Post on 23-May-2020
transcript
years2010-202011
Research report 2020Britain's 200 mid-market private companieswith the fastest-growing international sales
Main sponsorsTitle sponsor
The Sunday Times Fast Track
@ST_FastTrack
#IntTrack200
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2020 i
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1Top 10 International Track 200 companies
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2Overview Key themes KEY STATISTICS 3International salesOperating profits Overseas markets 4Sector breakdown 5Industry breakdown Regional breakdown 6Job creationFoundation datesOwnership 7External capital International acquisitions 8Brexit 9
ELEVEN YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 10Stock market flotationsFailures AcquisitionsAlumni companies 11
KEY THEMES & SELECTED COMPANY PROFILES 13 Trading in America Trading in Europe 14 Sustainability 15 Investing for growth through technology 16 Ecommerce 17 Exporting services 18 Female founders and leaders 19 Brand Britain 20 2020 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE 21
METHODOLOGY 29
SUPPORTERS 30 Media partner Sponsors 31
ABOUT FAST TRACK 32Compiler and publisher The authors Fast Track 33
CONTACT DETAILS 33
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2020 1
This year's No 1 company is Reed & Mackay, a corporate travel agency led by CEO Fred Stratford
INTRODUCTIONThis is the 11th 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 of the league table, and DHL Express and Oracle NetSuite are main sponsors.
The International Track 200 ranks the 200 mid-market private companies (total sales of £25m to £1bn) based on their growth in international sales over the last two years of available data. However, available data on international sales have limitations [page 29].
Despite the backdrop of continuing Brexit-related uncertainty, the growth rate of this year's 200th company at 29%, almost double that of three years ago, only falls short of last year as the highest in the league table's history, demonstrating the resilience of British companies trading overseas.
The average international sales growth over the last two years for the 200 companies was 64% a year, to a total of £10.3bn, on combined total sales of £22.1bn. They export to all corners of the globe and employ 124,000 staff, having added 38,000 jobs over the same period.
Featured companies include international payments provider TransferWise (No 41), Brewdog (No 47), pet food manufacturer Natures Menu (No 86), clothing retailer FatFace (No 118) and beauty products retailer Charlotte Tilbury Beauty (No 127).
1 Reed & MackayCorporate travel agency Central London Mar 19 412.15% 16,420 71,887 1,000 1962 Its 14 global offices provide support for
more than 2m journeys every year
2 AISOffice interiors consultancy Central London Jul 19 319.74% 16,808 37,900 68 1979 Its clients include American Express
and BlackRock
3[24]
Project OneBusiness consultancy Cheshire Dec 18 278.99% 8,104 30,835 101 1998 Developed a platform to enable Belgian
firm Telenet to digitise its operations
4 Northern Gas & Power Energy management consultancy Gateshead Dec 18 247.57% 11,414 29,616 285 2013 Has offices in Paris and Texas as well as
technology hubs in India and Malta
5 Chilly's BottlesReusable bottles brand Central London Jul 19 227.85% *12,283 *31,471 15 2010 Ships its reusable water bottles to more
than 30 countries via a multilingual website
6[15]
Sigma SportsSports goods retailer
Kingston upon Thames Dec 18 190.40% †7,160 †33,342 107 1992 Exports cycling gear to the EU and other
markets including Japan and America
7 La Fosse AssociatesRecruitment consultancy Central London Dec 18 179.51% 7,879 108,350 171 2007 Has offices on the east and west coasts of
America and recently launched in Canada
8 [7]
High Street TV TV shopping channel Harrogate Dec 18 175.22% 17,596 66,412 119 2008 Its Pressure King Pro pressure cooker and Squat
Magic fitness machine are popular in Japan
9 KingsburyMachine tools wholesaler Hampshire Dec 18 173.39% 5,380 86,845 308 1956 Set up a subsidiary in Dubai in 2018 to
supply the Gulf region with machine tools
10[81]
Envisage GroupAutomotive engineer Coventry Dec 18 148.37% 4,719 46,411 141 2009 Its office in Fremont, California develops
electric vehicle technology
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs‡
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Top 10 companies on the league table
‡ compound annual growth rate between 2016/17 and 2018/19 * supplied by company † annualised
Latest total sales
£000
International Track 200 research report 2020
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Overview• This year’s International Track 200 companies increased their
overseas sales by an average of 64% a year over two years, from a total of £4.7bn to £10.3bn
• 90% of the companies (180) sell to mainland Europe, making it the most popular market, followed by North America (123) and Asia (62)
• The top countries for overseas sales are America (118 companies), Germany (93), France (75), the Netherlands (45), Australia (43), Ireland (39) and China (34)
• There are 69 manufacturers, and 54 of these make products in the UK
• Business services is the largest industry (45 companies), followed by technology, media and telecoms (TMT) (38), consumer goods (37) and food and drink (18)
Key themes
Trading in America: America is the most popular country for overseas sales, with 118 companies citing it as a major market [page 13]
Trading in Europe: Despite uncertainty over Britain's future relationship with the European Union, 180 companies trade with mainland Europe, more than any other continent [page 14]
Sustainability: A significant number of companies are using sustainable business practices and products to grow sales and efficiency [page 15]
Investing for growth through technology: Many companies are investing in technology to give them an edge over competition [page 16]
Ecommerce: 31 ecommerce goods exporters feature on this year's list [page 17]
Exporting services: Service exports are the top sector in this year’s league table with more than half the companies in this category [page 18]
Female founders and leaders: Thirty-four companies on this year's league table were founded or co-founded by a woman (23 firms) or have a woman as chief executive, managing director, or chairperson [page 19]
Brand Britain: Fashion, beauty, and food and drink brands including FatFace, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty and Brewdog feature strongly on this year’s list. [page 20]
64% pa
£110.3m
London and southeast (115)
50-1,000
£51.5m
£68.5m
Services (110)
25%
£23.3m
1997Entrepreneur and/or
founder (101)81
Average growth over two years
Sales in 2018-19
Region
Typical number of staff in 2018-19
International sales in 2018-19
Sales in 2016-17
Sector
Typical increase in staff over two years
International sales in 2016-17
FoundedMajority ownership
PE/VC, angel or corporate investment
International sales
Total sales
Company characteristics
Staff
Characteristics of a typical International Track 200 company
4
5
108
65
18
150-200%
100-150%
25-50%
50-100%
>200%
Growth in international sales
Number of companies in each range of compound annual growth rate for international sales over latest 2 years
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2020 3
KEY STATISTICS
International sales• Companies on the league table are required to have total sales
between £25m and £1bn, have international sales greater than £1m, and be profitable
• The top-ranked company is corporate travel agency Reed & Mackay, headquartered in London. It grew international sales 412% a year, from £626,000 in 2017 to £16.4m in 2019
• International sales at the 200th ranked company, automotive parts supplier CT Automotive, grew an average of 29% a year from £35.3m in 2016 to £58.6m in 2018
• 27 companies had triple-digit growth in international sales, including office interior consultancy AIS (No 2), whose international sales rose an average of 320% a year, from £1m in 2017 to £16.8m in 2019; and fitness clothing retailer Gymshark (No 18), which grew overseas sales an average of 116% a year, from £30.8m in 2017 to £143.5m in 2019
• Online retailer The Hut Group (No 146) had the highest international sales on the table, at £608m in 2018. Testing services provider Element (No 54) recorded the biggest absolute increase in international sales, a jump of £321m to £501m
• Combined international sales of the 200 companies were £10.3bn and total sales were £22.1bn
Operating profitsAverage operating profits were £6.8m. The company with the highest profit margin is reusable bottles brand Chilly’s Bottles (No 5), which made an operating profit of £11.4m on total sales of £31.5m in 2019 (a margin of 36%); and the company with the highest profits is Element (No 54) with operating profits of £83m in 2018.
77
71
30
18
9
26
46
45
19
59
Companies with the largest international sales
Rank CompanyActivity FYE Int'l sales
£m
146 The Hut GroupOnline retailer Dec 18 608
54 ElementTesting services provider Dec 18 501
174 City Facilities Management Facilities maintenance provider Dec 18 473
171 EnerMechEngineering services provider Dec 18 338
134 MATCHESFASHION Luxury fashion retailer Jan 19 295
£75-100m
£50-75m
£25-50m
>£100m
Latest total sales
Number of companies in each range
Fitness clothing retailer Gymshark (No 18) grew overseas sales an average of 116% a year to £143.5m in 2019
£75m-£100m
£50m-£75m
£25m-£50m
>£100m
Latest international sales
Number of companies in each range
£10m-£25m
£1m-£10m
International Track 200 research report 2020
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Overseas markets• 90% of the companies (180) sell to mainland Europe, making it
the most popular market, followed by North America (123) and Asia (62), including 34 to China
• 74% (147) intend to expand sales to Europe in the future, with North America (129) the next most popular potential market for growth, followed by Asia (82)
• More than half the companies (124) focus their sales on one or two continents. 16 companies have key markets spread across four or more continents. For example, A-Gas (No 139) distributes chemicals and gases to America, Australia, Germany and South Africa
• The top countries for overseas sales are America (118), Germany (93), France (75), the Netherlands (45), Australia (43), Ireland (39) and China (34)
• 71 companies export to or operate in emerging markets†, such as Leeds-based supply chain manager Ligentia (No 147) whose exports to the Far East increased by 474% in 2018 to £18.9m
• The top countries identified by the companies for future international expansion are America (117 companies), Germany (71), China (46), and France and Australia (41 each)
† Emerging markets as defined by the FTSE list of emerging countries
180EUROPE
62ASIA
123NORTH AMERICA
3SOUTH AMERICA
9AFRICA
29MIDDLE EAST
47
AUSTRALASIA
Main markets of the International Track 200 companies
America is a main overseas market for 118 companies, with 117 saying it is a top future market (see p.13)
Map shows the number of companies selling to each market
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2020 5
Sector breakdownThe International Track 200 companies operate in a range of sectors, and, due to the breadth of their activities, 54 companies are considered to operate across two sectors. For example, Sports nutrition brand BULK POWDERS (No 113) is both a manufacturer and a retailer.
The largest sectors are services (110 companies) and manufacturing (69, including some firms that outsource their manufacturing to third parties).
• Services (110) encompasses a wide range of industries, and includes payments providers such as Checkout.com (No 39); recruiters, like La Fosse Associates (No 7); and tour operators such as Inside Travel Group (No 110), which organises tailored trips in Asia
• Manufacturers (69), including those that outsource to third parties, are represented by luxury yacht builder Princess Yachts (No 175), lift manufacturer Niftylift (No 68), and flour miller Whitworth Group (No 140)
• Wholesalers (41) comprise consumer goods suppliers such as Pricecheck (No 198), and electronics distributors like Phoenix Cellular (No 38), which trades second-hand phones
• Retailers (30) include companies that trade overseas through online channels, such as beauty products retailer Revolution Beauty (No 51) and fitness clothing retailer Gymshark (No 18). Others, such as lifestyle retailer The White Company (No 185), have opened physical stores overseas
• Construction (4) is represented by companies such as scaffolding contractor Brogan Group (No 65), which is helping to build the 2020 World Expo in Dubai
Industry breakdown• Business services (45) is the most represented industry, helped
by an influx of recruitment consultancies such as LHi Group (No 25); as well as others including Investis Digital (No 138) which specialises in digital communications
Business services accounts for combined international sales of £2.2bn and employs 27,900 people
• TMT (38) includes IT consultancies and suppliers such as Invenio Business Solutions (No 29) and Adder Technology (No 193); and media agencies like Once Upon A Time (No 13) and the7stars (No 183)
TMT accounts for combined overseas sales of £1.8bn and employs 12,100 people
• Consumer goods (37) covers a wide range of products and includes handbag brand Radley + Co (No 40) and books reseller World of Books (No 131)
Consumer goods accounts for combined international sales of £2.1bn and employs 25,500 people
Construction 4
Services 110
Retail 30
Manufacturing 69
Wholesale 41
Sector breakdown
Note: companies can operate in more than one sector
Industry breakdown
Other
Leisure
Transport
Building
Engineering
Consumer goods
Food and drink
TMT
Business services
16
8
8
37
16
18
38
45
Finance
77
International Track 200 research report 2020
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Regional breakdownThe region with the highest number of companies is London with 79 firms (40%); an increase of 16% on last year. A large concentration of media and finance companies on the table have their headquarters there. The next highest is the Southeast with 36 (18%), compared to 42 last year.
