Host of region’s firms feature in Fast Track international sales list
A company which provides safety barriers and a North Yorkshire-based pest control manufacturer are among six Yorkshire firms to feature in a league table which ranks Britain’s mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales.
The six companies headquartered in Yorkshire, compared to ten last year, include two new entrants to the Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200. Their international sales have grown by an average of 74% a year over the last two years to a total of £301m, and together they now employ 2,800 people.
The new entrants include Pelsis, based in Knaresborough, which manufactures a range of pest control and garden care products. High profile customers – such as Brico, Screwfix and Rentokil – in more than 80 countries helped international sales hit £54.1m in 2016.
Halifax-based manufacturer A-Safe features for the second consecutive time this year. Its safety barriers are used in factories by the likes of Nestlé and Heineken, and are also found in car parks and airports around the world. Offices in 14 countries helped boost exports to £36.3m in 2017.
Other Yorkshire firms on the table include consumer goods supplier Pricecheck, brand agency Principle, recycler Leo Group, and bedding manufacturer John Cotton Group.
They appear with businesses from around Britain, including sports car maker Aston Martin, fashion retailer White Stuff, appliance manufacturer Gtech, and coffee house chain Caffè Nero. Past stars range from drinks maker Fever-Tree to high-street optician Specsavers.
The league table shows the resilience of Britain’s mid-market exporters. Despite the uncertainty created by the ongoing Brexit negotiations, their international sales have grown by an average of 62% a year over the last two years to a total of £10.1bn, the highest growth rate since 2013.
Amanda Murphy, head of commercial banking, HSBC UK, said: “All the businesses it (the league table) showcases have truly inspiring stories to tell about creativity, resilience and ambition to succeed. The six companies in Yorkshire are putting the county firmly on the map. They are the kinds of enterprises we are thrilled to support and that provide the backbone of our economy, today and tomorrow.”
