Six companies headquartered in Scotland are featured on the annual Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 league table which ranks Britain’s mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales.
Scotland’s top-ranked company is Glasgow-based City Facilities Management (No.50), which was founded by former Celtic director Sir Willie Haughey in 1985, and installs and maintains air conditioning and fridges in supermarkets worldwide. Growth in Australia helped boost exports to £378.5m, on total sales of £821.7m, in 2017.
Achieving a league table place for the first time is Irvine-based Windhoist, which has built more than 6,000 wind turbines in Europe, Morocco and Australia for the likes of Siemens and Nordex, boosting overseas sales to £34.1m, on total sales of £47.4m, in 2017.
Featuring for the fifth consecutive year is BrewDog. The craft beer producer has gone global from its Aberdeenshire base, opening bars in Brazil and Japan, and a brewery in Ohio, where it also has a beer-themed hotel. Valued at more than £1bn, it reported overseas sales of £21.6m, on total sales of £111.6m, in 2017.
These Scottish stars have grown their international sales by an average of 57% a year over the last two years to a total of £783m. Together they employ more than 16,200 people.
The companies in Scotland appear alongside well-known British brands, including Gymshark; and Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, founded by the Hollywood make-up artist. Others are connected to star names, such as Bulk Powders, which counts boxing champion Anthony Joshua among its athlete ambassadors. This year is the 10th anniversary of International Track. Alumni stars include Aston Martin, Specsavers, Fever-Tree, and Lush – which featured on the first league table in 2010 with exports of £151m, and which have now hit £300m.
Private companies in Scotland with the fastest-growing international sales – ordered by rank
| Rank | Company | Annual sales growth over 2 years | Int’l sales (m) | Total Sales (m) | Staff |
| 50 | City Facilities Management | 80% | 378.5 | 821.7 | 11,992 |
| 70 | Astrak Group | 69% | 16.5 | 28.8 | 77 |
| 83 | D R Collin | 65% | 36.4 | 49.8 | 197 |
| 114 | Windhoist | 55% | 34.1 | 47.4 | 306 |
| 168 | BrewDog | 38% | 21.6 | 111.6 | 777 |
| 170 | EnerMech | 38% | 295.9 | 361.4 | 2,900 |
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