8
KEY THEMES & SELECTED COMPANY PROFILES 9
Trading in the US 9
Acquisitions and joint ventures 10
External investment 11
Women founders and directors 12
Ecommerce 13
Innovation 14
Food and drink 15
Brands 16
2018 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE 17
METHODOLOGY 25
Qualification criteria 25
Research approach 25
SPONSORS & MEDIA PARTNER 26
Sponsors 26
Media partner 27
ABOUT FAST TRACK 28
Compiler and publisher 28
The authors 28
Fast Track 29
CONTACT DETAILS 29
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2018 1
INTRODUCTION
This is the 9th year of The Sunday Times HSBC International
Track 200, the league table of Britain’s mid-market private
companies with the fastest-growing international sales. HSBC is
the title sponsor, and DHL Express is the main sponsor.
The International Track 200 ranks the 200 mid-market companies
(total sales of £25m+) based on their growth in international sales
over the last two years of available data; whereas our SME Export
Track 100 ranks companies with sales of less than £25m. However,
This year’s No 1 company is coffee manufacturer available data on international sales have limitations [page 25].
Lincoln & York, which owns the UK's largest roastery
Despite the backdrop of volatile international markets and the
UK's impending departure from the EU, this year's league table
findings show the resilience of UK companies trading overseas
and the remarkable progress they are making.
The average international sales growth for the 200 companies
was 62% a year, to a total of £10.1bn on combined total sales
of £22.8bn. They export to all corners of the globe and employ
106,000 staff, having added 24,000 jobs over the same period.
Featured companies include: sports car maker Aston Martin
(No 166), appliance manufacturer Gtech (No 5), fashion retailers
Mint Velvet (No 100), Seasalt (No 28) and White Stuff (No 145); and
sushi bar chain Wasabi (No 109).
Top 10 International Track 200 companies
Av. annual Latest Latest
Rank Company int'l sales int'l sales total sales
[2017] Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Founded Comment
Lincoln & York Opened its first international office, in
1 Lincolnshire Jan 17 265.08% 7,205 32,243 100 1994
Coffee manufacturer Poland, in 2017
OCSL Works with corporate and public sector
2 West Sussex Mar 17 229.72% 8,295 85,852 217 1990
IT services provider clients from Holland to Japan
Cult Beauty Sells cult and up-and-coming beauty brands
3 Central London May 17 213.18% 15,621 37,641 65 2008
Online beauty retailer from around the world
4 Ceuta Group Has built an international network of distributors,
Bournemouth Mar 17 200.99% 32,750 88,068 358 1994
[19] Sales and marketing agency which is active in more than 100 markets
5 Gtech Has sold more than 25m domestic
Worcester Nov 17 200.83% *17,991 *121,449 206 2001
[159] Appliance manufacturer appliances in 19 countries
White Light Southwest Its audiovisual kit was used by the Discovery
6 Mar 17 194.94% 6,823 28,926 205 1971
Entertainment production supplier London Channel to broadcast the 2018 Winter Olympics
Salt Operates in eight locations and has been
7 Central London Dec 16 180.05% 7,058 30,856 92 2009
Recruitment agency expanding into Asia and Australasia
iPulse Almost 95% of its total revenue is
8 Swansea Dec 17 167.13% *30,914 *32,843 39 2002
Hair removal technology generated overseas
9 Carrs Foods International Sales to the US accounted for 37% of total
Manchester Dec 17 163.80% *19,744 *49,199 24 1986
[7] Baked product provider revenue in 2017
10 MiQ Helped Sony plan the launch of its
Central London Dec 16 156.93% 53,950 91,880 308 2010
[4] Digital marketing agency PlayStation baseball game MLB
* supplied by company
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2018 2
Growth in international sales* EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Number of companies in each range
International sales
>200% 5 • The International Track 200 companies grew their overseas sales
5
by an average of 62% a year over two years. Their combined
150-200%
exports rose from £4.6bn to £10.1bn over this period
100-150% 16
• 86% of the companies (172) sell to mainland Europe, making it
50-100% 71 the most popular market, followed by North America (125) and
Asia (71)
25-50% 103
• The top countries for overseas sales are the US (118 companies),
37 annual growth rate)
* two-year CAGR (compound
Germany (95), France (65), Australia (54), Ireland (50), China (46)
and the Netherlands (44)
• There are 88 manufacturers, and 62 of these make products in
the UK
• Technology, media and telecoms (TMT) and consumer goods are
the largest industries (46 companies each), followed by food and
drink (29) and business services (26)
Key themes
Characteristics of a typical
International Track 200 company 1. Trading in the US: The US is the most popular country for
overseas sales, with 118 companies citing it as a major market.
International sales It is also the top choice for future growth (107 firms) [page 9]
Average growth over two years 62% pa
2. Acquisitions and joint ventures: Sixty companies have bought
International sales in 2016-18 £30m or partnered with businesses to expand internationally, up 30%
International sales in 2014-16 £10m on last year [page 10]
Total sales 3. External investment: More than a quarter of the league table
Sales in 2016-18 £70m have raised private equity investment (53 firms), while others have
Sales in 2014-16 £45m raised funding from banks or business angels [page 11]
4. Women founders and directors: Just under a fifth of the
Staff
league table (37 companies) is founded/co-founded by women,
Typical number of staff in 2016-2018 50–1,000 or has a woman in a main leadership role, a 32% increase on last
Average increase in staff over two years 19% pa year [page 12]
Company characteristics 5. Ecommerce: Ecommerce is a cost-effective route to cross-
HQ Greater London (67 companies) border trade, and 35 goods exporters generate at least 10% of
Sector Services (89) their international sales online, a 40% rise on last year [page 13]
6. Innovation: Investment in R&D to develop world-beating
products has driven export success for companies in industries
such as healthcare, consumer goods and engineering [page 14]
7. Food and drink: There are 29 food and drink-related
companies, selling traditional British fare or tapping into new
trends [page 15]
8. Brands: Household names on the league table include brands
in the food and drink, fashion and automotive sectors such as
BrewDog, Gymshark and Aston Martin [page 16]
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2018 3
KEY STATISTICS
International sales
• Companies on the league table are required to have total sales
greater than £25m, to have international sales greater than
£1m, and to be profitable
• The top-ranked company is coffee manufacturer Lincoln & York.
It grew international sales 265% a year, from £0.5m in 2015 to
Nick Grey founded Gtech (No 5) in 2001 to take on £7.2m in 2017
established brands with his own cordless vacuum cleaner.
