A luxury sports car manufacturer, gym clothing brand and household goods maker have been named among the nation's fastest-growing companies for international sales.
The trio are among 17 West Midlands firms to be included in the 2018 Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 league table which ranks Britain's mid-market private companies based on their overseas revenue growth.
The countdown includes Gaydon-based Aston Martin, Gymshark, which recently moved to a new HQ in Solihull, and Gtech, the manufacturer of battery-powered vacuum cleaner and lawn mowers.
Aston Martin, ranked in 166th place, sold more than 5,000 luxury sports cars across the world last year.
Demand for its DB11 model in the US and China helped push overseas sales to £683 million during 2017, with average growth over the past two years of 31 per cent.
Worcester-based Gtech features for the second time and has leapt from 159th place in 2017 to fifth.
Founded by Nick Grey in 2001, the company makes cordless vacuum cleaners, battery-powered garden tools and electric bicycles.
International sales hit £18 million in 2017 and, with growth of 201 per cent, it is the highest-placed West Midlands company in the table.
The firm is planning to move part of its production to Worcestershire from China.
The West Midlands firms to feature are in the table below (use slider at bottom to access all the data)
| Name | Location | Activity | Ranking (2017 rank) | Int'l sales growth over 2 yrs | Int'l Sales | Notes |
| Gtech | Worcester | Appliance manufacturer | 5 (159) | 201 per cent | £18m | Has sold more than 25m domestic appliances in 19 countries |
| ITG | Birmingham | Marketing technology provider | 11 (10) | 148 per cent | £12.1m | Runs media and marketing campaigns in 120 countries |
| Gymshark | Solihull | Online sportswear retailer | 16 | 129 per cent | £30.8m | Exports to 177 countries, including the US, which accounts for about 40 per cent of its sales |
| Jupiter Group | Newport | Fruit distributor | 17 | 128 per cent | £9.4m | Operates 500 acres of table grape vineyards across Chile, Greece and India |
| Thermoseal Group | Birmingham | Insulated glass parts supplier | 41 | 79 per cent | £2.8m | Ships insulated glass components to distributors in 27 countries |
| Evolution Foods | Telford | Health foods retailer | 76 (115) | 57 per cent | £4.6m | Exports packs of dried fruit, nuts and healthy snacks to Europe |
| Eurostar Global | Newcastle | Electronics distributor | 83 | 55 per cent | £47.1m | Recently appointed the only UK distributor of Energizer's long battery life mobile phones |
| Morris & Company | Shrewsbury | Conglomerate | 17 (166) | 47 per cent | £4.2m | Sells lighting towers, generators, pumps and pressure washers into 25 countries |
| Boss Design | Dudley | Office furniture manufacturer | 119 (154) | 42 per cent | £13.8m | Has designed seating and tables for Etihad's airport lounges around the world |
| Core Assets | Bromsgrove | Foster care agency | 121 | 41 per cent | £52.3m | Provides social care services for children in ten countries across four continents |
| George Pragnell | Stratford | Fine jewellery retailer | 161 (68) | 32 per cent | £18.6m | Its customers include European royalty and international entrepreneurs |
| Hadley Group | Smethwick | Metal product manufacturer | 164 | 32 per cent | £45.8m | Its products will be used in the construction of zero-carbon Masdar City in Abu Dhabi |
| Aston Martin | Gaydon | Sports car manufacturer | 166 | 31 per cent | £683m | Sold more than 5,000 cars around the world last year, boosted by demand in the US and China |
| Connect Distribution Services | Birmingham | Appliance parts distributor | 169 (124) | 31 per cent | £8.3m | Supplies more than 100,000 parts and accessories across Europe |
| IM Group | Coleshill | Car distributor | 176 | 29 per cent | £238.6m | Has a property portfolio worth over £900m, 30pc of which is in Europe and America |
| Panesar Foods | Tipton | Sauce manufacturer | 186 | 28 per cent | £3m | Produces 12,000 tonnes of sauces a year, sold in the UK and Europe |
| Charles Faram | Newland nr. Malvern | Brewery raw materials supplier | 191 (118) | 27 per cent | £15.5m | Exports more than 140 varieties of hop to breweries in 50 countries |
There are 21 companies from across the Midlands featured and their international sales have grown by an average of 62 per cent a year over the last two years to a total of £1.3 billion.
Together, they now employ more than 10,600 people.
The companies in the Midlands appear with businesses from around Britain, including cycling brand Rapha, fashion retailer White Stuff and food producer Baxters.
Amanda Murphy, head of commercial banking with sponsor HSBC UK, said: "All the businesses have truly inspiring stories to tell about creativity, resilience and ambition to succeed.
"The 21 companies in the Midlands are putting the region firmly on the map.
"They are the kinds of enterprises we are thrilled to support and that provide the backbone of our economy, today and tomorrow."
The ninth annual listing is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm, and will be published this weekend in the Sunday Times.
