Five Scottish based companies have made it into the 4th annual Sunday Times Lloyds SME Export Track 100 league table which ranks Britain’s small and medium-sized private companies with the fastest-growing international sales.
The five companies (compared to nine last year) include two new entrants to the league table. Their international sales have grown by an average of 72% a year over two years to a total of £46m, and together they employ more than 400 people.
The top-ranked company in Scotland is mobile games developer Outplay Entertainment, which is based in Dundee and features for the first time. Its Alien Creeps game has been downloaded by 20m players around the world and – with 95% of its players overseas – exports grew an average of 178% a year to £14.9m in 2016.
The other new entrant in Scotland is LTS International, which is based in Edinburgh. The sustainability consultancy has worked on biodiversity, forestry and water projects in more than 100 countries, and international sales rose to £7.2m in 2016.
The other three companies in the list are Wester Ross Fisheries which appears at 58 with 56% export growth, Vegware the compostable packaging manufacturer at 77th place with 44% export growth and M Squared, the laser technology developer also had 44% export growth and appeared at 79 on the list.
The companies in Scotland appear with businesses from around Britain, including drinks manufacturer Cawston Press, hobby retailer Crafter’s Companion and chocolatier Monty Bojangles.
The latest league table illustrates how British companies are increasingly looking beyond their traditional export markets for growth, with more than 82 selling to countries outside Europe and the US, compared to 60 companies last year. The vast majority (93) say future international growth will come from outside Europe.
The SME Export Track 100 is sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group, DHL Express and Heathrow Airport, and is supported by the government’s Exporting is GREAT campaign. It is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
Gareth Oakley, managing director SME banking at Lloyds Banking Group, the title sponsor, commented:
“For businesses that take the leap to trade overseas, the rewards can be significant – the strong growth achieved by this year’s SME Export Track 100 is proof of that. At Lloyds Banking Group we are committed to helping businesses scale-up and trade internationally, and have pledged to help 5,000 first-time exporters every year until 2020 in support of this. Our International Trade Portal is a valuable source of insight for any businesses looking to explore overseas options”.