• 19 companies (10%) are headquartered in the Northwest, including Lancashire-based hardwood flooring specialist Havwoods (No 34)
• 18 (9%) are based in the Northeast, including County Durham craft products retailer Crafter’s Companion (No 122), which was founded by new Dragons' Den panellist Sara Davies
• 15 companies (8%) are located in the Midlands, which continues to be a strong manufacturing region, and is home to companies such as Coventry-based copper tube supplier Lawton Tubes (No 129)
• 11 (6%) are based in the Southwest, including Bristol-based storage tank manufacturer Western Global (No 125)
The regions with the lowest representation are: Scotland with eight, followed by the East and Northern Ireland with seven and four respectively; and Wales with three.
Job creation• The 200 companies directly employ 124,000 people, a
decrease of 11% on last year's figure of 140,000*. Typical staff numbers range between 50 and 1,000. City Facilities Management (No 174) is the largest employer on the league table with more than 12,200 staff on its payroll
• The smallest employers are generally wholesalers and niche service firms, such as Done + Dusted (No 88), which produces TV and events and has 17 staff. 17 of the companies on the league table employ fewer than 50 people
• The league table companies have increased total staff numbers by 38,000 over the past two years. Testing services provider Element (No 54) has created the most new jobs during this period, adding more than 4,500 employees to its payroll, primarily as a result of acquisitions
*This is likely to be as a result of the exclusion of companies with total sales of more than
£1bn from this year's league table
Foundation dates• The International Track 200 companies are of very diverse
ages, with a typical foundation date of 1997. Seven companies were established pre-1900
• The company with the oldest foundation date is logistics and corporate travel company John Good (No 100). It can trace its origins back to 1833, when it first established itself as a shipping agent in Hull
• 18 companies were set up after 2010, including beauty products retailer Charlotte Tilbury Beauty (No 127), which was founded in 2013 and generated exports of £73.8m in 2018
Regional breakdown of headquarters
Southwest
Wales
N. Ireland
Scotland
Northwest
Northeast
East
Midlands
Southeast
London79
19
11
15
8
18
3
4
36
7
70
17
100-249
50-99
<50
36250-499
1,000-1,999
500-999
Number of employees
Number of companies in each range
13>=2,000
10
30
24
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2020 7
101
46
28
21
Ownership• More than half of the companies (101) are majority-owned
by an entrepreneur and/or founders, such as Ennismore (No 148), the hospitality group whose properties include Gleneagles and The Hoxton hotels, which is wholly owned by Sharan Pasricha and his wife Eiesha
• 46 companies are majority-owned by private equity firms.These include exhibition organiser CloserStill (No 60), which sold a 65% stake to Providence Equity Partners in 2018 for a reported £340m
• 28 companies are family-owned, i.e. they remain owned by the founder's offspring or other relatives. An example is refrigeration manufacturer Carter Thermal Industries (No 27) which was founded in 1945 by the war veteran grandfather of current chief executive, John Scott
• Management owns a majority stake in 21 companies, including bakery products supplier St Pierre Groupe (No 36), which is the licensed producer of Paul Hollywood ready-to-bake rolls
External capitalMore than two fifths of companies (81) have secured equity investment from private equity, business angels or corporations, an increase of 11% on last year's figure (73).
• In addition to the 46 companies majority-owned by private equity firms, a further 23 have received minority investment from private equity. Among these is outdoor clothing retailer Mountain Warehouse (No 194), which sold a 20% stake to Inflexion for £45m in 2018
• Business angels have made equity investments in seven companies, including online beauty retailer Cult Beauty (No 35), which has undertaken three rounds of fundraising since 2011 and now exports in excess of £50m
• Five companies have also received backing from corporate investors, such as advertising agency The&Partnership (No 15), which sold a minority stake to WPP, the world’s largest advertising company, in 2007
Ennismore (148), which runs the Hoxton chain of hotels, is wholly owned by Sharan Pasricha and his wife Eiesha
PE and/or VC
Family
Management
Entrepreneur and/or founder
Majority ownership type
Number of companies in each range
Business angels
Employees 1
3
International Track 200 research report 2020
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Busy Bees (No 67) expanded in Europe last year with the acquisition of Italian childcare provider Doremi
Sep 19 67 Busy Bees Nurseries operator 432.4 161.2 Bought Italian childcare provider Doremi and took over 19 Educational
Playcare centres in Connecticut, America
Sep 19 135 Salt Recruitment consultancy 44.7 14.0 Acquired overseas counterpart Xpand with offices in Hong Kong, Melbourne
and Singapore
Jul 19 79 VSI Group Language services provider 52.4 43.2 Purchased Argentinian production company CIVISA Media to celebrate its
30th year
Jul 19 49 Wireless Logic Technology platform provider 67.4 18.8 Acquired French start-up Matooma, as well as Dutch connectivity firms
M2MBlue and SIMPoint earlier that year
Jul 19 123 Jellyfish Digital marketing agency 127.6 77.6 Expanded its presence in the Middle East by purchasing Israeli digital agency
Perelview
Feb/Jul 19 63 QBS Software Software delivery platform 62.9 10.2 Increased the scale of its European operations via acquisitions in France and
Lithuania
Apr 19 19 Arlington Industries Group Components supplier 183.8 69.7 Acquired the thermostat business of BorgWarner, an American car parts
firm, for a reported €24m
Apr 19 146 The Hut Group Online retailer 915.8 607.9 Secured a $1bn banking facility in April and acquired luxury Parisian haircare
brand Christophe Robin that month
Mar 19 170 Corin Group Orthopaedic parts maker 114.0 106.2 Added American surgical robotics firm OMNI, following the acquisition of
Global Orthopaedic Technology in 2018
Feb 19 1 Reed & Mackay Corporate travel agency 71.9 16.4 Backed by private equity firm Inflexion since 2016, its acquisitions include
Sydney-based Concierge Travel Group
Feb 19 13 Once Upon a Time Marketing agency 34.9 5.4 Expanded into America when it bought New York-based IdeaWork Studios,
its seventh acquisition
Feb 19 82 ACC Aviation Aviation services provider 135.3 129.8 Acquired global aviation consultancy Aerotask, which is based in Dubai
International acquisitions Despite economic and political uncertainty, companies on the league table are continuing to expand internationally via strategic acquisitions, particularly those within the service sector. Many of these transactions are bolt-on acquisitions of small businesses that provide entry and local expertise in new overseas markets. For example, language services provider VSI Group (No 79) acquired Argentinian production company CIVISA Media in July last year. Other acquisitions aim to expand presence in a region, such as digital marketing agency Jellyfish's (No 123) purchase of Israeli agency Perelview, which added to its Dubai office in the Middle East.
Some of the M&A activity has been externally financed, including corporate travel agency Reed & Mackay (No 1), which has made overseas acquisitions in America, Australia, France and Germany since private equity firm Inflexion bought a majority stake in 2016.
The table below shows a selection of the mergers and acquisitions made since the publication of last year's league table in February:
Date of transaction Rank
Total sales
£m
Int'l sales
£m NotesCompany Activity
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2020 9
BrexitFast Track conducted a survey during the research period (August – December 2019) asking the companies about the overall impact the Brexit vote has had on their business. This is the fourth year that the survey has been conducted (see below for trends).
Of the 152 respondents this year (76% response rate):
• The majority (52%, down from 57% last year) said the vote has had no, or a neutral, impact on their business
• 41%, up from 34%, said the vote has had a negative effect on their business, due to factors such as increased import costs for raw materials, difficulties hiring and retaining European staff and, above all, the uncertainty surrounding the terms of the UK's exit
• 7%, down from 9%, said the vote has had a positive influence on their business. For example, the weak pound has boosted exports for some manufacturers
60
40
10
50
20
70%
30
Trends over four years on the overall impact of Brexit on International Track 200 companies
In response to the question: "What overall impact has the Brexit issue had on your business?"
201920182017
Negative Neutral/no impact Positive
League table year
2020
International Track 200 research report 2020
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ELEVEN YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL TRACKInternational Track 200 was launched 11 years ago to recognise the success of Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing international sales. Since its launch, more than 1,000 different companies have appeared on the league table.
The vital statistics of the league table companies have changed over the past 11 years. The companies are employing more people, with the average rising from 380 to 620, and average international sales have increased from £44m to £52m – although this is partly due to inflation.
Stock market flotations18 companies have floated on the stock market. Examples include (in league table appearance order):
• Fever-Tree, the mixer drinks manufacturer, featured in 2011 with international sales of just £4m; it floated in 2014, valued at £154m and is now worth £1.7bn
• Endava, the IT services provider, first featured in 2012 with overseas sales of £4m; it floated on the NYSE in 2018 with a valuation of $1.1bn and is now valued at $2.5bn
• Markit, the financial website operator, featured in 2013 with overseas sales of £251m, floated on Nasdaq in 2014, valued at $4bn and completed a $13bn merger with IHS in 2016
• Midwich, the audio-visual equipment supplier, first featured in 2013 with international sales of £26m; it floated in 2016, valued at £165m and is now worth £424m
• The Watches of Switzerland Group, the jewellery and watch retailer, first featured in 2018 with overseas sales of £40m; it floated in 2019, valued at £647m and is now worth £895m
FailuresFewer than 10% of International Track companies have gone bust.
Companies that have failed include Berwin & Berwin, the menswear firm which featured in 2013 and 2016, becoming one of Europe’s largest suit makers before being saved from administration by The Edinburgh Woollen Mill in 2018; and civil engineering contractor Dawnus Construction, which had exports of £102m in 2014 before going bust in March last year.
AcqusitionsMore than 150 International Track 200 companies have been acquired, including Skyscanner, the travel search engine, first featured in 2013 with overseas sales of £21m and acquired by China’s Ctrip for £1.4bn in 2016; and WorldFirst, the international payment provider, first featured in 2015 with international sales of £8m, which was bought by China's Ant Financial for $700m last year.
