The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 ranks Britain’s mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales, measured over their latest two years of available accounts. The 2019 league table supplement was published on 10 February, and the awards dinner was held on 1 May.

Marking its 10th anniversary this year, the league table has featured more than 1,000 companies since its launch, including star alumni such as Fever-Tree, IHS Markit and Aston Martin.

View Criteria Nominate

International Track 200 entry criteria

The closing date for nominations for the 2019 league table was 23 November 2018, with publication on 10 February 2019.

Total sales £25m+

  • UK registered, unquoted, and not subsidiaries
  • International sales of at least £500,000 in the base year (2015 or 2016)
  • International sales of at least £1m in the latest year (2017 or 2018)
  • Total sales of at least £25m in the latest year (2017 or 2018)
  • International sales of at least 5% of total sales in the latest year (2017 or 2018)
  • Year-on-year international sales growth in the latest year from 2016 to 2017, or 2017 to 2018
  • Operating profit must be positive in the latest year (2017 or 2018)
  • Ten or more employees in the latest year (2017 or 2018)
  • Trading weeks in the base and latest years have to exceed 25
  • Companies in the top 10 cannot feature on the same figures two years in a row
  • Recruitment firms, payroll services providers, media agencies and travel agencies are required to have gross profits of at least £5m. Sales for recruitment and payroll firms are the total amount invoiced to clients
  • Excluded companies include LLPs, pure property and financial trading companies; companies that are equal joint ventures, or majority-owned by quoted or other companies
  • We reserve the right to change the qualification criteria set out above and to make exceptions. This is not a competition; the compiler’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into

 

Types of company

Total sales

£25m - £300m

Int’l sales

£1m - £100m

Average 2 year int’l sales growth

30% - 230% pa

Staff

10 - 1,000
League Table
Nominate
This is a great recognition of our efforts to expand internationally Nick Robinson, co-founder, WorldFirst
Fantastic forum of successful people in business – I always leave the room with an idea for improvement Rory O'Donnell, group MD, Silverline Tools
An inspirational event where you can meet people who can take you to the next level Ian Appleton, chief executive, Kerax
It inspires us to continue to improve and do better every year Alk Brand, managing director, European Oat Millers
It shows our clients that we are serious about our export business Leo Caplan, chief executive, Canburg
The benchmark event celebrating the cream of British exporting companies Frederik Hsu, co-founder, NMS International Group
A great demonstration to our clients of our growth for their benefit Melvin Thomas, co-founder & joint MD, The Licensing Company
The awards dinner was very well supported with all the top retailers present at CEO or founder level, and the feedback I received from many of our customers was outstanding. Ian Wilson, CEO UK&I, DHL Express

Alumni success stories

Featured with international sales of £108m; more than half of its £347m sales now generated overseas
First featured with international sales of £593m; generated of 42% of £2.3bn sales overseas in 2017
Featured with international sales of £314m; floated in 2014 and completed a $13bn merger with IHS in 2016