It generated exports of £18m last year and profits of £18m
• International sales at the 200th ranked company,
pharmaceutical regulations consultancy Kinapse, grew an
average of 25% a year, from £15.5m in 2015 to £24.5m in 2017
Latest total sales • 26 companies had triple-digit growth in international sales,
Number of companies in each range including appliance manufacturer Gtech (No 5), whose
international sales rose an average of 201% a year, from £2m in
>£100m
2015 to £18m in 2017; and online sportswear retailer Gymshark
49
(No 16), which grew international sales an average of 129% a
£75m-£100m 22 year, from £5.9m in 2015 to £30.8m in 2017
• Sports car maker Aston Martin (No 166) had the highest
£50m-£75m 42
international sales on the table, at £683m in 2017
£25m-£50m 87
• Online retailer The Hut Group (No 45) recorded the biggest
absolute increase in international sales, which grew £345.2m
between 2015 and 2017
• Combined international sales of the 200 companies were
Latest international sales £10.1bn and total sales were £22.8bn
Number of companies in each range • Average operating profits are £7.9m. The company with
the highest profit margin is insurance intermediary CFC
>£100m 21 Underwriting (No 144), which made an operating profit of
£14.6m on total sales of £45.5m in 2017
£75m-£100m 5
£50m-£75m 18
£25m-£50m 51
£10m-£25m 61
Top 5 companies with the largest international sales
£1m-£10m 44
Company Int'l sales
Rank FYE
Activity £m
Aston Martin
166 Dec 17 683
Sports car maker
The Collinson Group
138 Apr 17 521.4
Loyalty and benefits provider
The Hut Group
45 Dec 17 *512.4
Online retailer
Westcoast
63 Dec 17 437.1
Technology distributor
Hyperion Insurance Group
156 Sep 17 422
Insurance broker and underwriter
* Supplied by the company
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2018 4
Overseas markets
• 86% of the companies (172) sell to mainland Europe, making it
the most popular market, followed by North America (125) and
Asia (71)
• More than half the companies (115) focus their sales on one
or two continents. Twenty companies have key markets spread
across four or more continents. For example, Hyperion Insurance
Group (No 156) employs 3,800 people across Europe, the Middle
China is the fastest-growing market for sports car East, Asia Pacific and the Americas
maker Aston Martin (No 166)
• The top countries for overseas sales are the US (118 companies),
Germany (95), France (65), Australia (54), Ireland (50), China (46),
and the Netherlands (44)
• Half the companies (99) export to or operate in emerging
markets†, including sports car maker Aston Martin (No 166),
which announced a five-year, £620m trade and investment drive
in China in January 2018
• The top countries identified for future international expansion are
the US (107 companies), Germany (62), China (49), France (39),
Australia (39), India (25), and Canada (24)
† Emerging markets as defined by the FTSE list of emerging countries
Main markets of the International Track 200 companies*
172
125 EUROPE
NORTH AMERICA
71
ASIA
38
16
MIDDLE EAST
AFRICA
8
SOUTH AMERICA
59
AUSTRALASIA
* map shows the number of companies targeting each market
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2018 5
Sector breakdown
The International Track 200 companies operate in a range of
sectors, and, due to the breadth of their activities, 86 companies are
considered to operate in two sectors. For example, The Hut Group
(No 45) is both a manufacturer and retailer.
The largest sectors are services (89 companies) and manufacturing
(88, including some firms that manufacture overseas).
Laura Tenison founded maternity and babywear retailer
JoJo Maman Bébé (No 185) in 1993; it opened its first
• Services (89) encompass a wide range of industries, including
three stores in the US this year. recruitment agencies such as Amoria Bond (No 155); consultancies,
like consumer research agency MMR Research Worldwide (No 112);
and media firms, such as digital marketing agency Jellyfish (No 30)
• Manufacturers (88) include office furniture manufacturer Boss
Industry breakdown Design (No 119), pet food maker Natures Menu (No 101), and
appliance manufacturer Gtech (No 5)
• Wholesalers (57) include food distributors, such as meat importer
and wholesaler Oakfield (No 35), and IT suppliers, including
The Change Organisation (No 116)
TMT 46 • Retailers (43) include companies that trade online, such as online
sports retailer Gymshark (No 66). The sector also features firms
that have opened shops overseas, such as maternity and babywear
retailer JoJo Maman Bébé (No 185) and jewellery designer Monica
Vinader (No 48)
• Construction (3) comprises firms such as Northern Ireland
construction contractor Mac (No 65), which works for US companies,
Consumer goods 46
including Oracle, Intel and IBM
Industry breakdown
Food and drink 29 • TMT is the joint best-represented industry, with 46 companies, up
from 43 last year. This category includes digital design studio ustwo
(No 143), media agency the7stars (No 108) and Harry Potter ebook
publisher Pottermore (No 13)
Business services 26
• Consumer goods also comprises 46 companies (up from 45 last
year), including online beauty store Cult Beauty (No 3), and fashion
Engineering 11 retailer White Stuff (No 145), which has 19 stores in Germany
Building 10 • Food and drink also features strongly, with 29 companies (four
more than last year). This includes the top-ranked company, coffee
Automotive 9 manufacturer Lincoln & York, as well as sushi bar chain Wasabi
Finance 8 (No 109) and coffee house operator Caffè Nero (No 177)
Other 15
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2018 6
Regional breakdown
• The region with the highest number of companies is London,
with 67 firms
• Other regions are also performing strongly, including the
southeast (47 companies), Midlands (21), and northwest (19)
• Regions with export strength in particular sectors include:
–– London and the southeast, which accounts for all nine
Food ingredients producer Macphie (No 90) is one IT consultancies and resellers, such as OCSL (No 2), and
of five Scottish-based food and drink firms to feature
on the league table
Claranet (No 69), which opened an office in Italy last year,
bringing its European offices to a total of 23
–– Scotland, which has five food and drink companies, the
joint highest number with London and the Midlands. These
Regional breakdown
include Macphie (No 90), which supplies cake mixes and
of headquarters
other ingredients to bakeries and kitchens around the world
Region
Number of • The region with the lowest representation is Northern Ireland,
companies
with three companies: construction contractor mac (No 63), CDE
London 67 Global (No 170), which makes waste and materials processing
Southeast 47 equipment, and blind manufacturer Decora (No 140)
Midlands 21
Northwest 19
Southwest 11
Scotland 10 HQ locations of the International Track 200
East 9 companies
Northeast 8
Wales 5
Northern Ireland 3
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2018 7
Job creation
• The 200 companies directly employ 106,000 people, with typical
staff numbers ranging between 50-1,000. The largest employer,
facilities maintenance provider City Facilities Management
(No 66), has more than 11,000 on the payroll
• The smallest employers are generally wholesalers, such as
coffee merchant DR Wakefield (No 122), which has 17 staff.
15 companies employ fewer than 50 people
Caffè Nero (No 177) took on 1,000 new staff last
year, and now employs 5,500 people
• The companies have increased total staff numbers by 24,000
over the past two years. New jobs have been created by
companies such as Caffè Nero (No 177), which added 1,000
people to its payroll last year. Other companies, including online
retailer The Hut Group (No 45), have boosted staff numbers
Employees through acquisition
Number of companies in each range
Main ownership
>=2,000 11
• Entrepreneurs and founders majority-own just over half the
1,000-1,999 13 companies (104). Examples include appliance manufacturer Gtech
(No 5), founded by inventor Nick Grey in 2001; and children’s
500-999 23
book publisher Usborne Publishing (No 137), owned by its
250-499 44 eponymous founder, Peter Usborne
100-249 65 • 37 companies are majority-owned by private-equity firms,
including luxury fashion retailer Matchesfashion.com (No 60)
50-99 29 whose founders Ruth and Tom Chapman sold a majority stake to
Apax Partners last year, valuing the company at a reported £800m.
