Manufacturing is one of the world's economy primary industries, with a yearly contribution of around $8.10T. The UK is one of the world's leading industrial nations, currently being on the 8th position and promising to get the 5th in case existing growth tendencies remain as they are. According to the ONS, the UK's industrial sector is steadily growing with 1.4% yearly during the last 70 years, so there is every reason to believe that it's going to achieve that position. The manufacturing sector of the UK economy employs around 2.6M professionals, contributing to 11% of GVA and 44% of the UK export generated by the industry.
The above-mentioned facts make it an attractive investment target for local and foreign companies. Partnering with such big UK manufacturing players as Unilever, GlaxoSmithKline or British American Tobacco could help you benefit from the growth the industry is experiencing. You can learn more about them, and other industry leaders from the Top 15 UK manufacturing companies list Global Database has created for you.
9. British American Tobacco ($18.02B)
11. Reckitt Benckiser ($15.18B)
12. Associated British Foods ($14.87B)
14. Diageo ($14.66B)
15. GKN ($10.6B)
*All figures are in USD. M: Millions of USD, B: Billions of USD, T: Trillions of USD
*GBB was converted to USD using an average currency rate of 1 GBP to 1.21 USD
1. Unilever ($50.54B)
This international consumer goods company with two joint head offices (in London and Amsterdam) currently is the biggest manufacturing company in the UK by revenue. Its registered income ($50.54B as of 2018) was generated by 4 business divisions, operating in 190 countries all over the world.
2. Rio Tinto ($38.21B)
The Anglo-Australian multinational enterprise, Rio Tinto, is one of the most prominent metals and mining companies in the world. It currently operates worldwide, while its main activity, such as extraction of minerals and metal refining, is concentrated in Canada and Australia. It registered a revenue of $38.21B in 2018.
3. Imperial Brands ($36.79B)
Imperial Brands plc (further Imperial Brands) is the biggest tobacco company in the UK with an annual revenue of $36.79B as of 2018 and one of the biggest in the world by market share. The company operates 51 factories, and its products are sold in more than 160 countries.
4. GlaxoSmithKline ($32.16B)
GlaxoSmithKline plc (further GSK) is an international enterprise operating in the pharmaceutical industry, one of the top-10 pharmaceutical companies in the world. GSK's drugs and vaccines' business brought in a revenue of $32.16B in 2018.
5. Jaguar Land Rover ($31.1B)
Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc (further Jaguar Land Rover) is one of the most famous car manufacturers in the world that earned $31.1B in revenue in 2018. The company operates 6 main facilities in the UK and India and 8 more in China, Ireland, Slovakia and Brasil.
6. Anglo American ($22.01B)
Anglo American plc (further Anglo American) is a mining company, headquartered in the UK and operating mines in South Africa. 69,000 employees of Anglo American working across the company's facilities on 6 continents managed to generate an annual income of $22.01B in 2018.
7. AstraZeneca ($21.40B)
AstraZeneca plc (further AstraZeneca) is a biopharmaceutical company with joint British-Swedish capital and management. AstraZeneca operates three main sites in Sweden, the USA and the UK that produced $21.40B in revenue in 2018.
8. BAE Systems ($19.71B)
BAE Systems plc (further BAE) is the biggest security, defence and aerospace enterprise from the UK and the world's 3rd biggest defence company by revenue, which was $19.71B in 2018. BAE's main markets are the UK, USA, Saudi Arabia, India and Australia.
9. British American Tobacco ($18.02B)
British American Tobacco plc (further BAT) is the second biggest tobacco and cigarette manufacturing enterprise in the UK with a revenue of $18.02B as of 2018. BAT operates in 180 countries and is the leader of the market in 50 of them.
10. SABMiller ($16.7B)
SABMiller plc (further SABMiller) is a brewing and beverage production company from the UK that became a subsidiary of a Belgian company Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2016. It contributed with a $16.7B annual revenue to the overall AB InBev earnings in 2018.
11. Reckitt Benckiser ($15.18B)
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (further RB) is yet another consumer goods leader of the British manufacturing industry. The company employs around 40,000 professionals that contributed to the annual income of $15.18B in 2018, ensuring the RB operations across 60 countries.
12. Associated British Foods ($14.87B)
Associated British Foods plc (further ABF) is one of the biggest food processing and retailing enterprises in Britain. Its three divisions (grocery, retail and ingredients ones) that are operating across the EU and the USA earned $14.87B in income in 2018.
13. Rolls Royce ($14.87B)
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited (further Rolls-Royce) is one of the largest British car manufacturers focused on luxury brands. It managed to earn $14.87B as annual revenue, selling 4,107 cars in 2018, which is 745 cars more than in the previous year. Currently, Rolls-Royce is a subsidiary of BMW.
14. Diageo ($14.66B)
Diageo plc (further Diageo) is an alcoholic beverage international manufacturer, headquartered in the UK, with annual revenue of $14.66B as of 2018. Its facilities in 80 countries are serving clients from 180 countries across 6 continents producing and selling over 17 types of alcoholic drinks.
15. GKN ($10.6B)
Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds plc (further GKN) is an international vehicle and aircraft parts manufacturer from the UK. The business structure of GKN represents 4 units - aerospace, land systems, automotive and power metallurgy ones, that earned $10.6B as revenue in 2018.
