The 10 firms to make the Export Track 100 league
TEN companies from the North West have made the Sunday Times Heathrow SME Export Track 100 league table, which ranks Britain’s private SMEs with the fastest-growing international sales.
Although that’s the same number who made it into last year’s inaugural list, there have been seven new entrants from the region this year.
All have made a strong contribution to the local economy, employing more than 1,100 people, with their international sales growing by an average of 49% a year over the last two years to a combined total of £74m.
Among the new entrants is Stockport-based Laser Quantum, which sells its £395,000 lasers to commercial labs and research institutions globally. The acquisition of two laser companies in Germany and a sales office in California helped exports to £12.6m in 2014.
Another new entrant is Skelmersdale firm Chemist 4 U. Managing director Shamir Patel took his Lancashire pharmacy online in 2011, and it now dispatches 16,000 products – ranging from prescriptions to vitamin tablets – each day. Strong demand in Germany and Denmark boosted exports to £4.1m last year.
North West businesses appear in the annual list with businesses from around the UK, including wine merchant Cult Wines, knitwear retailer Wool Overs, and hair products supplier Tangle Teezer.
The league table reflects the importance of Europe to Britain’s SME exporters, with 80 of the companies selling to the continent, the most popular market, followed by North America (71) and Asia (45).
See the full table of North West businesses below.