International Track 200 research report 2018 8
BREXIT
The International Track 200 uses historical financial information,
and, for many companies, the impact of the 2016 vote to leave the
European Union is reflected for the first time in their performance.
Fast Track conducted a survey during the research period (January
2018 – May 2018) asking the companies about the overall impact the
Brexit vote has had on their business. This is the second year that
the survey has been conducted.
Of the 148 respondents (74% response rate):
• The majority (62%, up from 57% last year) said the vote has had
no, or a neutral, impact on their business
• 29%, up from 26%, said the vote has had a negative effect on their
business, due to factors such as increased import costs for raw
materials, and difficulties hiring and retaining European staff
• 9%, down from 17%, said the vote has had a positive influence
on their business. For example, the weak pound has boosted
exports for some manufacturers
Survey on the impact the Brexit vote has had on International Track 200 businesses
29% 62% 9%
NEGATIVE NEUTRAL / NO IMPACT POSITIVE
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 9
KEY THEMES & SELECTED COMPANY PROFILES
On the following pages we profile examples of companies that
demonstrate some of the key themes from this year’s league table.
Trading in the US
The US is the world’s largest economy and Britain’s biggest single trading
partner. It is also the most popular country for overseas sales among
Avalon (No 153) produces the US talk show
the International Track 200 companies, with 118 firms citing it as a
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver major market (compared to 109 last year). It is the top choice for future
growth, with more than half the companies (107) planning to expand
there (versus 89 last year). Examples include homeware manufacturer
DOMU Brands (No 46), whose US sales grew by almost 50% to £19.9m
last year, as well the companies profiled below.
Carrs Foods International
9 Sales to the US accounted for 37% of total revenue in 2017
Baked product provider
Location Manchester This Manchester business supplies European bakery products
Latest financial year Dec 17 to more than 10,000 stores in the UK and worldwide. Its brands
Two-year CAGR 164% include Paul Hollywood ready-to-bake rolls, and the St Pierre
Latest international sales *£19.7m range of brioche, croissants and crêpes. It entered the US
Base international sales £2.8m market in 2014, where strong growth boosted exports to £19.7m
last year. Managing director Jeremy Gilboy, 59, and international
Latest sales *£49.2m
director Paul Baker, 49, led a buyout of Carrs in 2004.
Employees 24
Mind Gym Helped US mortgage company Freddie Mac implement change
131 across the organisation
Corporate learning provider
Location Central London This London firm, founded in 2000 by Octavius Black, 50, and
Latest financial year Mar 17 Sebastian Bailey, 43, uses psychology and behavioural science
Two-year CAGR 38% to help employees and leaders improve performance and deal
Latest international sales £21.8m effectively with change. The company says 59% of the FTSE and
Base international sales £11.5m S&P 100 have been customers, including GSK, Microsoft and
Unilever. It works in more than 30 countries, and in 2017, its
Latest sales £30.6m
US sales grew 71% to £16m.
Employees 195
Avalon Its TV programmes include the US talk show, Last Week
153 Tonight with John Oliver
Entertainment producer and manager
Location West London Founded in 1988 by Jonathan Thoday, 57, and Richard Allen-
Latest financial year Jun 17 Turner, 52, Avalon manages talent such as Daniel Radcliffe
Two-year CAGR 34% and Russell Howard, promotes live comedy, and produces and
Latest international sales *£68.2m distributes TV shows. Its programmes include US talk show Last
Base international sales £38.2m Week Tonight with John Oliver, hit comedy Catastrophe and
critically-acclaimed entertainment formats Taskmaster and The
Latest sales *£131.6m
Button. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, it works with
Employees 133
global broadcasters and streaming services, helping international
sales to reach £68.2m in 2017.
* Supplied by the company
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 10
Acquisitions and joint ventures
Acquisition can be a time-efficient way to access new markets
and gain economies of scale. Sixty companies have bought or
partnered with businesses to expand internationally, up 30% on
last year (46 firms). For example, IT services consultancy Teneo
(No 53) has made three acquisitions in the US in the last two
years. Others include jewellery retailer Aurum (No 77), which
bought US chain Mayors Jewelers for $105m last year.
Acquisitions have boosted growth at online retailer
The Hut Group (No 45), whose exports hit £512.4m
last year
Cinesite Acquired two Canadian companies, Image Engine and
36 Nitrogen Studios, in 2015 and 2017
Visual effects and animation
Location Central London The James Bond and Harry Potter film franchises are just two
Latest financial year Apr 17 examples of this Emmy award-winning company’s work. Cinesite
Two-year CAGR 88% produces visual effects and feature animations for the likes of Disney,
Latest international sales £36.1m 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures Animation. It was founded in
Base international sales £10.2m 1991 as a division of Kodak before chief executive Antony Hunt,
56, led a management buyout in 2012. It bought two Canadian
Latest sales £43.9m
companies, Image Engine and Nitrogen Studios, in 2015 and 2017 for
Employees 699
undisclosed sums, helping overseas sales to reach £36.1m last year.
The Hut Group Its 2017 acquisitions include beauty subscription service
45 Glossybox and skincare brand ESPA
Online retailer
Location Manchester This online retailer sells premium health and beauty goods via
Latest financial year Dec 17 166 localised websites. A string of acquisitions, including Berlin-
Two-year CAGR 75% based beauty subscription service Glossybox, helped overseas
Latest international sales *£512.4m sales to hit £512.4m in 2017. The group was valued at £2.5bn
Base international sales £167.2m last August, when asset management firm Old Mutual Global
Investors acquired a 5% stake in the business for £125m.
Latest sales *£736.0m
Founder and chief executive Matthew Moulding, 46, leads the
Employees 3,222
Manchester-based company.