Travel search engine Skyscanner, co-founded by Gareth Williams in 2003, was sold to China's Ctrip for £1.4bn in 2016
How the International Track 200 has changed
Averageint'l sales
Average staff
2010
£44m
380
£52m
620
2020
Top industries
Average figures for companies with turnover above £25m, as the 2010 league also included firms below £25m turnover
Top company
Engineering(18%)
Business services(23%)
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2020 11
International Track 200 alumni companies
First featured in 2012 with int’l sales of £46m; acquired by General Atlantic in
2016, valuing it at almost £1bn
Featured in 2012 with int’l sales of £15m; floated in 2014 valued at £309m
and now worth £1.1bn
Featured in 2013 with int’l sales of £100m; acquired by Permira for
£300m in 2014
Featured in 2015 with int’l sales of £7m; floated on AIM in 2016 valued at £140m,
and now worth £175m
First featured in 2012 with int’l sales of £4m; it floated on the NYSE in 2018 valued
at $1.1bn and is now worth $2.5bn
Featured in 2013 with int’l sales of £331m; acquired by LabCorp for
$1.2bn in 2017
First featured in 2010 with int’l sales of £6m; acquired by Baring Private Equity
Asia in 2016 for an undisclosed sum
Featured in 2012 with int’l sales of £86m; acquired by Coty in 2016
for £420m
First featured in 2011 with int’l sales of £8m; total sales rose to £82m in 2019,
with two-thirds generated overseas
Featured in 2011 with int’l sales of £4m; floated on AIM in 2014 valued at £154m,
and now worth £1.7bn
First featured in 2014 with int'l sales of £26m; bought by Brown-Forman for
£285m in 2016
First featured in 2012 with int’l sales of £108m; American sales rose to £145m in
2018 on total sales of £383m
First featured in 2012 with int’l sales of £36m; has appeared a further four times, and now has exports of £128m
Featured in 2014 with int’l sales of £165m; bought by Canada’s NFI Group
for £320m in 2019
Featured in 2010 with int’l sales of £151m; group sales rose to
£524m in 2018
International Track 200 research report 2020
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First featured in 2013 with int’l sales of £21m; acquired by China’s Ctrip for
£1.4bn in 2016
First featured in 2016 with int’l sales of £14m; acquired by American firm JBT
last year in a £220m deal
Featured in 2014 with int’l sales of £164m; sold to Verisk Analytics for
£1.85bn in 2015
First featured in 2015 with int’l sales of £263m; now has more than 280 sites in 10 countries, with total sales of £800m in 2018
Featured in 2012 with int’l sales of £287m; Brait acquired an 80% stake for
£682m in 2015
Featured in 2013 with int’l sales of £649m; floated in the same year and in 2019 was taken private in a £6bn deal
First featured in 2012 with int’l sales of £593m; generated total sales of £2.8bn
in 2019 and employs 35,000 people
Featured in 2017 with int’l sales of £15m; acquired by Unilever in the same
year for an undisclosed sum
Featured in 2013 with int’l sales of £251m; floated on Nasdaq in 2014, and completed
a $13bn merger with IHS in 2016
International Track 200 alumni companies
First featured in 2011 with int’l sales of £11m; sold to US firm Roper Technology
for £410m last year
First featured in 2013 with int’l sales of £131m; now has more than 10 luxury hotels,
generating total sales of £219m in 2019
First featured in 2015 with int’l sales of £22m; acquired by Warburg Pincus in
2016, valued at c£200m
First featured in 2013 with int’l sales of £26m; floated in 2016 valued at £165m
and is now worth £424m
First featured in 2018 with int’l sales of £40m; floated last year valued at £647m
First featured in 2015 with int’l sales of £8m; acquired by China's Ant Financial
for $700m last year
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2020 13
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154
This Manchester firm designs and makes parts for automotive and aerospace customers, such as BMW, Ford and Nissan. It has factories in Britain, continental Europe, Brazil, America and China, alongside ventures in Turkey and India. The company acquired the thermostat business of BorgWarner, an American car parts firm, for a reported €24m last year. Chairman Kevin Morley, 69, and chief executive Mark Franckel, 57, head the group
This Kent firm can trace its history to 1924, when it sold typewriters. Now led by brothers Kevin and Nigel Batley, 65 and 62, it supplies audiovisual products from brands such as Epson, Hitachi and Panasonic. The company also makes its own Clevertouch interactive touchscreens, which are distributed internationally for use in education. Overseas sales reached £36m in 2018, and Clevertouch has since launched an American business, headquartered in Texas.
Chairman and chief executive Peter Smith, 70, founded this engineering group in 2003. It makes components for the aerospace, defence and energy sectors and counts BAE Systems, Airbus, Boeing and Rolls-Royce among its customers. The Coventry-based company has 14 manufacturing operations in the UK, India and America, where it opened its new regional headquarters in California in 2018. International sales reached £23.9m last year, boosted by work that included a satellite transport system and an acoustic minesweeping project.
CAGR‡ 113%Int'l sales 2019 £69.7mInt'l sales 2017 £15.3mTotal sales 2019 £183.8mStaff 1,072Founded 2013Location Manchester
CAGR‡ 37%Int'l sales 2019 £23.9mInt'l sales 2017 £12.7mTotal sales 2019 £78.9mStaff 784Founded 2003Location Coventry
CAGR‡ 66%Int'l sales 2018 £36.0mInt'l sales 2016 £13.1mTotal sales 2018 £72.6mStaff 85Founded 1924Location Kent
Arlington Industries GroupComponents supplier
Sahara Presentation Systems Audiovisual equipment supplier
Nasmyth GroupPrecision component manufacturer
Nasmyth (No 154) opened its new North American HQ in California in 2018
Opened a state-of-the-art metals treatment facility in California in 2018
Bought an American thermostat business for a reported €24m in 2019
Launched its American headquarters in Texas in 2018
KEY THEMES AND SELECTED COMPANY PROFILESOn the following pages we profile examples of companies that demonstrate some of the key themes from this year’s league table.
Trading in AmericaAmerica is the world’s largest economy and Britain’s biggest single trading partner. It is also the most popular country for overseas sales among the International Track 200 companies, with 118 firms citing it as a major market. It is the top choice for future growth, with more than half the companies (117) planning to expand there. Examples of companies trading there include live entertainment operator Ambassador Theatre Group (No 157), which has more than 10 venues in the country.
‡compound annual growth rate between 2016/17 and 2018/19
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Trading in Europe
Despite the uncertainty over Britain's future trading relationship with the European Union, Europe remains the most popular market for companies with 90% of businesses (180 firms) trading there. Almost three quarters (147 firms) of International Track 200 businesses are also planning to target Europe for future growth – more than any other continent.
Companies trading in Europe include VSI Group (No 79), which provides language services to European clients including Sky Deutschland and French television channel Canal+; and iwoca (No 22), which has provided funding to more than 50,000 small businesses in Europe since 2012.
This workplace interiors business kick-started its international growth in 2017 when American Express commissioned it to fit out offices in Europe. AIS has since won high-profile overseas clients such as asset manager BlackRock, and opened bases in Amsterdam and Frankfurt. The business is led by managing director Gerry Graville, 50, who acquired AIS in 2013 after setting up the interiors division of construction group Willmott Dixon.
This London-based platform delivers enterprise software on behalf of more than 9,000 publishers, such as Opentext, Smartsheet and Docusign, to thousands of European enterprise clients through a network of 4,000 partners. It was bought in 2018 by chief executive Dave Stevinson, 49, and has since expanded overseas with the acquisition of French counterpart Siener Informatique and Lithuanian enterprise software distributor UAB Laknova.
Founder Andrew Killingsworth, 58, started this plus-sized clothing business from a market stall. The retailer now has more than 160 shops in the UK, one in Ireland and four in Germany. It also runs 14 ecommerce sites and ships to more than 90 countries. The company moved to its new £4m headquarters in Peterborough in 2018.
AIS Office interiors consultancy
QBS SoftwareSoftware delivery platform
Yours ClothingPlus-size clothing retailer
QBS Software (No 63) chief executive Dave Stevinson made two European acquisitions in 2019
Opened three new stores in Germany in its 2019 financial year
Helped American Express fit out new offices across Europe
Acquired French software platform Siener Informatique in 2019
CAGR‡ 320%Int'l sales 2019 £16.8mInt'l sales 2017 £1.0mTotal sales 2019 £37.9m Staff 68Founded 1979Location Central London
CAGR‡ 53%Int'l sales 2019 £9.9m†
Int'l sales 2017 £4.2mTotal sales 2019 £103.9m†
Staff 1,319Founded 1994Location Peterborough
CAGR‡ 62%Int'l sales 2019 £10.2mInt'l sales 2017 £3.9mTotal sales 2019 £62.9m Staff 60Founded 1987Location Wembley
‡compound annual growth rate between 2016/17 and 2018/19 † annualised
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Sustainability
A 2019 survey by HSBC of more than 9,000 business decision-makers across 35 markets found 23% were using sustainable practices to grow sales, with 26% seeing sustainability as a means of improving operational efficiency. Only 2% were not implementing sustainability practices.
League table companies with sustainable business practices or products include Smith Anderson (No 71), which makes recycled paper bags for McDonald's and Burger King, and Fruitful Office (No 98), whose fruit baskets use biodegradeable packaging and locally-sourced fruit.
This London company’s reusable water bottles, an alternative to single-use plastic water bottles, have proved a hit in mainland Europe. Overseas sales – through its multilingual website and distributors – have been driven by a focus on social media marketing. Co-founders James Butterfield, 31, and Tim Bouscarle, 31, have expanded the range to include reusable coffee cups and have recently launched Chilly's in America, Australia, the Middle East and parts of Asia.
Eco-friendly cutlery, coffee cups and thermal bags to keep toasties warm are among the compostable packaging products made by this Edinburgh firm. It uses plant-based materials such as wood pulp or sugar cane, and supplies clients including independent cafes and catering wholesalers. Founded in 2006 by chief executive Joe Frankel, 43, it has bases in America, Australia and Hong Kong and distributors worldwide.
This circular economy "re-commerce" company recycles or resells more than 85m used books bought from charities or consumers every year. Selling to more than 190 countries, it trades via its own websites, which include World of Books and Ziffit, and through Amazon and eBay. Last September, Graham Bell, 45, took over as chief executive from co-founder Stephen Boobyer, 57.
Chilly'sReusable bottles brand
Vegware Compostable packaging manufacturer
World of BooksBooks and media reseller
Co-founders Tim Bouscarle (left) and James Butterfield of Chilly's Bottles (No 5), whose reusable water bottles are an alternative to single-use plastics.
Recycles or resells more than 85m used books a year
Co-founder James Butterfield set up the business after becoming tired of having to buy plastic bottles
Its compostable products are made from renewable, lower carbon or recycled materials
CAGR‡ 228%Int'l sales 2019 £12.3m*Int'l sales 2017 £1.1mTotal sales 2019 £31.5m* Staff 15Founded 2010Location Central London
CAGR‡ 41%Int'l sales 2018 £22.9mInt'l sales 2016 £11.4mTotal sales 2018 £64.0m Staff 568Founded 2002Location West Sussex
CAGR‡ 81%Int'l sales 2019 £11.4mInt'l sales 2017 £3.5m†
Total sales 2019 £32.2m Staff 72Founded 2006Location Edinburgh
‡compound annual growth rate between 2016/17 and 2018/19 * supplied by company † annualised
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Investing for growth through technology
In an increasingly competitive environment, companies are turning to technology to give them an edge. Research by HSBC found that technologies being embraced by businesses include artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and wearables. In addition, 46% of International Track 200 companies are planning to review the business management software they use.
Among companies using technology to drive growth and efficiency are The Hut Group (No 146), which spent £29m on its proprietary tech platform in 2018; and Gymshark (No 18), which launched a £5m innovation centre last year.
Reed & Mackay helps companies arrange travel for their employees via its 750 travel experts, online booking portal and mobile app. Its platforms – driven by technology developed in-house – offer price comparisons on flights and hotels, real-time travel alerts, and even the option for travellers to share their location when travelling to volatile destinations, so employers can monitor their safety. Led by chief executive Fred Stratford, 56, Reed & Mackay has shown its capacity to adapt to an ever-evolving business landscape with its tech-driven approach and global footprint.
