Leading industrial door manufacturer and loading bay specialist, Hörmann, is anticipating a strong start to the year, following a record 2014.
A notable increase in turnover of over 10 per cent, has taken the company past a significant financial milestone for the first time since its inception in the UK 35 years ago. 128 people are now employed at the firm’s Coalville headquarters, with employment figures set to increase by around 5.5 per cent in 2015.
The manufacturer’s impressive growth is in part due to the success of online retailers, with warehouses being built across the country to meet the rising demand for home deliveries. As shoppers tend to turn to the web first, firms such as Amazon, John Lewis and Argos have invested in new build distribution centres, requiring multiple, flexible loading bays.
Consequently, Hörmann has seen a 64 per cent increase in turnover from large-scale industrial installations. Speculative builds have also been on the increase, with leading developers adding to their property portfolios with new constructions.
These ‘big shed’ projects are expected to continue into 2015, especially within the food retail sector, albeit at a slightly slower speed. Hörmann has worked with many of the major supermarkets over the last few years, including Asda, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, and is anticipating further demand for new distribution houses in the coming months.
However, with falling profit margins at some of the major supermarkets, Hörmann is now looking to the refurbishment market for additional opportunities. Older warehouse equipment may not meet today’s more stringent environmental standards, which will prove an obstacle for property developers and contractors looking to lease their sites.
To avoid leaving potentially profitable buildings vacant, the company is working with businesses to replace doors, curtains and loading bay equipment, and develop sites into flexible, modern, fit-for-purpose warehouses. For example, the team is currently working with Marks & Spencer in Bradford to re-engineer its existing distribution centre.
The first month of 2015 has seen a number of significant orders, with work already starting on the company’s first notable project of the year, on behalf of TNT. Working with IDI Gazeley, Hörmann is supplying an impressive 40 loading bays, 60 van doors and 40 dock levellers to TNT’s new site in Swindon. TJ Morris Ltd, the company behind the high-profile Home Bargains brand, is another big name customer already on the books for the year ahead.
With industrial projects making up around 25 per cent of the manufacturer’s overall turnover, Hörmann is hoping for further strong results in 2015.
Tel: 01530 516888
Email: info@hormann.co.uk
Comments are closed.