Total Media Group Launched a joint venture with German agency Mediaplus
107 this year
Media agency
Location Central London This company says it delivers effective media strategies
Latest financial year Dec 17 through understanding people’s behaviour using a range of
Two-year CAGR 46% tools, from ethnography and neuroscience to behavioural
Latest international sales *£41.5m economics and data analytics. In 2017, it launched a
Base international sales £19.5m technology and innovation hub in Estonia and international
sales, including ad buying, hit £41.5m under chief executive
Latest sales *£85.0m
Guy Sellers, 61. This year, it set up a joint venture with
Employees 123
Germany’s Mediaplus and was appointed as media agency
for collaboration tool Slack, which it will be promoting across
Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
* Supplied by the company
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 11
External investment
The International Track 200 have employed a range of strategies
to fund overseas growth. Private-equity firms have invested in 53
companies (versus 46 last year) and majority-own 37. Examples
include cycling brand Rapha (No 154), marketing technology
firm ITG (No 11), and retailer World of Books (No 197). Others
are financed by corporations, business angels or banks, such as
creative agency The&Partnership (No 15), backed by advertising
Co-founders Martin Dickie (left) and James Watt of
giant WPP, and e-tailer Cult Beauty (No 3), whose investors
craft brewer BrewDog (No 129), which has financed include Net-a-Porter’s co-founder Carmen Busquets.
growth through private-equity and crowdfunding
E-Leather Raised £70m of private-equity funding in 2018 for new factory
105 to meet strong overseas demand
Eco-friendly materials developer
Location Peterborough Airlines, trains and bus seats are upholstered using this
Latest financial year Apr 17 Peterborough firm’s environmentally-friendly, recycled
Two-year CAGR 46% leather material, which is lighter, stronger and more durable
Latest international sales £26.4m than traditional leather. Led by president Chris McBean, 59,
Base international sales £12.4m E-Leather sells to more than 40 countries and exports hit
£26.4m in 2017. In February this year, private-equity firms ETF
Latest sales £29.4m
Partners and Hermes GPE invested £70m in the business to
Employees 161
fund a new factory.
Clarion Events Bought by private-equity firm Blackstone in a £600m deal last year,
110 which has helped to fuel international acquisitions
Events organiser
Location West London This events company organises more than 240 conferences
Latest financial year Jan 17 and exhibitions around the world. In 2017, private-equity
Two-year CAGR 45% firm Blackstone acquired the group from Providence Equity
Latest international sales £53.1m Partners in a £600m deal and has backed the latest two
Base international sales £25.1m acquisitions in a long series - Hong Kong's Global Sources for
£146.0m an undisclosed sum, and the $310m purchase of PennWell
Latest sales
Corporation in Oklahoma, both earlier this year. Clarion has 15
Employees 775
offices worldwide and international turnover reached £53.1m
in 2017, under chairman Simon Kimble, 54.
BrewDog Valued at £1bn last year, when private-equity firm TSG
129 Consumer Partners bought a 22% stake for £213m
Brewery
Location Aberdeenshire Founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie, both 35, this
Latest financial year Dec 17 Scottish brewer exports its craft beer to more than 60 countries
Two-year CAGR 38% and has opened 50 bars as far afield as Brazil and Japan. In
Latest international sales *£21.6m 2017, it was valued at £1bn when US private-equity firm TSG
Base international sales £11.3m Consumer Partners bought a 22% stake for £213m. Overseas
sales hit £21.6m that year. BrewDog's latest crowdfunding
Latest sales *£111.6m
campaign aims to raise up to £50m, which will help to finance a
Employees 777
$30m Australian brewery, set to open in 2019.
* Supplied by the company
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 12
Women founders and directors
Just under a fifth of the league table (37 companies) is founded/
co-founded by women, or has a woman in a main leadership role*.
This is a 32% increase on last year (28 companies). Examples
include clinical research firm Clintec (No 84), founded in 1997 by
immunologist Rabinder Buttar, and food producer Baxters (No 172),
run by executive chairman Audrey Baxter, the fourth generation of
her family to lead the business.
Monica Vinader (No 48) launched her eponymous
jewellery brand in 2008 *Defined as a woman in the role of chief executive, managing director or chairman.
Monica Vinader
48 Led by founder Monica Vinader and her sister Gabriela
Jewellery designer
Location Norfolk Celebrities across the world including the Duchess of
Latest financial year Jul 17 Cambridge, Olivia Palermo and Rita Ora are fans of this Norfolk
Two-year CAGR 73% company's jewellery. Founded in 2008 by Monica Vinader, 49, it
Latest international sales £15.9m now has 15 international boutiques, as well as four in London
Base international sales £5.3m and an ecommerce operation. Piper Private Equity and Winona
Capital invested £20m in 2016, helping to fund expansion in
Latest sales £35.8m
America. Doubling its revenues in the US boosted international
Employees 184
sales to £15.9m in 2017.
Mint Velvet Co-founded by chief executive Liz Houghton and three
100 colleagues in 2009
Womenswear retailer
Location High Wycombe Mint Velvet’s range of women’s clothing, accessories and
Latest financial year Apr 17 footwear is available online and at its 38 shops in the UK and
Two-year CAGR 47% 96 concessions. It also has 12 stores in Switzerland, eight in
Latest international sales £4.9m Ireland, and three franchise outlets in Dubai. Co-founders Liz
Base international sales £2.2m Houghton, 53, Lisa Agar-Rea, 49, Stuart Grant, 43, and Jane
Rawlings, 51, set up the retailer in 2009. Investment business
Latest sales £87.4m
The Lewis Trust Group, owned by the founders of River Island,
Employees 712
bought a stake of undisclosed size in the company in 2015 to
support its expansion.
JoJo Maman Bébé
185 Launched by serial entrepreneur Laura Tenison in 1993
Maternity and babywear retailer
Location South Wales Managing director Laura Tenison, 51, set up this maternity and
Latest financial year Jun 17 baby wear brand in 1993 with £50,000 from the sale of her first
Two-year CAGR 28% business. It now runs 88 stores in the UK and Ireland, including
Latest international sales £6.0m eight outlets opened last year. The Newport-based firm also
Base international sales £3.7m exports to trade customers in more than 60 countries. It has
Latest sales £57.5m been investing in its ecommerce sites and expanding in the US
- where it opened its first three shops this spring.
Employees 783
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 13
Ecommerce
Ecommerce can be a cost-effective route to cross-border
trade. This year’s league table features 35 ecommerce goods
exporters that generate at least 10% of their international
sales online – a 40% rise on last year (25 companies). They
include 16 firms selling clothing online, such as luxury fashion
retailer Matchesfashion.com (No 60), whose website attracts
3m unique visits a month. There are also eight ecommerce
Olympic diver Tom Daley is a brand ambassador for
firms selling sports goods, including Gymshark (No 16), whose
sports nutrition e-tailer Bulk Powders (No 61) 11 online stores sell to 177 countries.
BULK POWDERS Sells more than 1,000 products via 11 online stores and
61 marketplaces such as Alibaba
Sports nutrition brand
Location Colchester Superfood powders, nut butters and whey proteins are among
Latest financial year Dec 17 the health and performance products made by this sports
Two-year CAGR 66% nutrition specialist. Fitness fanatics Elliot Dawes and Adam
Latest international sales *£15.5m Rossiter, both 35, started the Colchester firm in 2006, and it
Base international sales £5.6m now exports more than 1,000 different food supplements to
customers in Europe after launching a female range earlier
Latest sales *£32.2m
this year. International sales hit £15.5m in 2017, with expansion
Employees 150
to the increasingly health-aware US and Chinese markets
on the horizon.