Set up in 1981 by John Walker, 70, in partnership with the then Templeton College, Oxford, this consultancy provides tailored economic analysis on hundreds of countries, industries and significant events, from Brexit to a US-China trade war. It has invested heavily in the technology behind its forecasting models, which clients can access through subscription services or one-off fees. Led by chief executive Adrian Cooper, 55, it has subsidiaries and sister companies on six continents.
Founded in 2000 by brother-and-sister duo Ed Reeves, 51, and Rachel Clacher, 53, this telephone answering service handles 15m calls and live chats a year for clients ranging from start-ups to multinationals. Moneypenny opened an office in South Carolina in 2015, and, in the same year, the Wrexham business was valued at more than £100m after securing investment from private equity firm ECI.
Reed & MackayCorporate travel agency
Oxford EconomicsEconomic research consultancy
MoneypennyOutsourced communications provider
Moneypenny (No 144), run by chief executive Joanna Swash, has invested in AI to drive improvements in its service
Has invested in AI and is testing chat bots with Microsoft to improve its service
Its tech platform, which has driven overseas expansion, was only developed two years ago
Has developed a service for America, offering an online databank with forecasts to 2035
CAGR‡ 412%Int'l sales 2019 £16.4mInt'l sales 2016 £0.6mTotal sales 2019 £71.9mStaff 1,000Founded 1962Location Central London
CAGR‡ 40%Int'l sales 2018 £2.3mInt'l sales 2016 £1.2mTotal sales 2018 £31.7m Staff 665Founded 2000Location Wrexham
CAGR‡ 65%Int'l sales 2018 £18.8mInt'l sales 2016 £6.9mTotal sales 2018 £39.2m Staff 247Founded 1981Location Oxford
‡compound annual growth rate between 2016/17 and 2018/19
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Ecommerce
Online retail can be a cost-effective route to international trade. This year’s list features 31 ecommerce goods exporters that generate at least 10% of their overseas sales online, a similar number to last year (34 firms) and a 24% rise on 2017 (25 firms).
They include 13 clothing retailers, such as Yours Clothing (No 81), whose 14 ecommerce sites ship to more than 90 countries. Other firms cater for hobbyists, such as Crafter’s Companion (No 122), which invested £120,000 in a new digital platform last year, and BVG Group (No 104), whose websites include Total Fishing Gear and Garden Gear.
London-based One Retail Group dispatches more than 4,000 orders a day to customers in nine countries across Europe and North America. The group comprises five consumer brands including Active Era, which sells tents, sleeping bags and airbeds, and Pro Breeze, which has sold its dehumidifiers, fans and air purifiers to 750,000 people worldwide. Chief executive Joshua Stevens, 30, founded the business in 2013.
Known for its distinctive Scottie dog logo, London-based Radley ships its handbags and purses to 48 countries. Last year, it doubled revenues to £19.2m in America, where it sells through shopping channel QVC and department store Macy’s, as well as online. Other key markets include China, Thailand and Australia. The business is led by chief executive Justin Stead, 52, and majority-owned by private equity firm Bregal Freshstream.
This business supplies contemporary, traditional and ‘shaggy’ rugs to retailers in the UK and across the world. A family business since 1984, it now operates from a 125,000 sq ft warehouse in Hadfield, Derbyshire, with managing director Tina Carswell, 48, at the helm. International sales rose to £1.6m in 2019, helped by a wider range of products including a V&A-inspired collection.
One Retail GroupConsumer goods retailer
Radley + Co Handbags and accessories brand
Flair RugsRugs supplier
Handbag brand Radley + Co (No 40) has a global ecommerce site that ships to 48 countries
Generates 50% of exports through its B2B ecommerce site
Ships more than 4,000 orders a day to customers in nine countries and offers 150 products online
US website sales rose 65% in 2019, helping revenues in the country double to £19m
CAGR‡ 143%Int'l sales 2018 £15.4mInt'l sales 2016 £2.6m†Total sales 2018 £25.4mStaff 11Founded 2013Location North London
CAGR‡ 49%Int'l sales 2019 £1.6m*Int'l sales 2017 £0.7mTotal sales 2019 £28.3m* Staff 121Founded 1984Location Derbyshire
CAGR‡ 79%Int'l sales 2019 £29.2mInt'l sales 2017 £9.1mTotal sales 2019 £92.2m Staff 554Founded 1998Location Central London
‡compound annual growth rate between 2016/17 and 2018/19 * supplied by company † annualised
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Exporting services
Services are a vital part of the UK economy, accounting for about 80% of the nation’s economic output and 46% of its exports.
Service exports is the top sector in this year’s league table, with more than half the companies (110) in this category, up 18% on last year (93 firms). In particular, there are 45 firms providing business services, a rise of 32% compared to 2019 (34 firms). These include recruitment agencies such as Phaidon International (No 64), which has 10 overseas offices, as well as consultancies specialising in economics (Oxford Economics, No 59), employment law (Peninsula, No 152), and energy (Northern Gas & Power, No 4).
This London-based company helps businesses such as Jaguar Land Rover and American Express deliver their business strategy by organising managed office space worldwide. It also runs a listings website for flexible office space, co-working and serviced offices in more than 2,200 cities across the world. Overseas turnover, which includes some rental income, reached £26.1m in 2019. The group is led by chief executive Tim Rodber, 50, a former England rugby union international.
Element’s 188 laboratories worldwide test the safety and compliance of materials used in sectors such as aerospace, transport, and oil and gas. Formed in 2010, the London business bought UK rival Exova in 2017 for £620m and opened aerospace laboratories in Shanghai and South Carolina in 2019. The acquisitions of American companies MTC and Orbit, and Germany’s Vohtec, helped overseas sales reach £500.9m in 2018. Jo Wetz, 43, took over as chief executive from Charles Noall, 60, in December last year.
Led by chief executive Simon Irons, 57, this Staffordshire business cares for more than 57,000 children across 640 nurseries worldwide. In 2018, the group acquired 42 nurseries in Australia, helping international sales reach £161.2m. Last year, Busy Bees entered the American market when it bought 19 nurseries in Connecticut. It also expanded in Europe, with the acquisitions of Italian childcare provider Doremi and 21 nurseries around Dublin.
The Instant GroupOutsourced office supplier
Element Testing services provider
Busy BeesNurseries operator
Element (No 54) provides testing services at 188 labs in more than 30 countries
The UK’s largest childcare provider operates 640 nurseries across four continents
Places more than 11,000 companies a year in flexible workspaces worldwide
Provides testing, inspection and certification for 50,000 customers, including Ford and GE
CAGR‡ 85%Int'l sales 2019 £26.1m*Int'l sales 2017 £7.7mTotal sales 2019 £100.5m*Staff 291Founded 1999Location Central London
CAGR‡ 59%Int'l sales 2018 £161.2mInt'l sales 2016 £63.7mTotal sales 2018 £432.4m Staff 11,554Founded 1983Location Staffordshire
CAGR‡ 67%Int'l sales 2018 £500.9mInt'l sales 2016 £180.1mTotal sales 2018 £618.6m Staff 6,351Founded 2010Location Central London
‡compound annual growth rate between 2016/17 and 2018/19 * supplied by company
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Female founders and leaders
Thirty-four companies on this year's league table were founded or co-founded by a woman (23 firms) or have a woman as chief executive, managing director, or chairperson.
Examples include cosmetics brand Charlotte Tilbury Beauty (No 127), led by founder Charlotte Tilbury and chief executive Demetra Pinsent; fashion retailer FatFace (No 118), run by chief executive Liz Evans; and media agency the7stars (No 183), co-founded in 2005 by managing director Jenny Biggam.
This online beauty retailer sells well-known brands such as Charlotte Tilbury Beauty and Drunk Elephant, as well as emerging labels such as Milk Makeup and Augustinus Bader. Co-founders Alexia Inge, 42, and Jessica DeLuca, 45, started the business in 2008 after growing frustrated with spending hundreds of pounds on ineffective products, with current co-chief executive Murray Salmon, 49, joining in 2011. Overseas turnover, generated in Europe, Asia, America and the Middle East, grew to £51.3m in 2019, driven by social media campaigns and the acquisition of hard-to-find brands.
Sara Davies, 35, started this County Durham firm while at university in 2005 after creating the 'Enveloper', a hand-held device for making envelopes for home-made cards. It now sells 4,000 craft items across 40 countries through websites, retailers, shopping channels, and four UK shops. In 2018, it moved its American operations to a new 31,000 sq ft site in California, helping international sales rise to £20.3m in 2019. Since August, Davies has appeared as a panellist on the BBC's Dragons' Den.
Founded in 1994 by Chrissie Rucker, 51, after she struggled to find high-quality linen and tableware that was affordable, The White Company sells predominantly white bed and bathroom linen, home and dining accessories, and fashion. It opened a flagship store in New York in 2017, and has since launched a partnership with American department store Nordstrom. International sales hit £18.3m in 2019, under chief executive Mary Homer, 61.
Cult BeautyOnline beauty retailer
Crafter's Companion Craft products retailer
The White CompanyLifestyle retailer
Chrissie Rucker is founder of The White Company (No 185), which sells homeware and fashion online and in more than 60 stores in the UK, America and Ireland
Ex-Topshop boss Mary Homer is CEO of this retailer, launched by Chrissie Rucker in 1994
Alexia Inge is co-founder and co-CEO of this beauty website, which attracts 63m visitors a year
Dragons’ Den panellist Sara Davies set up the company while studying for a business degree
CAGR‡ 81%Int'l sales 2019 £51.3mInt'l sales 2017 £15.6mTotal sales 2019 £89.6m Staff 149Founded 2008Location Central London
CAGR‡ 32%Int'l sales 2019 £18.3m*Int'l sales 2017 £10.5mTotal sales 2019 £217.4m* Staff 1,716Founded 1994Location West London
CAGR‡ 43%Int'l sales 2019 £20.3mInt'l sales 2017 £10.0mTotal sales 2019 £31.8m Staff 195Founded 2005Location County Durham
‡compound annual growth rate between 2016/17 and 2018/19 * supplied by company
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Brand Britain
Fashion, beauty, and food and drink firms feature strongly among the British brands on this year’s league table.
They include brands founded in the last decade, such as makeup retailer Revolution Beauty (No 51), which launched in 2014 and now exports to more than 140 countries. Founded in 2012, fitness clothing brand Gymshark (No 18) generated exports of £143m in 2019. Other companies were established more than a century ago, including Lyle & Scott (No 115), a 146-year-old firm known for its knitwear and golf clothing. Fentimans (No 145) has been brewing soft drinks botanically since 1905.
A black run ski slope in the French resort of Val d'Isère, called La Face, inspired the name of this clothing brand, which was launched in 1988 by Jules Leaver, 55, and Tim Slade, 54. The Hampshire-based company has more than 240 shops across Britain and Ireland, and it is led by chief executive Liz Evans, 48, who is spearheading its expansion across America, where it now has 22 stores.
This London firm’s shoes, which retail for around £150, forsake conventional padding, resulting in a lighter design that mimics the foot's natural shape. The company has a focus on sustainability, offering a range of recycled and plant-based materials. Galahad Clark, 44 – who hails from the family behind Clarks shoes – founded the company in 2012 and has overseen expansion into Northern Europe and America.
