Region’s top SME exporters featured in UK’s best 100 rankings

Six North West firms are among the UK’s best SMEs boasting the fastest growing international sales.

They feature in the fifth annual Sunday Times WorldFirst SME Export Track 100.

The region managed to register eight entries last year, but the six featured this year are all new entrants to the league table.

Their international sales have grown by an average of 147% a year over two years to a total of £31m, and together they employ 398 people.

The top-ranked company in the region is Manchester-based Missy Empire, which is also placed in the top three nationally.

The online fashion retailer grew international sales by an average of 360% a year to £3.3m in 2019 and is now looking to America, Europe and Australia for future expansion.

Another featured company is dental veneer retailer INSTAsmile whose patented clip-on veneers are popular with customers in the US. International sales hit £3.5m last year.

The companies in the North West appear with well-known businesses from around Britain, including online jewellery brand Missoma, popcorn maker Joe & Seph’s, and coffee shop chain AMT Coffee.

The latest league table shows that, despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit, Europe continues to be the most important overseas market with more than four fifths of companies (85) selling there.

However, they are looking further afield for future growth – 82 companies are targeting future expansion outside of Europe.

The SME Export Track 100 is sponsored by WorldFirst, DHL Express and Heathrow Airport, and is supported by the Government’s Exporting is GREAT campaign.

It is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.

Jonathan Quin, chief executive and co-founder at WorldFirst, said: “At WorldFirst we’d like to be the first to congratulate all the businesses that feature on this year’s top 100.

“International markets present tremendous opportunities for UK businesses and the rewards of being a successful exporter are clear from the growth demonstrated by all the businesses here.

“That said, there are challenges and risks, too, and so we should also recognise the brave and committed leadership that has got them to this point.”

North West firms featured in the league table are:

• Missy Empire, Manchester-based online fashion retailer, placed in the top three rank, with international sales of £3.3m, a rise of 360% on the previous year.
• PharmaPac, from Wirral, (10th), a pharmaceutical manufacturer boasting sales of £15.1m, a 192% increase.
• CMSPI, from Manchester, (14th) a payment optimisation service, where international sales of £2.3m represent a 127% improvement.
• INSTAsmile, (23rd), a dental veneer retailer from Newton-le-Willows, which registered sales of £3.5m, up 115% on the previous year.
• Frontline Healthcare, (77th), the Rochdale online chemist achieved sales of £1.6m, which is 46% better than last year.
• PolyBend, (94th), a Widnes plastics manufacturer, saw its international sales rise 40% to £5m.

The Sunday Times WorldFirst SME Export Track 100 is published this Sunday , May 26.