Childrensalon
139 Says it is the largest global specialist e-tailer of luxury childrenswear
Childrenswear retailer
Location Tunbridge Wells Childrensalon was started in 1952 by Sybil Harriman with a
Latest financial year Dec 17 shop in Tunbridge Wells selling children’s clothes. It is now a
Two-year CAGR 37% global online retailer, stocking childrenswear from 280 brands,
Latest international sales *£67.5m such as Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana. A surge in sales of
Base international sales £36.1m traditional styles, after the births of Prince George and Princess
*£78.5m Charlotte, helped exports hit £67.5m last year. The company
Latest sales
is headed by the founder’s daughter, Michele Harriman-Smith,
Employees 286
66, and her husband George, 70.
WiggleCRC Bought German online retailer Bike24 for a reported £100m
148 last year
Online sports goods retailer
Location Portsmouth WiggleCRC was formed in 2016 when online sports retailer
Latest financial year Jan 17 Wiggle, backed by private-equity firm Bridgepoint, bought
Two-year CAGR 35% its Belfast-based rival Chain Reaction Cycles for £43.5m. The
Latest international sales £148.4m group says it is the largest online retailer in its sector and
Base international sales £82.0m has customers in more than 100 countries. Last October, it
added German competitor Bike24 for a reported £100m. Chief
Latest sales £282.9m
executive Will Kernan, 48, heads the group.
Employees 751
* Supplied by the company
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 14
Innovation
Investment in R&D to develop innovative, world-beating
products has driven export success for some of the
companies on this year’s list. These include businesses
developing safety products, such as fume extraction systems
(BOFA International, No 163) and road safety devices
(Brigade Electronics, No 178); healthcare products, such as
antimicrobial wipes (Gama Healthcare, No 99); and consumer
A-Safe (No 59) invests heavily in R&D to develop its
goods, including cordless vacuum cleaners (Gtech, No 5).
patented safety barriers
iPulse
8 Uses pulsed light technology to remove unwanted hair
Hair removal device developer
Location Swansea The devices created by this Swansea manufacturer use high
Latest financial year Dec 17 intensity pulses of light to target unwanted hair and stop growth
Two-year CAGR 167% at the root. iPulse opened its first overseas office in Japan last year
Latest international sales *£30.9m and sells its SmoothSkin products in 12 other countries through
Base international sales £4.3m retailers such as Shaver Shop. Backed by BGF chairman Sir Nigel
Rudd, 71, and early Betfair investor Richard Koch, 68, the company
Latest sales *£32.8m
increased international sales to £30.9m in 2017, under chief
Employees 39
executive Giles Davies, 50.
A-Safe
59 Invented the first fixed polymer safety barrier in 2001
Safety barrier manufacturer
Location Halifax This Halifax firm’s flexible polymer safety barriers are used in
Latest financial year Dec 17 factories by the likes of Nestlé and Heineken to protect staff
Two-year CAGR 68% and machinery. Its bright yellow products are also found in car
Latest international sales *£36.3m parks and airports. A-Safe has offices in 14 countries, and it
Base international sales £12.9m also sells through distributors in a further 22 countries. Luke
Smith, 38, and brother James, 40, are joint managing directors.
Latest sales *£44.6m
Employees 335
Aston Martin Launching its first all-electric vehicle, the RapidE sports car,
166 next year
Sports car maker
Location Warwickshire Demand for Aston Martin's DB11 globally, and particularly
Latest financial year Dec 17 across America and China, drove sales of its luxury sports cars
Two-year CAGR 31% to more than 5,000 worldwide last year. This pushed overseas
Latest international sales £683.0m turnover to £683m in 2017, under chief executive Andy
Base international sales £396.0m Palmer, 54, with total profits rising to £148.8m, the highest
on the league table. The Warwickshire business is developing
Latest sales £876.0m
a second manufacturing site in Wales, launching further
Employees 1,753
models of the Vantage, DBS Superleggera and its first SUV, and
expanding in China and Japan. The brand's investors - Adeem,
Tejara and Italy’s Investindustrial - are reportedly considering a
stock market listing among other options.
* Supplied by the company
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 15
Food and drink
UK food and drink exports reached a record high of £22bn last
year, reflecting the global appetite for British produce. This year’s
league table features 29 food and drink-related firms (up from
25 last year). They include companies exporting traditional British
fare, such as Ahmad Tea (No 195) and cheddar maker Wyke
Farms (No 192). Others have tapped into trends such as the craft
beer revolution (BrewDog, No 129), healthy snacking (Evolution
Salmon farmer Loch Duart (No 78) helped Scotland’s Foods, No 76), and fair trade coffee (DR Wakefield, No 122).
salmon exports hit a record £600m last year
Lincoln & York Has helped fuel the growth in coffee shops across the UK and
1 Northern Europe
Coffee manufacturer
Location Lincolnshire From hand roasting coffee in a garden shed in 1994, founders
Latest financial year Jan 17 James Sweeting, 48, and Simon Herring, 53, have since moved
Two-year CAGR 265% to a state-of-the-art facility in Lincolnshire featuring the UK's
Latest international sales £7.2m largest roaster. They run a discreet manufacturing business that
Base international sales £0.5m is behind hundreds of coffee blends throughout Europe, and
say that more than one shop on every British high street sells
Latest sales £32.2m
their coffee. Last September, the company launched a cold brew
Employees 100
coffee called Black Eye.
Loch Duart Exports salmon to 20 countries, with Belgium, France, Spain
78 and Italy its main overseas markets
Salmon farmer
Location Sutherland Loch Duart has been farming Atlantic salmon in Scotland’s
Latest financial year Mar 17 Badcall Bay since 1999, when it was co-founded by sales
Two-year CAGR 57% director Andy Bing, 57. The fish has graced the tables of top
Latest international sales £34.5m restaurants worldwide, including the Michelin-starred French
Base international sales £14.1m Laundry in California, and Nobu's Japanese eatery in New York.
Loch Duart sells to more than 20 countries and exports hit
Latest sales £42.5m
£34.5m in 2017, under managing director Alban Denton, 54.
Employees 100
Les Caves de Pyrene Champions artisanal winemakers and runs the Real Wine Fair,
126 promoting 'natural' wines
Wine merchant
Location Surrey Les Caves supplies wine from small wineries to restaurants,
Latest financial year Mar 17 retailers, wholesalers and private customers. The Surrey
Two-year CAGR 39% company is led by founder Eric Narioo, 55, and has operations
Latest international sales £6.5m in Spain, Australia and Italy. It also runs the Real Wine Fair
Base international sales £3.4m in the UK and has an interest in restaurants in London,
Melbourne, and Logroño, Spain.
Latest sales £34.1m
Employees 128
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 16
Brands
Household names on the league table include cycling brand Rapha
(No 154), which features for a fifth consecutive year, as well as coffee
house chain Caffè Nero (No 177) and brewery BrewDog (No 129),
which appear for the fourth year in a row. Outdoor clothing retailer
Mountain Warehouse (No 24) and food producer Baxters (No 172) are
listed for the third consecutive year.