Founder Charlotte Tilbury, 47, make-up artist to celebrities such as Salma Hayek and Amal Clooney, launched her eponymous cosmetics and skincare line in 2013. The London-based brand now ships to 76 markets and has overseas stores in the Middle East, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. It also sells through retailers such as TMall Global in Asia, and Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s in North America. In 2018, Sephora stores in North America and Europe began selling its products, helping exports reach £73.8m. Singapore and France were added in 2019 when total sales surpassed £225m.
FatFaceClothing retailer
VivobarefootFootwear manufacturer and retailer
Charlotte Tilbury BeautyBeauty products retailer
Charlotte Tilbury’s eponymous beauty brand (No 127) ships to 76 markets and has stores in London, the Middle East, America and Hong Kong
Has launched a “vegan” shoe made with more than 30% renewable, plant-based materials
Launched this beauty brand in 2013, and sales topped £100m four years later
Its founders originally sold T-shirts from a campervan to fund their skiing in the French Alps
CAGR‡ 42%Int'l sales 2019 £19.7m*Int'l sales 2017 £9.8mTotal sales 2019 £26.2m*Staff 61Founded 2012Location Central London
CAGR‡ 42%Int'l sales 2018 £73.8mInt'l sales 2016 £36..6mTotal sales 2018 £145.4m Staff 836Founded 2013Location West London
CAGR‡ 44%Int'l sales 2019 £15.7m*Int'l sales 2017 £7.6mTotal sales 2019 £241.5m* Staff 2,830Founded 1988Location Hampshire
‡compound annual growth rate between 2016/17 and 2018/19 * supplied by company
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2020 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE
* supplied by company † annualised
1 Reed & MackayCorporate travel agency Central London Mar 19 412.15% 16,420 71,887 1,000 1962 Its 14 global offices provide support for more
than 2m journeys every year
2 AISOffice interiors consultancy Central London Jul 19 319.74% 16,808 37,900 68 1979 Its clients include American Express
and BlackRock
3[24]
Project OneBusiness consultancy Cheshire Dec 18 278.99% 8,104 30,835 101 1998 Developed a platform to enable Belgian firm
Telenet to digitise its operations
4 Northern Gas & Power Energy management consultancy Gateshead Dec 18 247.57% 11,414 29,616 285 2013 Has offices in Paris and Texas as well as
technology hubs in India and Malta
5 Chilly's BottlesReusable bottles brand Central London Jul 19 227.85% *12,283 *31,471 15 2010 Ships its reusable water bottles to more than
30 countries via a multilingual website
6[15]
Sigma SportsSports goods retailer
Kingston upon Thames Dec 18 190.40% †7,160 †33,342 107 1992 Exports cycling gear to the EU and other
markets including Japan and America
7 La Fosse AssociatesRecruitment consultancy Central London Dec 18 179.51% 7,879 108,350 171 2007 Has offices on the east and west coasts of
America and recently launched in Canada
8 [7]
High Street TV TV shopping channel Harrogate Dec 18 175.22% 17,596 66,412 119 2008 Its Pressure King Pro pressure cooker and Squat
Magic fitness machine are popular in Japan
9 KingsburyMachine tools wholesaler Hampshire Dec 18 173.39% 5,380 86,845 308 1956 Set up a subsidiary in Dubai in 2018 to
supply the Gulf region with machine tools
10[81]
Envisage GroupAutomotive engineer Coventry Dec 18 148.37% 4,719 46,411 141 2009 Its office in Fremont, California develops
electric vehicle technology
11 [71]
AVMIAudiovisual systems integrator
Southwest London Jun 19 146.08% 20,553 81,209 498 1990 Opened its new American office in the Tribeca district of New York last year
12One Retail GroupConsumer goods retailer
North London Dec 18 142.88% 15,367 25,420 11 2013 Sends more than 4,000 orders a day to nine countries across Europe and North America
13Once Upon A TimeMarketing agency
Central London Apr 19 141.22% 5,377 34,836 105 2013 Works for some of Hollywood's largest studios including Disney and Warner Bros
14Hunters ContractsOffice furniture supplier
Dagenham Dec 18 129.78% 5,995 37,077 44 1990 Recent projects include office fit-outs for companies in Paris and Gibraltar
15 [13]
The&PartnershipMarketing communications group
Central London Dec 18 129.01% 285,277 557,533 733 2013 Created a 60,000 hour documentary on Japanese craftsmanship for carmaker Lexus
16 [26]
OguryMobile marketing technology
East London Dec 18 123.93% 53,842 62,318 212 2014 More than half its sales are in America, where it has 12 offices
17 [22]
Jupiter GroupFruit grower and exporter
Shropshire Sep 19 121.99% *46,464 *77,167 113 2003 Expanded into South America last year to grow produce including avocados and pineapples
18 [1]
GymsharkFitness clothing retailer
Solihull Jul 19 115.72% *143,481 *176,164 330 2012 Generates 46% of its sales in North America and opened its US headquarters in Denver in 2019
19 [27]
Arlington Industries GroupComponents supplier
Manchester Mar 19 113.48% 69,729 183,816 1,072 2013 Acquired a thermostat business from American company BorgWarner for a reported €24m in 2019
20 [58]
YMU GroupGlobal talent management
Central London Aug 18 112.52% 12,642 37,867 277 1984 Pop group Blink 182 are among this talent agency's American clients
21Quacquarelli SymondsHigher education services
Northwest London Dec 18 109.25% 9,466 37,264 466 1990 Hosts more than 350 events in 57 countries, including the QS World Grad School Tour
22 [21]
iwocaBusiness finance provider
Central London Dec 18 106.59% 6,500 47,534 230 2011 Has provided funding to more than 50,000 small businesses in Europe since 2012
23Ward BrosScrap metal processor
Darlington Sep 18 105.78% 18,214 41,717 84 1974 Exports nearly 50,000 tonnes of metal to steel producers in Turkey and mills in Europe
24 [142]
Project OnePharmaceuticals wholesaler
Essex Sep 18 105.40% 5,718 40,169 83 1986 Tanzania, the founder's native country, is a key export market
25LHi GroupRecruitment consultancy
Central London Dec 18 105.36% 22,760 49,474 157 2002 Has eight offices in the UK, America and Europe, most recently opening in Texas in 2018
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
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* supplied by company
26 CField ConstructionConstruction contractor Central London Dec 18 104.08% 23,839 67,545 55 2011 Recently completed a new 120-bed care
home extension in County Cork, Ireland
27 Carter Thermal IndustriesRefrigeration manufacturer Birmingham Dec 18 101.59% 15,702 129,066 929 1945 Has supplied refrigeration display units
for American retailer Target
28 Granada Material HandlingLifting equipment manufacturer Rochdale Sep 18 98.20% 12,000 27,375 125 1980 Its cranes are used to lift offshore and
onshore wind turbines in Europe
29 Invenio Business SolutionsIT consultancy Reading Mar 19 96.35% 20,398 32,950 727 2006 Winning contracts with tax authorities in Fiji
and the Middle East boosted overseas sales
30 Plimsoll ProductionsTV show producer Bristol Aug 19 95.13% *32,079 *37,284 149 2013 Distributes to 50+ countries via Magnify
Media, a firm it invested in four years ago
31 SabioContact centre technology provider Central London Sep 18 93.81% 29,996 71,845 324 1998 Has acquired operations in Europe and
Singapore since Horizon Capital invested in 2016
32 [35]
Leisure Pass GroupTourism smartcard provider Central London Dec 18 89.48% 252,487 276,809 121 1998 Its tourist passes are used by 3m sightseers a year
in more than 20 countries across five continents
33 [28]
The Instant GroupOutsourced office supplier Central London Jul 19 84.50% *26,083 *100,454 291 1999 Places more than 11,000 companies a year in
flexible workspaces around the world
34 [112]
HavwoodsHardwood flooring specialist Lancashire Dec 18 83.12% 8,223 52,904 146 1975 Opened a showroom in Canada last year, adding
to bases in Europe, America and Australia
35 [2]
Cult BeautyOnline beauty retailer Central London May 19 81.26% 51,322 89,566 149 2008 Sells cult and up-and-coming beauty brands
from around the world
36 [8]
St Pierre GroupeBakery products provider
Manchester Dec 18 81.18% 35,335 69,493 27 1986 Its products are stocked in 20,000 stores worldwide, with 50% of its distribution in America
37VegwareCompostable packaging manufacturer
Edinburgh Jan 19 81.12% 11,353 32,171 72 2006 Finding a spoon made from potato and corn at a California farmers market inspired this business
38 [65]
Phoenix CellularMobile phone distributor
Crewe Oct 19 80.33% *39,347 *53,312 65 2015 Supplies more than 30,000 handsets a month to European buyers
39Checkout.comPayment services provider
Central London Dec 18 79.68% 23,914 56,082 120 2012 Counts more than 100 European fintech start-ups as customers
40 [75]
Radley + CoHandbags and accessories brand
Central London Apr 19 79.11% 29,154 92,938 554 1998 Set up a sales and marketing office in Dallas in 2019, after American revenues doubled to £19.2m
41 [12]
TransferWiseInternational payments provider
Central London Mar 19 77.20% 132,500 179,100 1,800 2010 Has 6m customers worldwide transferring a total of £4bn each month
42 [32]
JDXFinancial services consultancy
Central London Mar 19 76.76% 10,312 41,939 610 2012 Overseas sales topped £10m in 2019, boosted by growth in its Asian and Irish operations
43 [52]
Flying Trade GroupConglomerate
Essex Dec 18 76.17% 19,555 152,603 815 1998 Its world food products cater to Asian, Caribbean, African and Polish communities
44Buy It DirectOnline retailer
Huddersfield Mar 19 74.64% 14,316 248,779 617 1999 Its Irish website has driven overseas sales of its consumer goods
45 [4]
MiQDigital marketing agency
Central London Dec 18 73.55% 162,497 196,869 612 2010 Out of 22 global offices, 11 are based in America, its largest market
46CaptifyAdvertising technology company
Central London Mar 19 73.46% *19,279 *42,996 197 2011 Provides data and marketing insights for 750 global brands including Disney, Apple and Adidas
47 [168]
BrewDogBrewery
Aberdeenshire Dec 18 71.47% 39,262 171,619 1,247 2007 In 2018, it shipped 136m bottles of craft beer globally and opened 21 bars
48 [158]
SIAN WholesaleConsumer goods supplier
Surrey Dec 18 71.08% 23,515 40,706 28 2003 Exports more than 4,000 products to 65 countries
49 [101]
Wireless LogicTechnology platform provider
Berkshire Apr 19 70.07% *18,801 *67,405 154 2000 Acquired one French and two Dutch 'Internet of Things' connectivity providers last year
50Wilsons of RathkennyCar and farm equipment dealer
County Antrim Dec 18 68.98% 1,631 31,054 83 1964 Supplies the Irish Republic with agricultural vehicles such as forklift tractors and mowers
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
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* supplied by company
51 [34]
Revolution BeautyBeauty products retailer Kent Dec 18 68.86% 76,312 112,621 180 2014 Fans queued up for hours to buy its beauty
products when it launched in Australia last year
52 Davies GroupSpecialist professional services Central London Jun 19 67.38% *13,882 *115,512 2,200 1968 Bought a Nashville business in October
2019, its sixth acquisition last year
53 Ancasta GroupBoat retailer Southampton Aug 18 67.31% 13,513 30,807 76 1982 Sells yachts and powerboats from locations in
Marseille, Mallorca, Andalucia and Barcelona
54 [143]
ElementTesting services provider Central London Dec 18 66.75% 500,900 618,600 6,351 2010 Ford, GE and Boeing are among its 50,000
customers worldwide
55 [46]
Integrity PrintPrinter Somerset Dec 18 66.69% 5,304 57,095 392 2008 Supplies government documents to
Mongolia, Ghana and Qatar
56 Antal InternationalRecruitment consultancy Central London Dec 18 66.01% *19,481 *32,536 375 1993 Uzbekistan and Ukraine are among the
