Filter distributor creates jobs and moves to larger premises

An Ilkeston company has come through the Covid pandemic in a healthy position, taking increased orders which has meant moving to larger premises and hiring extra staff.

AB Components is a wholesale distributor of filters and filtration accessories – from small half inch square items for garden machinery to seven foot high units to deal with dust in food preparation.

The company sells air purifiers for anything from small rooms to whole buildings, and filters for motorbikes, cars, trucks, tractors, diggers, fridges and hot tubs.

Company director James Edgar has been in the industry for 30 years. He worked in the technical department of a filtration manufacturer in Nottingham before founding AB Components in 2006.

He worked from home in Ilkeston while stock was held and dispatched from a warehouse in Norwich.

In 2008 the company relocated its warehousing, sales and accounts to the Manners Industrial Estate, moving round the corner into larger premises in 2014.

Earlier this spring it moved again to a larger unit on the estate at Mercian Park, doubling unit space from 6,000 sq ft to more than 12,000 sq ft with purpose-built offices and conference facilities plus storage at a cost of £150,000.

The company had a turnover in the last financial year of £2.5m. It supplies filters and access from 150 suppliers around the world and is the sole UK distributor for some brands. At any one time there are 9,000 different filters in stock which can be delivered nationwide.

“While other companies were shutting or furlough staff because of the Covid restrictions we carried on with full working and actually grew,” said Edgar.

“This is because additional companies needed more filters for their businesses and ordered more supplies.

“We hope that the health problems caused by viruses will encourage more people – both businesses and individuals – to buy our products for their premises and homes.”

It is a family business with two brothers-in-law among the 20 employees.

“We have plans for three more staff in the next quarter and as the business grows expect to take on more,” added Edgar.