16 regional firms make the top 200 in the country for fast growth in international sales
Sixteen Yorkshire headquartered firms have made the Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200, which ranks Britain’s mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales.
They include six new Yorkshire entrants to the league table and five companies which can trace their history back more than a century.
These regional stars have grown their international sales by an average of 75% a year over the last two years to a total of £550m. Together they employ more than 10,400 people.
The region’s top-ranked company is the York-based Saville Group (No.6), founded in 1876 as a photo developer by chemist John Saville. It has since evolved into an audiovisual specialist that both produces live events, and supplies conferencing technology for corporate clients who need to communicate between international offices. It grew its international sales by 166% pa to £4m, on total sales of £42.1m, in 2017.
Achieving a place on the league table for the first time is Keighley’s Brook Taverner, founded in 1912 when Frank Brook and Walter Taverner started selling buttons to tailors. Today it supplies formal corporate clothing to the likes of Audi and Sofitel, helping exports hit £5m, on total sales of £30.6m, in 2017.
Malton-based Karro Food Group also makes its debut on the league table. It sells antibiotic-free meat to the US and trotters to China, helping exports hit £160.9m, on total sales of £638.9m, in 2017.
Amanda Murphy, Head of Commercial Banking, HSBC UK, said: “We at HSBC UK are delighted to back The Sunday Times International Track 200 again this year. All the businesses it showcases have truly inspiring stories to tell about creativity, resilience and ambition to succeed. The 16 companies in Yorkshire are putting the region 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.”