markets it is targeting for future expansion
57 [29]
Sahara Presentation SystemsAudiovisual equipment supplier Kent Dec 18 66.00% 35,962 72,643 85 1924 Its interactive touchscreens can be found
in schools from Australia to South Africa
58 Audley TravelTour operator Oxfordshire Dec 18 65.57% 74,785 291,234 800 1996 Demand from American travellers has grown
after it opened an office in Boston in 2014
59 [93]
Oxford EconomicsEconomic research consultancy Oxford Jul 18 64.55% 18,798 39,240 247 1981 Compiles economic forecasts for more
than 7,000 cities and regions worldwide
60 [108]
CloserStillExhibition organiser Central London Dec 18 64.43% 24,314 60,005 222 2008 US conference DevLearn is one of more than
50 annual trade shows it organises
61Spectrum MedicalMedical device developer
Cheltenham Dec 18 64.20% 19,043 26,171 116 2006 Its heart-lung machines are used in hospitals around the world
62 [94]
Off-Piste WinesWine distributor
Cheltenham Jan 19 64.00% 2,913 39,631 25 2006 Stockists include Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Scandinavian retailer Alko
63QBS SoftwareSoftware delivery platform
Wembley Mar 19 62.12% 10,181 62,885 60 1987 French software platform Siener Informatique was one of two European acquisitions last year
64 [152]
Phaidon InternationalRecruitment consultancy
Central London Oct 18 61.68% *82,908 *95,975 606 2004 Helped 2,150 professionals make career moves across 60 countries in 2018
65 [31]
Brogan GroupScaffolding contractor
Hertfordshire Dec 18 60.48% 12,620 34,018 532 1988 Has provided scaffolding to help build the 2020 World Expo in Dubai and ESB’s HQ in Dublin
66Slush Puppie UKFrozen drinks distributor
High Wycombe Dec 18 59.98% 10,224 33,808 142 1974 Says it has sold more than 175bn Slush Puppie cups in Europe since 1974
67 [184]
Busy BeesNurseries operator
Staffordshire Dec 18 59.13% 161,185 432,355 11,554 1983 Acquired childcare businesses in Ireland, Italy and America last year
68 [51]
NiftyliftLift manufacturer
Milton Keynes Dec 18 58.95% 93,798 117,430 512 1985 Sells through a dealer network spanning more than 60 countries
69Pureprint GroupPrinting services provider
East Sussex Dec 18 58.73% 9,730 55,973 421 1926 Printed 350,000 tickets and 45,000 programmes for the 2018 Ryder Cup in France
70 [45]
Oliver James AssociatesRecruitment consultancy
Manchester Dec 18 58.70% 66,325 118,397 358 2002 Has 12 offices across Europe, America and the Asia-Pacific region
71Smith AndersonPaper bag manufacturer
Fife Sep 18 58.36% 5,122 26,885 227 1859 Makes 60m paper bags a week and supplies McDonald's in the UK and Europe
72G2V Recruitment GroupRecruitment consultancy
Central London Mar 19 57.05% 27,505 72,757 220 2004 Operates in more than 50 countries from nine offices across the UK, Europe and America
73DormoleTool distributor
Kent Dec 18 56.78% 26,007 232,909 990 1974 Acquired two Irish distributors for an undisclosed sum in 2018
74Redwood Technologies GroupCommunications technology provider
Berkshire Dec 18 56.00% 8,338 31,281 198 1993 Its communication platform is used by hundreds of Japanese call centres
75ASM TechnologiesIT channel provider
Cheshire Mar 19 55.50% 7,892 53,065 74 1992 Has offices in Dusseldorf and Paris, and exports to 36 countries worldwide
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
International Track 200 research report 2020
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
24
2020 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE
* supplied by company † annualised
76 [47]
OriginDoor and window manufacturer High Wycombe Dec 18 55.44% 3,936 38,706 272 2002 Manufactures hurricane-resistant doors and
windows at its facility in Florida
77 [100]
AC GroupConstruction services provider Bedfordshire Mar 19 54.26% 41,000 54,143 76 1987 Working on data centres and office fit-
outs across Europe
78 Nexus UnderwritingUnderwriting agency Central London Dec 18 54.11% 7,600 38,614 191 2008 Operates in Hong Kong, Malaysia, America,
France, Germany and the Netherlands
79 [17]
VSI GroupLanguage services provider Central London Dec 18 53.70% 43,211 52,361 155 1989 Operates from 24 studios across Europe,
the Americas and the Middle East
80 [84]
Gama HealthcareAntimicrobial product distributor Watford Mar 19 53.69% 13,022 40,715 156 2004 Distributes its infection-prevention products
to more than 60 countries
81 Yours ClothingPlus-size clothing retailer Peterborough Feb 19 53.22% †9,946 †103,866 1,319 1994 Opened 26 stores, including one in Dublin and
three in Germany, in the 2019 financial year
82 [127]
ACC AviationAviation services provider Surrey Dec 18 52.70% 129,759 135,322 41 2002 Helped fly hundreds of fans to Madrid for
the UEFA Champions League final last year
83 Adare InternationalMarketing services provider Basingstoke Dec 18 52.43% 143,816 191,428 588 1982 Has expanded across Latin America and now
has operations in 65 locations worldwide
84 [56]
Austin FraserRecruitment consultancy Reading Feb 19 52.38% 25,221 64,875 179 2007 Opened offices in Hamburg and San Diego
last year
85 Emerson & RenwickProduction machinery manufacturer Lancashire Dec 18 51.42% 34,244 36,367 169 1918 Its new platform that prints electronic devices
has been winning orders from America especially
86 [95]
Natures MenuPet food manufacturer
Norfolk Dec 18 51.12% 3,666 38,338 233 1981 The biggest overseas markets for its raw pet food are Germany and Scandinavia
87Xcede GroupRecruitment consultancy
Central London Dec 18 50.95% 1,572 25,678 63 2003 Opened an office in Berlin last year to meet demand in Europe's fastest-growing tech hub
88 [196]
Done + DustedTV and events producer
Central London Dec 18 50.90% 75,165 79,391 17 1998 Produced broadcast around the visit of Pope Francis to Abu Dhabi last year
89Euro Food BrandsFood and drink distributor
Northampton Mar 19 50.82% 7,492 136,958 122 1991 Sold 19.9m cases of food and drink globally last year
90SelwoodPump manufacturer
Hampshire Dec 18 50.63% 8,177 83,694 573 1946 Its pumps have been supplied to the Paris Métro expansion project
91 [116]
SilburyFood ingredients supplier
Banbury Oct 18 50.47% 6,228 58,935 35 1985 Has a stake in Portuguese tomato processor HIT Group
92 [54]
SmyleFinancial services consultancy
Hertford Mar 19 50.31% 16,600 26,648 74 2003 Created a brand experience for Facebook at the World Economic Forum
93Edge Worldwide LogisticsLogistics services broker
Salford Jun 19 49.99% *9,798 *57,640 63 1989 Launched a joint venture in Vietnam and America in 2019 and has a logistics hub in Thailand
94CAE Technology ServicesIT reseller
Watford Jun 19 49.63% 13,652 132,913 275 1992 Has installed WiFi in Mulberry's luxury handbag shops around the world
95 [113]
Specialist People ServicesRecruitment consultancy
Bradford Mar 19 49.55% †16,032 †74,129 219 1983 Launched in Australia in 2012 and now has six offices in the country
96Flair RugsRugs supplier
Derbyshire Jun 19 48.99% *1,636 *28,314 121 1984 Produces some of its rugs in India, where it set up a site in 2005
97 [90]
GrenadeSports nutrition brand
Solihull Dec 18 48.77% *13,500 *44,169 48 2009 140,000 of its protein bars are sold globally every day
98Fruitful OfficeFruit delivery service
Croydon Dec 18 48.48% 14,119 25,190 436 2006 Delivers fruit to thousands of workplaces across Ireland, Germany and the Benelux region
99Phil McIntyre EntertainmentsEntertainment promoter and producer
Central London Jun 18 48.40% 5,377 56,601 27 1974 Produced comedian James Acaster's Repertoire stand-up show for Netflix
100 [16]
John GoodLogistics and corporate travel
Hull Dec 18 48.11% 13,779 92,387 312 1833 Operates from 13 UK locations as well as Turkey, China and mainland Europe
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2020 25
2020 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE
* supplied by company
101 [38]
Claranet IT services provider Central London Jun 19 47.63% *251,500 *369,000 2,024 1996 Has 24 offices and 43 data centres worldwide
to serve its 6,500 customers
102 [89]
Mark Allen Group Publisher and events organiser South London Mar 19 46.85% 12,470 51,338 360 1985 Publishes almost 100 titles and runs
200 events across four continents
103 MJ Sections Aerospace components engineer West Midlands Dec 18 46.84% 10,399 28,396 195 1979 Makes sheet metal fabrications and machined
components for the worldwide aerospace industry
104 [66]
BVG Group Mail order retailer South Wales Aug 18 46.60% 10,792 126,619 869 1991 Ships more than 100,000 orders a year to
continental Europe and beyond
105 [121]
Frank Recruitment Group Recruitment consultancy
Newcastle upon Tyne Nov 18 46.43% 164,410 227,879 1,281 2006 Sources IT professionals from 21 offices
across America, Asia, Australia and Europe
106 [177]
Amoria Bond Recruitment consultancy Manchester Nov 18 46.24% 51,938 68,106 133 2006 Trades in more than 40 countries from bases in
the UK, Netherlands, Germany and Singapore
107 Metropolis Consumer and business media West London Dec 18 45.98% 10,478 52,658 452 1994 Produces the New York for Less street maps
and organises the World Architecture Festival
108 Mivan Joinery and fit-out County Antrim Dec 18 45.92% 11,609 29,045 170 1975 Refits cruise ships worldwide for customers
including Tui and Royal Caribbean
109 [145]
Ptarmigan Media Financial media agency Central London Dec 18 45.61% 66,893 115,913 109 1993 Its American revenues rose 95% to £40m
in 2018, boosted by new client wins
110 [150]
Inside Travel Group Tour operator Bristol Dec 18 45.40% 18,459 36,114 157 2000 Releasing new holiday destinations to
mark its 20th anniversary this year
111 [59]
Barron Wood Distribution Transport broker Preston Oct 18 44.99% 8,118 74,527 145 1993 Has a Europe-wide network of more than
2,500 haulage vehicles
112 [131]
MVF Customer generation services North London Mar 19 44.99% 59,995 91,123 425 2009 Generates customer leads in 45 countries
and produces content in 30 languages
113 [80]
BULK POWDERS Sports nutrition brand Colchester Dec 18 44.78% 22,459 43,083 164 2006 Opened a distribution centre in Poland last
year to supply customers in mainland Europe
114 [181]
Fundamental Media Financial media agency Central London Dec 18 44.73% 72,859 95,966 77 2003 Provides media, marketing and technology
services to clients in more than 20 countries
115 Lyle & Scott Fashion clothing retailer Central London Mar 19 44.55% 23,058 54,167 164 1874 Its ecommerce site ships to more than 50
countries, including Sweden and the Netherlands
116 [64]
Optal Payment services provider Central London Dec 18 44.32% 269,640 269,640 72 2002 Offers payment processing in 34 currencies
across 45 countries
117 Storm Technologies IT reseller Watford Dec 18 44.14% 11,575 108,560 151 2000 Sells to clients in 45 countries and has an office
in Hungary offering 24/7 customer support
118 FatFace Clothing retailer Hampshire Jun 19 43.54% *15,667 *241,460 2,830 1988 Its founders sold T-shirts to skiers in the
French Alps before opening a London shop
119 Oil Consultants Recruitment consultancy Tyne and Wear Dec 18 43.48% 39,330 43,733 39 1999 Works across more than 95 countries to find
technical staff for the oil and gas sector
120 M247 Internet and cloud services Manchester Mar 19 43.35% 11,312 60,017 258 2003 Works with more than 10,000 customers
across 110 countries
121 [10]
Opus Talent Solutions Recruitment consultancy Bristol Dec 18 42.67% 31,693 78,341 244 2008 Opened a Hong Kong office in 2018, its
fourth overseas base
122 Crafter's Companion Craft products retailer County Durham Mar 19 42.51% 20,331 31,809 195 2005 Has moved its American operations to a 31,000
sq ft base in California to meet growing demand
123 [109]