Founder & CEO Dong Hyun Kim is expanding sushi
New entrants include sports car maker Aston Martin (No 166), fashion
bar chain Wasabi (No 109) across the US retailer Mint Velvet (No 100), and sportswear brand Gymshark (No 16).
Seasalt Rosamunde Pilcher’s popular novels, set in Cornwall, have helped
28 boost its profile in Germany
Clothing retailer
Location Falmouth America and New Zealand are among the countries where
Latest financial year Jan 17 this retailer’s Cornish-inspired clothing has proved a hit.
Two-year CAGR 98% Brothers Neil, Leigh and David Chadwick, 52, 60 and 59,
Latest international sales £2.2m took over the business from their father, who had a store in
Base international sales £0.6m Penzance, in 2001. They now sell to 56 countries through an
ecommerce site and wholesale businesses in Germany, its
Latest sales £41.5m
largest overseas market, and Ireland. Chief executive Paul
Employees 613
Hayes, 47, joined in 2013.
Wasabi Is opening sushi outlets across New York and will expand to
109 other US cities
Sushi bar chain
Location Northwest London Dong Hyun Kim, 45, set up this takeaway business in 2002
Latest financial year Dec 16 with one outlet on London’s Embankment, and now runs 55
Two-year CAGR 46% branches nationwide and five in New York. The chain serves
Latest international sales £6.1m sushi and hot dishes under the Wasabi and Bento brands. It
Base international sales £2.9m also operates Korean restaurant brand Kimchee, and Asian-
inspired Soboro Bakery, and has opened sushi counters in
Latest sales £98.1m
five M&S supermarkets. Store openings in New York helped
Employees 1,767
international sales reach £6.1m in 2016, and further outlets
are planned across America.
White Stuff
145 Its casual clothes are popular in Germany, where it has 19 stores
Fashion retailer
Location South London Selling casual clothes and accessories through 182 stores and
Latest financial year Apr 17 concessions in Britain and Europe, as well as online and via
Two-year CAGR 35% wholesale, White Stuff has come a long way since Sean Thomas
Latest international sales £9.0m and George Treves, both 54, began selling T-shirts in Val d’Isère
Base international sales £4.9m in 1985. New store openings in Germany, where the company
has 19 outlets, helped international sales reach £9m in 2017.
Latest sales £153.6m
Jo Jenkins, former M&S clothing and beauty director, took over
Employees 2,084
as chief executive this spring.
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 17
2018 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE
Av. annual Latest Latest
Rank Company int'l sales int'l sales total sales
[2017] Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Founded Comment
Lincoln & York Opened its first international office, in
1 Lincolnshire Jan 17 265.08% 7,205 32,243 100 1994
Coffee manufacturer Poland, in 2017
OCSL Works with corporate and public sector
2 West Sussex Mar 17 229.72% 8,295 85,852 217 1990
IT services provider clients from Holland to Japan
Cult Beauty Sells cult and up-and-coming beauty brands
3 Central London May 17 213.18% 15,621 37,641 65 2008
Online beauty retailer from around the world
4 Ceuta Group Has built an international network of distributors,
Bournemouth Mar 17 200.99% 32,750 88,068 358 1994
[19] Sales and marketing agency which is active in more than 100 markets
5 Gtech Has sold more than 25m domestic
Worcester Nov 17 200.83% *17,991 *121,449 206 2001
[159] Appliance manufacturer appliances in 19 countries
White Light Southwest Its audiovisual kit was used by the Discovery
6 Mar 17 194.94% 6,823 28,926 205 1971
Entertainment production supplier London Channel to broadcast the 2018 Winter Olympics
Salt Operates in eight locations and has been
7 Central London Dec 16 180.05% 7,058 30,856 92 2009
Recruitment agency expanding into Asia and Australasia
iPulse Almost 95% of its total revenue is
8 Swansea Dec 17 167.13% *30,914 *32,843 39 2002
Hair removal technology generated overseas
9 Carrs Foods International Sales to the US accounted for 37% of total
Manchester Dec 17 163.80% *19,744 *49,199 24 1986
[7] Baked product provider revenue in 2017
10 MiQ Helped Sony plan the launch of its
Central London Dec 16 156.93% 53,949 91,880 308 2010
[4] Digital marketing agency PlayStation baseball game MLB
11 ITG Runs media and marketing campaigns
Birmingham Aug 17 148.39% 12,100 94,669 549 2009
[10] Marketing technology provider in 120 countries
12 AerFin Says it is the largest independent supplier
Caerphilly Dec 17 146.81% 58,589 70,221 87 2010
[1] Aircraft and spares services of Embraer plane parts worldwide
Pottermore The Harry Potter ebooks have been
13 Central London Mar 17 141.55% 37,693 40,303 51 2012
Digital publisher translated into more than 80 languages
Opus Talent Solutions Its international clients include Uber,
14 Bristol Dec 17 138.77% *23,500 *78,000 241 2008
Recruitment consultancy Bank of America and GE
The&Partnership Created a European network to handle Toyota
15 Central London Dec 17 134.45% *187,891 *460,892 700 2001
Advertising agency Europe’s account, won at the end of 2016
Gymshark Exports to 177 countries, including the US,
16 Solihull Jul 17 128.51% 30,832 40,525 100 2012
Online sportswear retailer which accounts for about 40% of its sales
Jupiter Group Operates 500 acres of table grape
17 Shropshire Sep 17 127.52% 9,429 58,779 76 2003
Fruit distributor vineyards across Chile, Greece and India
Gray & Adams Its trailers are used by food groups such as
18 Aberdeenshire Apr 17 126.42% 12,449 148,307 731 1957
Vehicle manufacturer Bidfood in Holland and Tesco in Ireland
19 Bamboo Distribution Distributes recycled and refurbished
Hertfordshire Jun 17 119.31% 37,064 69,171 106 2009
[200] Handset supplier and recycler consumer electronics to 22 countries
20 Austin Fraser Opened an office in Denver last year to
Reading Feb 17 115.86% 10,862 40,383 122 2007
[14] Recruitment consultancy service the city's growing tech industry
21 Missguided Is launching franchise stores and online
Manchester Mar 17 114.13% 87,523 205,825 436 2009
[15] Fashion retailer shopping in the Middle East with retailer Azadea
22 Endava Its latest acquisition added six software
Central London Jun 17 106.17% 79,430 159,368 3,471 2000
[25] IT services provider development centres across Latin America
CashFlows 1,500 businesses across Europe use its
23 Cambridge Dec 17 103.94% *38,900 *50,520 152 2003
Payment services provider technology to accept online payments
24 Mountain Warehouse Opening stores in Holland and the
Central London Feb 17 102.19% 46,404 184,781 1,418 1997
[24] Outdoor clothing retailer Czech Republic this year
Anglia Maltings Acquired European production sites in
25 Norfolk Dec 16 101.59% 62,934 155,632 340 1870
