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Three North East firms named among fastest-growing British SMEs for international sales

Three of the region’s businesses have made the seventh annual Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 league table, which ranks Britain’s mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales.

The trio of North East firms have together recorded their international sales grow by an average of 51% a year over two years to a total of £33m and now employ 680 people.

Precision engineer Express Engineering ranked highest on the list as the 37th business with the fastest-growing international sales. The Gateshead-based firm recorded sales growth of 75%, reaching figures as high as £21.3m.

Durham-based Greencroft Bottling is a new entrant in the ranking, with international sales of £5.4m in 2015. It provides services for wineries in Australia, New Zealand, California, Chile and South Africa, and says it is one of the largest wine bottlers in Europe.

County Durham is also home to Prima Cheese, which features for a second consecutive year. Led by managing director Behroz Beni, the family firm sells to regions including the Middle East, and exports grew to £5.9m this year.

The companies in the region appear with businesses from around the UK, including women’s sportswear retailer Sweaty Betty, health and beauty products manufacturer Neal’s Yard Remedies, travel search engine Skyscanner, and sandwich shop chain Pret A Manger.

The league table reflects the importance of Europe to Britain’s mid-market exporters ahead of the UK’s EU referendum on 23 June. More than three quarters of the companies (166) sell to the continent, the most popular market, followed by North America (108) and Asia (88).

Amanda Murphy, UK head of corporate banking at HSBC, commented: “The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 is a great reflection of the value of building connections overseas.

“The world is getting smaller and for ambitious businesses, the opportunities to source goods and services and to grow organically via international trade, digitally or on the ground, are easier than ever. I’m delighted to see so many HSBC-backed mid-sized firms making such a strong impression on the world stage.”

The seventh annual Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 league tablewill be published this weekend.

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