Jellyfish Digital marketing agency Central London Mar 19 42.32% 77,625 127,563 572 2005 Has more than 30 offices worldwide,
including eight in America
124 Vivobarefoot Footwear manufacturer and retailer Central London Jun 19 42.16% 19,724 26,176 50 2012 Taiwanese firm Stella International, which makes
shoes for Nike and Timberland, is an investor
125 Western Global Storage tank manufacturer Bristol Dec 18 42.13% 36,627 50,747 121 1962 Sells across America from offices in Detroit
and Norwalk, Connecticut
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
International Track 200 research report 2020
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
26
2020 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE
* supplied by company † annualised
126 Adaptavist IT consultancy Central London Sep 18 42.11% 23,421 26,825 162 2005 Works in 60 countries and with more than half
of the Fortune 500 companies
127 [60]
Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Beauty products retailer West London Dec 18 41.94% 73,825 145,437 836 2013 Ships to 76 markets and has stores in London,
the Middle East, America and Hong Kong
128 Vohkus Technology provider Hampshire Jun 19 41.61% †*9,298 †*97,679 141 2001 Norwegian cruise ship operator Fred. Olsen
is among its international clients
129 [166]
Lawton Tubes Copper tube supplier Coventry Sep 18 41.51% 14,233 149,024 103 1918 Has shipped containers of medical gas
tubes to the Middle East and Asia
130 [91]
John Cotton Group Bedding manufacturer West Yorkshire Mar 19 41.45% 62,234 217,342 1,493 1916 Opened a factory in Poland in 2018
131 World of Books Books and media reseller West Sussex Oct 18 41.35% 22,856 64,000 568 2002 Recycles or resells more than 85m books a year
and exports to over 190 countries
132 Purdicom Wireless network provider Oxfordshire Dec 18 41.31% 3,238 31,245 57 2005 Says it is the largest distributor in the EMEA
region for California firm Ruckus Wireless
133 [76]
A-Safe Safety barrier manufacturer Halifax Dec 18 41.26% 44,386 52,302 391 1984 Its safety barriers have been installed in more
than 30 international airports
134 [79]
MATCHESFASHION Luxury fashion retailer Central London Jan 19 41.22% 295,179 371,784 682 1987 Launched its first ad campaign last year starring
American supermodel Christy Turlington
135 [14]
Salt Recruitment consultancy Central London Dec 18 41.06% 14,043 44,723 121 2009 In September it acquired Xpand, a recruitment
agency based in Asia and Australia
136 Simarco Logistics services provider Essex Dec 18 40.86% 6,221 57,125 310 1997 Delivers 250,000 consignments to 40
destinations across Europe every year
137 [172]
Firmdale Hotels Hotelier Central London Jan 19 40.82% 53,228 162,022 1,692 1985 Its Crosby Street hotel in New York has an
average room rate of $977
138 Investis Digital Digital communications provider Central London Dec 18 40.78% 22,381 34,636 463 2000 Groupon, ASOS and Anglo American are
among its global customers
139 A-Gas Chemicals and gases distributor Bristol Dec 18 40.69% 182,826 229,606 665 1993 Launched operations in Toronto in 2019
140 [62]
Whitworth Group Flour miller Northamptonshire Mar 19 40.47% 31,495 397,896 607 1886 Exports flour to food manufacturers and
bakeries in Ireland and mainland Europe
141 Insights Group Employee development consultancy Dundee Mar 19 40.35% 52,015 65,927 513 1993 Has employees in 18 countries after opening offices
in Mumbai, Sydney and Johannesburg in 2019
142 Next Ventures Recruitment consultancy Central London Dec 18 40.16% 47,547 56,316 105 2001 Uses multi-lingual recruitment consultants who
are specialists in technology niches
143 Simms International IT distributor Kent Dec 18 40.01% 10,517 34,423 30 1990 Ships more than 3m products a year all over
the world
144 Moneypenny Outsourced communications provider Wrexham Dec 18 39.94% 2,309 31,740 665 2000 Handles more than 15m calls and live chats a
year for businesses in the UK and America
145 [174]
Fentimans Drinks manufacturer Northumberland Dec 18 39.28% 15,645 40,443 61 1905 Launched five flavours of soft drinks in the
Middle East last year
146 [63]
The Hut Group Online retailer Manchester Dec 18 38.51% 607,867 915,758 4,531 2004 Operates 178 localised websites, selling goods in
169 countries
147 Ligentia Supply chain manager Leeds Dec 18 38.03% 47,351 102,878 339 1996 Has subsidiaries across four continents, including
in China, Australia, Vietnam and South Africa
148 Ennismore Hotelier Central London Dec 18 37.95% 8,936 25,853 223 2012 The Hoxton Paris, a ‘monument historique’, was
previously owned by King Louis XV’s advisor
149 [132]
Sapphire Systems Systems integrator Central London Dec 18 37.86% 13,470 36,697 262 1993 Offers round-the-clock support from offices
on four continents
150 Autosmart International Vehicle cleaning products Staffordshire Jan 19 37.73% 11,806 32,207 193 1979 Sells through more than 250 franchisees
across the UK, Europe and Australia
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2020 27
2020 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE
* supplied by company
151 [147]
Options Financial technology provider Central London Dec 18 37.29% 44,326 70,850 210 1993 Has over 200 clients in the financial sector,
across more than 20 countries
152 [123]
PeninsulaEmployment law consultancy Manchester Mar 19 37.27% 105,791 270,583 2,747 1983 Has 75,000 clients across the UK,
Ireland, Australasia and Canada
153 [149]
XexecEmployee engagement services Northwest London Nov 18 37.17% 7,842 40,299 39 2000 Offers employee discounts with 3,000+ retailers,
including Apple, Starbucks and Amazon
154 Nasmyth GroupPrecision component manufacturer Coventry Jan 19 37.10% 23,899 78,853 784 2003 Opened its state-of-the-art metals
treatment facility in California in 2018
155 MJM MarineSpecialist joiner County Down Dec 18 36.22% 92,515 97,725 272 1983 Led a multimillion dollar refurbishment
project for the Norwegian Joy cruise ship
156 Cloud Technology SolutionsCloud IT developer Manchester Mar 19 36.19% 8,120 26,144 113 2008 Its software has moved the data of 11m
users into the cloud across 83 countries
157 [88]
Ambassador Theatre Group Live entertainment operator Surrey Mar 19 35.90% 235,195 443,180 5,414 1992 Operates more than 10 venues in
America and five in Germany
158 prosource.it IT services provider Aberdeen Jun 19 35.82% *24,540 *64,186 269 1999 Its five global offices have worked with
firms in more than 25 countries
159 Gravitas RecruitmentRecruitment consultancy Central London Nov 18 35.70% 5,399 42,537 153 2010 Has overseas offices in Hong Kong and
Singapore, as well as three in the UK
160 CinesiteVisual effects and animation Central London Apr 19 35.61% 66,326 72,972 927 1991 Its Vancouver studio drew 85,000 hairs to
create Cousin Itt in The Addams Family film
161 [198]
Priority FreightLogistics services provider Dover Dec 18 35.51% *56,632 *80,090 197 1996 Delivered 600kg of aircraft landing equipment
from Toronto to Athens in just two days
162 Argent Foods Food supplier Central London Dec 18 35.34% 140,489 735,157 1,723 1997 Operates in Europe, Australasia, North
America and Africa
163Ash & LacyBuilding parts manufacturer
West Bromwich Dec 18 35.30% 3,387 49,587 343 1864 Operates from six UK sites and a facility in Cape Town, and exports to five continents
164admMarketing services provider
West London Dec 18 35.25% 186,882 202,673 419 2014 Services clients such as Bacardi, Diageo and L’Oréal from offices in 29 countries
165GBALogistics services provider
Preston Dec 18 34.95% 18,836 48,595 236 1987 Opened Portuguese and German operations in 2017 to serve the automotive sector
166 [141]
TopCashback Cashback website Stafford Dec 18 34.80% 33,681 128,702 203 2005 Runs cashback sites in the UK, America,
India and China
167SystemsAccountantsRecruitment consultancy
Central London Jul 19 34.37% *12,700 *36,800 69 1997 Has worked with over 75% of the FTSE 100, as well as many Fortune 500 companies
168 [42]
Lincoln & York Coffee manufacturer Lincolnshire Jan 19 34.31% 12,997 45,873 124 1994 Supplies more than 300 customers in 10
countries across Europe
169 [139]
Vision RTMedical technology developer
North London Dec 18 34.05% *45,875 *48,646 179 2001 Partnering with Swedish software firm RaySearch to work on technology development projects
170 [118]
Corin Group Orthopaedic parts maker Cirencester Dec 18 33.62% 106,152 113,988 595 1985 Acquired an American surgical robotics
firm in 2019
171 [170]
EnerMechEngineering services provider
Aberdeen Dec 18 33.50% *337,890 *414,278 3,320 1987 Plans to double turnover in the Americas to more than £200m a year by 2022
172 [163]
Cooper & TurnerIndustrial fastener manufacturer
Sheffield Feb 19 33.40% 59,744 76,533 422 1912 Acquired French bolt manufacturer Beck Industries in 2019
173 Autocraft Solutions Group Automotive engine manufacturer Lincolnshire Dec 18 33.37% 8,805 25,033 217 2010 Produces 20,000 engines a year for the likes
of Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Aston Martin
174 [50]
City Facilities Management Facilities maintenance provider Glasgow Dec 18 33.30% 472,704 971,177 12,217 1985 Employs more than 12,000 people across
Europe, Australia, America and Asia
175Princess YachtsLuxury yacht builder
Plymouth Dec 18 33.15% 263,752 340,260 2,865 1965 Aiming to build 300 boats a year by 2022 to meet international demand
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
International Track 200 research report 2020
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
28
2020 INTERNATIONAL TRACK 200 LEAGUE TABLE
* supplied by company † annualised
176 Bee Health Food supplement manufacturer East Yorkshire Dec 18 33.10% †1,638 †29,422 302 1992 Ships health food supplements to more than
40 countries from its factory in Bridlington
177 [68]
END.Designer menswear retailer
Newcastle upon Tyne Mar 19 32.94% 80,856 134,658 464 2005 Its website and apps receive more than 10m
visitors each month
178 Cobalt Recruitment Recruitment consultancy Central London Dec 18 32.90% 21,337 30,078 207 2001 Opened its first Austrian office in 2018, one
of 12 global locations
179 [197]
Brook TavernerClothing supplier West Yorkshire Dec 18 32.87% 6,368 32,152 135 1912 More than 90% of its exports go to European
markets, such as France and Germany
180 UformKitchen door supplier County Antrim Apr 19 32.61% 10,640 34,876 182 1993 Supplies more than 1,000 kitchens a week to
retailers in the UK and Ireland
181 ForsythsMetal fabricator Northeast Scotland Oct 18 31.96% 12,418 46,774 386 1890 Has opened operations in Japan and Hong Kong
to meet Asian demand for its whisky stills
182 Hexadex Steel systems manufacturer Lincolnshire Dec 18 31.93% 87,590 116,188 928 1978 Global supplier of complex emission systems
and components for heavy-duty vehicles
183 [87]
the7starsMedia agency Central London Mar 19 31.83% 103,518 340,033 214 2005 Promoted American band Foo Fighters by rebranding
an East End pub as 'The Foo Fighters Arms'
184 [155]
Reward Gateway Employee engagement services Central London Jun 19 31.69% 104,484 210,685 416 2006 4.6m people in 23 countries use its employee
engagement products
185 The White Company Lifestyle retailer West London Mar 19 31.65% *18,277 *217,424 1,716 1994 Has a retail partnership with American department
store Nordstrom, both online and in-store
186 [85]
MNC Media agency Central London Dec 18 31.57% 27,577 73,831 21 1997 Buys advertising in the UK for European
brands such as marketplace app Shpock
187 [128]
County Milk ProductsHotelier
Cheshire Dec 18 31.39% 60,498 252,787 92 1994 Exports dairy ingredients to Europe and further afield
188SolventisSolvent distributor
