Rapid growth sees vape wholesaler move to 50,000 sq ft premises
Rapid growth in the twin markets of vaping and cannabis oil has seen retailer JM Wholesale move to new premises in Leicester.
Growth of 200% in the last 12 months alone is driving a recruitment search for 30 new staff, to add to the 43 personnel currently employed by JM Wholesale.
First established four years ago, the business has experienced rapid recent growth and now exports to suppliers around the UK, as well as to 170 countries worldwide.
Having outgrown its original city centre premises, the company has taken over 50,000 sq ft premises in Whetstone, on the city’s fringe.
The site will include offices and warehouses, as well as a clean room, production facilities, a showroom and a conference room, in a six-figure investment by JM Wholesale on the fit-out.
Logie Rajan, CEO of JM Wholesale, said the new premises will last the company for another decade as he predicted ongoing growth for the business.
For now, the warehouse and offices will house 40 staff covering management, operations and product research and design. However the move also coincides with a recruitment drive which will see JM Wholesale take on a further 30 staff over coming months, in positions across the business from management to packing and administration.
Rajan said: “This move reflects our rapid expansion and our growth to take our position as one of the most prominent wholesalers in our industry.
“Specialists in business-to-business supplies, we are carving out a unique position in the vaping and CBD market. We have the widest range of vape and CBD products in the UK, to offer our customers, and we are increasingly offering a white labelling service to allow vendors to supply our products under their our recognised brand.
“It’s an exciting time for everyone at the company and, on an individual note, I’m delighted to be able to supply employment and career development opportunities at a time when we’re all recovering from a difficult period in our professional and personal lives.”
Figures from Statista suggest that in 2019, the vape market in the United Kingdom generated a revenue of an estimated 2.8 billion US dollars, a figure which is set to rise to roughly 3.9 billion US dollars in 2023.
CBD use in the UK, meanwhile, has skyrocketed. In 2018, only around 250,000 Britons reported using CBD products. This was a time when the local market was largely unregulated, and CBD oil was all lumped under the label of “cannabis oil”.
Fast forward three short years, and the grass has grown greener.
The UK’s CBD market is currently the second largest in the world, surpassing other countries where CBD has been legal for longer. In 2020, 8.4 million people had consumed CBD products, or planned to.
Rajan said: “We now have all the facilities necessary to become the leader in our field, with lab testing facilities and the ability to carry out cutting-edge research and development.
“So as the CBD and vape industry continues to grow, as the public loses its inhibitions about the products we serve and as CBD use in particular becomes a more accepted method of treating medical and mental health problems, we’re in a great position to expand further.”