Malt producer 2016 to increase production capacity
* Supplied by the company
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 18
2018 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE
Av. annual Latest Latest
Rank Company int'l sales int'l sales total sales
[2017] Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Founded Comment
Wilson James Provided logistics services for Intel's $5bn
26 Essex Jul 17 101.26% 8,741 133,481 3,031 1988
Security and facilities manager campus upgrade in Ireland
27 Sahara Presentation Systems Its interactive touchscreens are found in schools,
Kent Dec 17 98.74% *25,673 *59,947 80 1924
[91] Audiovisual equipment supplier colleges and universities in over 80 countries
Seasalt Rosamunde Pilcher’s novels, set in Cornwall,
28 Cornwall Jan 17 97.67% 2,214 41,478 613 1981
Clothing retailer have helped boost its profile in Germany
29 Reward Gateway American Express, Unilever and
Central London Jun 17 97.35% 61,654 304,370 326 2006
[18] Employee engagement services Samsung are among its global clients
30 Jellyfish Opened in Barcelona in 2017 to support brands
Central London Mar 17 97.03% 38,323 66,205 331 2005
[42] Digital marketing agency Nina Ricci, Paco Rabanne and Jean Paul Gaultier
31 Matchroom Sport Broadcasts major sporting events to more
Essex Jun 17 93.41% 30,397 100,247 74 1982
[92] Sporting events promoter than 130 countries worldwide
Trutex Its British-style school uniforms are
32 Lancashire Jan 17 93.23% 1,949 27,738 257 1865
School uniform supplier proving popular in the Middle East
33 Paymentsense Processed over £6.5bn of card payments
West London Mar 17 91.76% 4,850 57,507 238 2009
[29] Payment services provider last year in the UK and Ireland
Touch Associates In 2017, it managed the media launch of Ford's
34 Surrey Dec 16 89.05% 19,381 27,724 69 2012
Event communications agency new Fiesta in Spain for more than 600 guests
35 Oakfield Sources meat from Ireland to Thailand
North London Dec 16 88.71% 37,010 127,587 50 1987
[76] Meat importer and wholesaler and sells it internationally
Cinesite Producing visual effects for Mary Poppins
36 Central London Apr 17 88.33% 36,064 43,888 699 1991
Visual effects and animation Returns and the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Kerridge Commercial Systems Supports more than 14,900 customers at over
37 Hungerford Sep 17 86.39% *24,017 *57,099 560 1976
Software provider 18,000 locations around the world
blu-3 Works on data centre projects in Scandinavia,
38 Kent Mar 17 83.84% 43,982 93,461 127 2004
Infrastructure provider Ireland and the Netherlands
Cult Wines Sales of fine wine to Asia increased 123% to £11m
39 West London Aug 17 81.99% 16,347 33,706 22 2007
Wine merchant in 2017 and now account for a third of turnover
AC Group Partners with international firms such as Mace
40 Bedfordshire Mar 17 81.49% 17,229 32,048 66 1987
Interior and exterior contractor Construction and WeWork in Europe
Thermoseal Group Ships insulated glass components to distributors
41 Birmingham Dec 16 79.46% 2,751 26,020 132 1979
Insulated glass parts supplier in 27 countries spanning five continents
42 Viadex Has overseas offices in South Africa, the US
Surrey Jun 17 78.27% 25,372 49,411 57 2001
[71] IT reseller and Singapore
43 Titan Airways One of its fleet is being used to transport the FIFA
Stansted Mar 17 78.04% 23,281 89,469 277 1988
[37] Airline World Cup trophy on a round-the-world tour
Oliver James Associates Moved into Milan's new S32 skyscraper last
44 Central London Dec 17 75.29% *39,173 *91,186 289 2002
Recruitment consultancy year, in the heart of the city's fintech district
45 The Hut Group Its 166 localised websites are available in 35
Manchester Dec 17 75.04% *512,400 *736,000 3222 2004
[58] Online retailer languages and ship to 193 locations
46 DOMU Brands Its US sales grew by almost 50% to
Manchester Jun 17 74.65% 21,974 57,396 104 2009
[93] Homeware manufacturer £19.9m last year
Optal
47 Central London Dec 17 73.43% *177,653 *177,653 60 2002 Offers payment processing in 34 currencies
Payment services developer
48 Monica Vinader Has 15 boutiques across Asia, the Middle East
Norfolk Jul 17 73.23% 15,875 35,767 184 2008
[50] Jewellery designer and the US
MNC Buys advertising in the UK for European
49 Central London Dec 16 71.85% 15,931 71,337 18 1997
Media agency brands such as Shpock
Pelsis Its Synergetic fly lights help to control flying
50 North Yorkshire Dec 16 71.59% 54,108 66,420 267 1984
Pest control insects in the US, Canada and the Caribbean
* Supplied by the company
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 19
2018 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE
Av. annual Latest Latest
Rank Company int'l sales int'l sales total sales
[2017] Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Founded Comment
Fundamental Media Provides media and marketing intelligence for
51 Central London Dec 16 69.81% 34,781 59,773 60 2003
Media agency fund managers across more than 20 countries
Pureprint Group Says it became the first carbon neutral
52 East Sussex Dec 17 69.66% *6,817 *58,005 431 1926
Printing services provider printer in the world in 2002
53 Teneo Has made three acquisitions in the US in
Reading Jun 17 69.39% 33,447 46,963 79 2000
[131] IT services consultancy the last two years
54 CVP Supplies video equipment to production
West London May 17 68.86% 20,772 84,306 120 1986
[148] Audiovisual equipment supplier companies and broadcasters worldwide
VSI Group Localises more than 200,000 hours of
55 Central London Dec 16 68.39% 18,291 30,360 109 1989
Localisation services provider programming into over 50 languages each year
Delta Group Northeast Its work includes movie promotions for Disney
56 Dec 17 68.06% *9,524 *94,975 851 1992
Marketing services provider London and point-of-sale displays for Hasbro
Paladone Strong demand in the US for its licensed and
57 West Sussex Jun 17 67.95% 14,240 32,064 85 1994
Gift wholesaler own-brand ranges has boosted overseas sales
Origin Its doors have been tested in Florida to
58 High Wycombe Dec 17 67.93% *2,220 *34,767 295 2002
Bifold door manufacturer withstand hurricane-force winds
59 A-Safe Its safety barriers have been installed in
Halifax Dec 17 67.57% *36,304 *44,613 335 1984
[82] Safety barrier manufacturer more than 30 international airports
60 Matchesfashion.com
Central London Jan 18 66.94% 227,812 292,791 574 1987 Delivers luxury fashion to 176 countries
[67] Luxury fashion retailer
BULK POWDERS Heavyweight boxing champion Anthony
61 Colchester Dec 17 66.38% *15,519 *32,201 150 2006
Sports nutrition brand Joshua is a brand ambassador
END. Newcastle upon
62 Mar 17 66.24% 45,751 69,627 192 2005 The US is its largest international market
Online menswear retailer Tyne