Guildford Dec 18 31.38% 165,665 219,531 45 2002 Operates a state-of-the-art storage, blending and distribution facility in Antwerp
189CultechDietary supplement manufacturer
Port Talbot Dec 18 31.26% 24,861 38,224 253 1994 Its probiotics are sold across six continents, with America its largest market
190 [200]
MPM ProductsPet food producer
Manchester Dec 18 31.04% 47,843 70,607 61 2002 Exports to more than 50 markets globally, including America and China
191Broadland DrinksWine producer and importer
Norfolk Mar 19 30.76% 4,539 70,636 154 1965 Its advent calendar of 24 mini wine bottles is popular with American drinkers
192 [61]
Capital Hair and BeautyHair products wholesaler
Brighton Dec 18 30.71% 3,971 53,914 516 1954 Has made two acquisitions in Ireland, where it has five stores
193Adder TechnologyIT hardware manufacturer
Cambridge Jun 18 30.16% 28,621 31,520 145 1984 Distributes its products across 60 countries, including America and China
194 [74]
Mountain Warehouse Outdoor clothing retailer Central London Feb 19 29.97% 78,388 255,044 2,082 1997 Founder Mark Neale travels 10 weeks of the
year visiting his stores across the globe
195 Four Communications Marketing and communications agency Central London Dec 18 29.54% 27,101 70,560 318 2001 Operates in more than 30 countries
worldwide through its own affiliate network
196iKas InternationalRecruitment consultancy
Central London Dec 18 29.24% 21,711 34,537 53 2004 Has offices in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney and New York
197 Croxsons Glass bottle supplier Southwest London Aug 18 29.06% 9,668 27,111 28 1872 Has operations in New Zealand, Australia and
America, and sells to 50 markets worldwide
198 [130]
Pricecheck Consumer goods supplier Sheffield Apr 19 29.03% 37,171 81,644 155 1978 Exports its range of 5,000 fast-moving
consumer goods to 82 countries
199 [178]
Seasalt CornwallClothing retailer
Cornwall Feb 19 28.87% 3,677 65,657 903 1981 Plans to launch websites in Germany and America this spring
200 [175]
CT AutomotiveAutomotive parts supplier
Portsmouth Dec 18 28.79% 58,561 86,937 2,668 2000 Supplies parts for 70% of electric vehicles produced for the global market
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
Rank2020
FYEHQ locationActivity[2019]Company
Annual int'l sales growth
over 2 yrs
Latest int'l sales
£000 Staff Founded Comment
Latest total sales
£000
© 2020 International Track 200 fasttrack.co.uk
International Track 200 research report 2020 29
METHODOLOGYThe International Track 200 league table ranks Britain's privately-owned mid-market companies with the fastest-growing international sales over their latest two years of available accounts, i.e. between 2016 and 2018, or 2017 and 2019. International sales were defined as declared non-UK revenue.
Limitations: The research is based on the available data about a company's international sales, which can be limited. Companies filing abridged accounts are not required to disclose any geographical breakdown of sales, and many companies filing full accounts do not make this disclosure on the grounds that it may be prejudicial to their interests.
Qualification criteria• UK-registered, unquoted, independent and making an
operating profit
• International sales of at least £500,000 in the base year (2016 or 2017)
• Latest year international sales of at least £1m (2018 or 2019)
• Latest year total sales between £25m and £1bn. Any sales from joint ventures were excluded
• International sales greater than 5% of total sales in latest year
• No drop in international sales from penultimate to latest year
• Latest year staff numbers greater than 10
• Recruitment, media and travel agencies must show gross profits of at least £5m in the latest year
• At least 25 trading weeks in latest and base year (trading periods different from 52 weeks were annualised on a straight pro-rata basis)
Research approachThe main research was conducted by the Fast Track research team predominantly between August and December 2019. Companies were selected from a database of 2m private limited UK companies after extensive desk, telephone and case study research. The majority of the companies in the league table have been interviewed by Fast Track.
DisclaimersPrivate company information can be incomplete and, while every effort is made to include all qualifying companies, there may be omissions. Some exceptions were made to the qualification criteria set out above. The compiler’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Nominations for next year’s table would be welcome at info@fasttrack.co.uk or via our website: www.fasttrack.co.uk
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Fast Track would like to thank HSBC for its title sponsorship of International Track 200 for all 11 years; DHL Express for its sponsorship for a fourth year; and Oracle NetSuite for its second year as a main sponsor.
We would also like to thank our media partner The Sunday Times for its continued support of International Track 200 for all 11 years.
Neither Fast Track or our sponsors or media partner endorse, guarantee or recommend investment in any of the companies. The rankings are based on historical sales growth.
Media partner
SUPPORTERS
The Sunday Times has been Fast Track's media partner for all 23 years.
It is Britain’s No 1 newspaper for business, and the leading broadsheet newspaper, attracting over two million readers every week. Almost half (46%) of senior business decision-makers read The Sunday Times, a greater market share than any other publication, according to the 2018 Ipsos survey.
Oliver ShahBusiness editor
thesundaytimes.co.uk@ST_Business
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Sponsors
Nicky TozerEMEA Vice President
Amanda MurphyHead of Commercial Banking, HSBC UK
HSBC UK has been the title sponsor of International Track 200 for all 11 years.
We are one of the world’s largest banks serving over 1 million UK businesses among 37 million customers worldwide. Our international banking network covers 53 international markets and gives us access to around 90% of world trade flows.
Alongside specialist teams serving eight key sectors, two further teams offer core financing support. Our Leverage Finance service supports deals of all sizes, facilitating M&A, syndication financing, and access to high-yield bonds and Treasury. Our Commercial Banking Origination service facilitates and advises on sophisticated corporate financing in the UK and Europe.
Ian WilsonCEO, DHL Express UK & Ireland
DHL Express is a main sponsor for a fourth year.
DHL Express is the global market leader in the international express delivery market, specialising in time and day critical shipping to all corners of the world. With a network spanning over 220 countries and territories, DHL ensures your products are quickly and reliably delivered to destinations all over the world, providing tailored delivery options and returns. Whether you are a new or experienced international shipper, DHL is here to help. From improving your website’s international appeal, to the intricacies of customs duties and taxes, DHL Express offers support at every stage of the export journey.
Oracle NetSuite is a main sponsor for a second year.
For more than 20 years, Oracle NetSuite has helped organisations grow, scale and adapt to change. NetSuite provides a suite of cloud-based applications, which includes financials / Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), HR, professional services automation and omnichannel commerce, used by more than 19,000 customers in 203 countries and dependent territories.
For more information, please visit https://www.netsuite.com.
Follow NetSuite’s Cloud blog, Facebook page and @NetSuite Twitter handle for real-time updates.
business.hsbc.uk/corporate
@HSBCUKBusiness
dhlguide.co.uk@DHLExpressUK
netsuite.com@NetSuite
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Gareth Morgan co-manages International Track 200 research.
Prior to joining Fast Track in 2019, he worked on the research team at private equity information service Unquote, covering the European market. He has a degree in English language and linguistics, and a masters in applied linguistics – both from the University of Sheffield.
Lindsay Uppadine co-manages International Track 200 research.
She joined Fast Track in 2006, having previously worked as a research associate at Library House in Cambridge. She spent three years as a post-doctoral research chemist at the Université Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France, and has a doctorate and a masters in chemistry from Oxford University.
Richard Tyler is director of editorial at Fast Track.
Prior to joining Fast Track in 2013, he was the enterprise editor of The Daily and Sunday Telegraph for nine years, covering private companies and government policy. He trained in journalism at Euromoney, part of Daily Mail & General Trust, after completing his degree at Manchester University.
ABOUT FAST TRACK
Compiler & publisher
The authors
Hamish Stevenson owns and runs Fast Track, which he founded in 1997 after securing cornerstone sponsorship from Virgin and ongoing support from Sir Richard Branson. He works closely with leading entrepreneurs, sponsors and media partners.
He is an associate fellow at Green Templeton College, Oxford University, where he completed his masters and doctorate in management studies, and subsequently set up and held the Virgin research fellowship in entrepreneurship. He also has a degree in political science from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Research support was also provided by Fast Track researchers Michael Cook, Malcolm Gilmour, Kaye Johnson, Matthew Elliott, Ed Parsons and Jonathan Sinclair; and freelancers Claire Harrington, Ian Hall and Jessica Johnson.
John Elliott is deputy head of editorial and social media at Fast Track.
He joined in 2019 from communications consultancy Powerscourt, where he advised fast-growth TMT companies. He was previously a journalist at The Sunday Times for eight years and has also worked for the Daily Telegraph, Condé Nast, and HarperCollins publishers. He has a degree in English literature from the University of Cambridge.
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CONTACT DETAILS
Fast Track Angel Court 81 St Clements Street Oxford OX4 1AW
Tel: 01865 297100
Email: info@fasttrack.co.uk
Web: fasttrack.co.uk
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@ST_FastTrack
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Fast TrackInternational Track 200 is compiled by Fast Track, the UK's leading research and face-to-face networking events company, which ranks top-performing private companies and entrepreneurs.
Fast Track has compiled league tables on private companies in partnership with The Sunday Times for the last 23 years.
It publishes six other annual league table awards programmes:
SME Export Track 100 ranks Britain's SMEs with the fastest-growing international sales (total sales between £5m and £25m)
Tech Track 100 ranks Britain's private technology (TMT) companies with the fastest-growing sales
Fast Track 100 ranks Britain's private companies with the fastest-growing sales (excluding tech companies)
Profit Track 100 ranks Britain's private companies with the fastest-growing profits
Top Track 250 ranks Britain’s leading mid-market private growth companies with the biggest sales (the next tier below the top 100, and minimum 5% growth in sales or profits)
Top Track 100 ranks Britain’s private companies with the biggest sales (£700m to £27bn)
Fast Track is based in Oxford with 32 staff, and a network of six freelance researchers.