Brewdog is among eight companies on the 11th annual Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 league table that ranks Britain’s mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales, climbing from 168th position on 2019’s list to number 47 on this year’s – the second highest ranking for a Scottish company.
Scotland’s top-ranked company is Vegware (No.37), which manufactures eco-friendly, compostable packaging materials from plant-based materials. Its international sales grew at an average of 81% per year over its last two years, reaching £11.4m in 2019, on total sales of £32.2m.
Dundee is home to employee development consultancy Insights Group – which features for the first time with international sales growing at an average of 40% per year over two years to £52m in 2019, on total sales of £65.9m.
Glasgow-based City Facilities Management features for the sixth time. With more than 12,000 staff, the company is the largest employer on the league table. Its international sales grew at an average annual growth rate of 33% over its last two years.
The league table programme is sponsored by HSBC, DHL Express and Oracle NetSuite, and compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
Private companies in Scotland with the fastest-growing international sales – ordered by rank
| Rank
[2019 rank] |
Company
Activity |
HQ location | Average annual int’l sales growth over 2 yrs | Int’l sales (£m) | Total sales (£m) | Staff | Year end | Comment |
| 37 | Vegware
Compostable packaging manufacturer |
Edinburgh | 81% | 11.4 | 32.2 | 72 | Jan 19 | Finding a spoon made from potato and corn at a California farmers market inspired this business |
| 47
[168] |
BrewDog
Brewery |
Ellon, Aberdeenshire | 71% | 39.3 | 171.6 | 1,247 | Dec 18 | In 2018, it shipped 136m bottles of craft beer globally and opened 21 bars |
| 71 | Smith Anderson
Paper bag manufacturer |
Kirkcaldy,
Fife |
58% | 5.1 | 26.9 | 227 | Sep 18 | Makes 60m paper bags a week and supplies McDonald’s in the UK and Europe |
| 141 | Insights Group
Employee development consultancy |
Dundee | 40% | 52.0 | 65.9 | 513 | Mar 19 | Has employees in 18 countries after opening offices in Mumbai, Sydney and Johannesburg in 2019 |
| 158 | prosource.it
IT services provider |
Aberdeen | 36% | *24.5 | *64.2 | 269 | Jun 19 | Its five global offices have worked with firms in more than 25 countries |
| 171
[170] |
EnerMech
Engineering services provider |
Aberdeen | 33% | *337.9 | *414.3 | 3,320 | Dec 18 | Plans to double turnover in the Americas to more than £200m a year by 2022 |
| 174
[50] |
City Facilities Management
Facilities maintenance provider |
Glasgow | 33% | 472.7 | 971.2 | 12,217 | Dec 18 | Employs more than 12,000 people across Europe, Australia, America and Asia |
| 181 | Forsyths
Metal fabricator |
Rothes,
Moray |
32% | 12.4 | 46.8 | 386 | Oct 18 | Has opened operations in Japan and Hong Kong to meet Asian demand for its whisky stills |
*Supplied by company
