No barrier to overseas growth for Elland firm

The list ranks Britain’s fastest-growing small and medium-sized companies for overseas sales, with Elland-based A-SAFE being placed number 33 on the leaderboard.

The manufacturer demonstrated export growth of 71 per cent over the last two years, with total international sales reaching £6.4m in 2014.

Their products are used in various industrial environments, including airports, car parks, warehousing, food and drink facilities and other industrial environments to protect personnel and vital structures from impacts from workplace vehicles.

To earn a place on the Sunday Times leaderboard A-SAFE went through an extensive vetting process that included examination of company accounts, interviews with directors and a tour of their headquarters in Elland.

Criteria for inclusion demanded exports accounted for at least 20 per cent of total sales.

James Smith, director at A-SAFE said: “Earning a place on this prestigious list is testament to the hard work we have all put in towards growing and expanding A-SAFE internationally.

“We now have offices in seven countries and resellers around the globe – and we will be opening more overseas subsidiaries this year.

“We have a world-leading product that performs essential Health and Safety duties in the strongest, most innovative, most cost-effective ways – and that’s something that business leaders understand wherever they happen to be in the world.”

The Sunday Times SME Export Track 100 recognises that small and medium-sized enterprises are at the heart of the business community and the driving force behind the UK’s economy.

Danny Longbottom, managing director of UK SME at BT Business, said: “These businesses have used self-starting ambition, technology and hard work to punch above their weight in the global market.”