A Swindon pharmaceutical packaging company is officially one of the top 100 exporters in the region – and is the only firm from the town to appear on the list.

Business and Innovation magazine listed Wasdell Group among 99 other top companies in the Oxfordshire and Thames Valley area and celebrated their efforts at a special ceremony.

The magazine said it was "celebrating 100 successful businesses from all industry sectors which not only see world markets as an opportunity to grow but are successfully seizing the opportunity to expand.”

Wasdell, based at the Euroway Industrial Estate exports 85 per cent of its goods and has more than 280 partners and customers across 47 countries. More than two-thirds of its 800-strong workforce is based in Swindon and more than 230 of its suppliers are based within a 10-mile radius of the town.

The company has been recognised within the sector by Pharma Times, the UK’s leading pharmaceutical magazine, whose circulation includes NHS healthcare professionals such as chief pharmacists, medicines management and primary care commissioners.

Pharma Times tracks the trends and issues that affect the industry in the UK and across the world. It cited Wasdell as one of the 50 fastest-growing privately owned pharmaceutical companies in its Alantra Pharma Fast 50 list.

The company’s turnover has rocketed from £2 million in 2010 to £42.7m in 2019.

Wasdell Group managing director Daniel Tedham said: “We continue to invest substantially in state-of-the-art machinery and processes, and are growing our expert and specialist services in the areas of pharmaceutical research, patient trials and the certification of new drugs to release to market.

“Last year we opened our European facility in Dundalk, Ireland, and we had to take on premises at Groundwell Industrial Estate to be able to service additional work and new contracts.

“It’s gratifying to see an independent Swindon company recognised as making a substantial contribution to such an important global industry, as well as to the local and regional economy.

“It’s thanks to the talent and dedication of all our staff across all areas and specialisms, including those in Swindon, that we can be ambitious in our plans to continue this growth and stay ahead of many of the global pressures that come with working in the pharmaceutical industry.”