Three North East companies have been named among the UK's top 100 small and medium-sized businesses.
Product sampling specialist SoPost, cancer treatment and research conduit Rarecan and insurance brokers Talbot Jones Ltd all rank in Elite Business 100's list which identifies firms with resilience, longevity in the market and year-on-year growth. The group is chosen by a judging panel made up of businesspeople and including Charlie Mullins , founder and former CEO of Pimlico Plumbers and former Dragons' Den investor Piers Linney.
Newcastle-based tech firm SoPost, which runs product sampling campaigns for major brands such as L’Oreal, Estee Lauder and Coty, was placed at number five overall - a ranking which will see it join the four other top names at an awards evening in London next month. Speaking to BusinessLive from California while on business, SoPost founder Jonny Grubin said: "To be so high up on this list is a strong endorsement of the whole team. Like any business featured its a recognition of what we have done together.
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"I think that one of the reasons we've been recognised so highly is not just because the business is performing so well but because of the growth opportunities we've afforded out team. To have external validation of that is great."
Meanwhile Hexham-based Rarecan reached number 34 in the list. The firm helps patients with rare forms of cancer to access resources and trials that may help them, as well as facilitate links with industry experts. Last year, Rarecan raised £460,000 in seed funding. The funding was used to hire new team members, and before that, recruit a cohort of new patients, develop data capabilities and grow the company’s operational and marketing capacity
Piers Kotting, CEO of Rarecan said: "One of the things that struck me when looking at this list is that of the top 50, we are among only one of four firms founded in 2020. Operating as a start-up from Hexham, Northumberland we can sometimes think of ourselves as a small firm and wonder about how far we are getting, but when you look at the others on this list you realise the speed of development is actually fast."
And at number 56, Gateshead-based Talbot Jones made the list. The insurance brokerage, started in 2016, specialises in the third sector and professional services organisations to better understand and manage their risks.
Talbot Jones Ltd co-founder and director, Clare Talbot-Jones, said: "We are so proud to be recognised on this list alongside so many brands we hugely admire for their innovation, boldness, responsible practices, care and passion. It’s a huge encouragement and motivation that our efforts, at a challenging time, have been valued."
Elite Business 100 judge Piers Linney said: "Making the list in the EB100 league is truly an achievement to be proud of. The business plans of the finalists to ensure stability through the current economic hardship is remarkable, not to mention the still lingering impacts from the pandemic.
"The EB100 has shown that despite all of this, they haven't allowed it to hinder the overall performance of their businesses, and many have, in fact, thrived. These top 100 SMEs have impressed us with their innovation and growth – they deserve huge recognition for their efforts."
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