63 Westcoast Employs more than 1,300 people across
Reading Dec 17 65.32% 437,054 2,227,220 1301 1984
[69] Technology distributor the UK and Europe
64 Millennium Group Exports branded food and drink products
Essex May 17 62.83% 59,937 120,768 73 1999
[9] Food and drink distributor to Europe, Africa and the UAE
65 mac-group Works for global firms seeking modern
County Down Dec 17 60.89% 94,724 94,724 83 2002
[64] Construction and fit-out offices in Dublin
City Facilities Management Plans to expand in Europe after acquiring
66 Glasgow Dec 16 60.62% 266,022 617,736 11844 1985
Facilities maintenance provider French firm AMF in March last year
Highway Care Group Its portable steel guards for roads are
67 Kent Dec 16 59.92% 17,594 27,358 82 1976
Road safety product manufacturer popular in Australia
68 Peninsula Employs over 750 people across its operations
Manchester Mar 17 59.72% 56,139 176,039 2149 1983
[62] Employment law consultancy in Australia, New Zealand and Canada
69 Claranet Opened an office in Italy last year, its first
Central London Jun 17 59.52% 115,400 216,500 1289 1996
[170] IT services provider organic growth in 20 years after 19 acquisitions
70 CloserStill Its 27 annual global events and trade shows
West London Dec 17 58.83% *13,886 *47,189 200 2008
[100] Exhibition organiser attract more than 164,000 delegates
CAE Technology Services Has installed WiFi in Mulberry's luxury
71 Watford Jun 17 58.78% 6,098 95,672 201 1992
IT reseller handbag shops all around the world
VHR Southeast Has placed more than 1,300 staff for
72 Sep 17 58.63% *27,502 *34,925 84 2003
Recruitment consultancy London Etihad Airways
Capital Hair and Beauty
73 Brighton Dec 16 58.22% 2,324 40,166 357 1954 Runs 50 wholesale stores in the UK and Ireland
Hair products wholesaler
74 Optima Contracting Completed nine projects in Saudi Arabia
High Wycombe Jan 17 57.68% 12,633 55,310 340 1986
[35] Partitioning systems manufacturer last year
D R Collin Supplies fresh fish and live shellfish to
75 Berwickshire Apr 17 57.31% 31,837 43,915 160 1952
Seafood supplier restaurants in Spain, Italy, France and the US
* Supplied by the company
© 2018 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.ukInternational Track 200 research report 2018 20
2018 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE
Av. annual Latest Latest
Rank Company int'l sales int'l sales total sales
[2017] Activity HQ location FYE growth £000 £000 Staff Founded Comment
76 Evolution Foods Exports its packs of dried fruits, nuts and
Shropshire Jun 17 56.86% 4,555 41,775 25 2006
[115] Health foods retailer healthy snacks to Europe
Aurum Opening a flagship showroom in Hudson
77 Leicester Apr 17 56.74% 39,845 565,531 1802 1778
Jewellery retailer Yards, New York in Spring 2019
Loch Duart Sells salmon to 20 countries, with Belgium,
78 Sutherland Mar 17 56.59% 34,450 42,503 109 1999
Salmon farmer France and Spain its main overseas markets
Freuds Mo Farah starred in its campaign to position
79 Central London Dec 16 55.86% 20,023 41,575 246 1985
Public relations agency Dubai as a top tourist destination
80 Vision Support Services Some of the world's most famous hotels, such
Blackburn Mar 17 55.76% 12,253 47,243 140 2005
[54] Textile distributor as the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, use its linens
AVMI Its 800 global customers include Facebook
81 Surrey Jun 17 55.53% 3,394 56,533 410 1990
Audiovisual systems integrator and Bloomberg
82 Contechs Its top overseas market is Germany, where it
Essex Dec 16 55.51% 12,575 48,683 124 1997
[30] Design and engineering consultancy has offices in Munich and Cologne
Eurostar Global Recently appointed the only UK distributor of
83 Staffordshire Apr 17 54.82% 47,061 70,858 42 2007
Electronics distributor Energizer's long battery life mobile phones
Clintec Says it provides clinical research to seven of
84 Glasgow Dec 17 54.65% *51,674 *52,069 747 1997
Clinical researcher the top 10 global drug companies
85 Bullitt Group Has offices in the US, Taiwan, Singapore and
Reading Dec 17 54.52% *148,755 *156,785 120 2009
[161] Consumer electronics designer China and sells to more than 70 countries
86 Frank Recruitment Group Newcastle upon Its seven global brands operate from 11
Nov 17 53.19% *134,100 *177,700 1152 2006
[104] IT recruitment consultancy Tyne offices across the world
The Instant Group Has found office space around the world for
87 Central London Jul 17 52.98% 7,662 69,157 182 1999
Outsourced office supplier more than 45,000 people in the last year
88 John Morley Imports fruit, nuts and seeds from 20
Cheshire Dec 16 52.65% 10,660 31,205 123 1944
[57] Dried fruit importer countries around the world
89 Solent Group Supplies anti-bacterial reusable bags to South
Dorset Dec 16 52.02% 5,524 42,144 124 1994
[106] Consumer goods supplier African supermarkets
Macphie Supplies food ingredients to Europe and the
90 Aberdeenshire Mar 17 51.86% 13,636 53,922 321 1928
Food ingredients producer Middle East, its fastest-growing market
Simms International Plans to expand its presence in Germany
91 Kent Dec 16 51.76% 5,365 31,266 32 1990
IT distributor and Scandinavia
92 Cambridge Commodities Its ingredients are used by sports nutrition,
Ely May 17 51.14% †10,351 †33,883 107 1998
[94] Nutritional supplement wholesaler health and pet food companies across Europe
Qualtex Exports spare parts to more than 40 countries,
93 Manchester Dec 17 50.75% *8,100 *36,668 231 1961
Spare parts distributor including the US
Comtec Group Expanded into Oman to support Ooredoo's
94 Cambridgeshire Dec 16 50.53% 9,236 46,162 142 1978
Telecoms products distributor rollout of a superfast fibre network
95 Principle Acquired Italian agency Underline last year
Huddersfield Dec 17 50.38% *106,046 *154,287 460 1987
[40] Brand implementation agency to boost its European presence
96 Mark Allen Group
South London Mar 17 50.37% 5,782 37,147 280 1985 Organises events on four continents
[46] Publisher and events organiser
97 Efficio Has 10 offices across the world, with regional
Central London Jun 17 50.21% 32,129 54,789 290 2000
[26] Procurement consultancy hubs in New York and Germany
Recycling Lives Sales of scrap metals to countries such as
98 Preston Sep 17 49.45% 20,545 46,452 238 2008
Waste management provider Pakistan support the firm's social welfare charity
99 Gama Healthcare Australia and New Zealand are the biggest
Watford Mar 17 49.02% 5,513 26,374 53 2005
[98] Antimicrobial product distributor markets for its infection control wet wipes
Mint Velvet The founders of River Island are supporting its
100 High Wycombe Apr 17 47.33% 4,873 87,444 712 2009
Womenswear retailer expansion in the UK and abroad
* Supplied by the company † annualised figure
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