Suffolk SMEs blaze a trail in list of Britain’s top exporters
Josh and Claire Richardson, of Superyacht Tenders & Toys in Ipswich. Picture: GREGG BROWN - Credit: Gregg Brown
Five Suffolk companies have made it onto a list of Britain’s top exporters.
Suffolk IoD members on a visit to Denny Bros in Bury St Edmunds. Picture: CONTRIBUTED - Credit: Archant
The small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) feature on the Sunday Times Lloyds SME Export Track 100 league table, listing SMEs with the fastest-growing international sales.
Seven of the 100 firms are based in the East of England - and five are based in Suffolk.
Transport logistics firm George Baker Group ranked eighth nationally with a 172% growth over two years in its international growth to take it to £7m (overall sales were £17.2m, staff numbers 58), and Rockford Electrical component maker at Rendlesham came ninth with 162% growth and £6.5m in international sales (overall sales £16.1m, 283 staff).
Online electronics retailer The Pi Hut, based at Haverhill, came 21st, with 108% growth and £4.3m worth of international sales (£7.3m sales overall, staff of six), and Superyacht Tenders & Toys of Ipswich, which supplies yacht equipment, came in at 45th, with 69% growth and £5.4m of international sales (£5.5m total sales, 10 staff).
Peter Lion, manaGing director of Rockford, based at Rendlesham, with local MP Th�r�se Coffey. Picture: CONTRIBUTED - Credit: Archant
Printing services firm Denny Bros of Bury St Edmunds came 71st with 46% growth and £1.6m of international sales (£7.5m total sales, staff 88).
Suffolk Chamber spokesman Paul Simon said the strong presence of Suffolk SMEs in the list was “yet more evidence as to the new Suffolk business reality”, but warned that infrastructure improvements were needed for the county to keep up the growth momentum.
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“We will continue to push for much-needed upgrades to the county’s infrastructure, including road, rail, broadband and mobile, in the last case by launching later in the spring our No More Not-Spots campaign aimed at securing total 4G mobile coverage by 2020, he said.
“Give these companies the tools to do the job and we’re sure Suffolk’s presence in next year’s list will be even more impressive.”
The other regional companies to make it onto the list are Cambridge wireless control firm Telensa, and Lincolnshire generator manufacturer Welland Power.
Overall, the regional companies’ international sales grew by an average of 120% a year over two years to a total of £53m, and together they employ more than 500 people. New list entrant Superyacht supplies fleets owned by Middle Eastern royalty.
