£20m turnover kitchen products supplier cooks up expansion with warehouse acquisition
A Bradford distributor of domestic appliances has bought a new warehouse unit and is creating jobs with support from a £3 million loan.
EPE International has bought a 50,000 sq ft unit at Euroway Trading Estate in Bradford after outgrowing its current distribution centre located on the same scheme.
The new building will help the firm boost distribution capacity.
On top of acquiring the bigger premises, EPE is planning to hire 20 staff across different business functions, and is reviewing opportunities for strategic acquisitions to help develop market share further.
The company has experienced fast growth since launching in 2003 when it began with two staff. Today, it hires 60 staff with a turnover of more than £20m.
Its success has been attributed to working closely with domestic appliance brands like Kenwood, Delonghi, Braun, Tefal, Russell Hobbs, Beko and Philips, and sharing product knowledge and market insight through to its customer base of small retailers.
It has also seen a rise in demand for kitchen appliances following the success of cooking programmes like The Great British Bake Off and Masterchef.
The business, which distributes 1,500 different products including coffee machines, toasters, kettles and cookware, was also recently listed in London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain 2018 list for its quick growth and service to customers.
Harry Singh, operations and finance director at EPE International, said: “Having the new warehouse unit offers us the capacity to expand our market share. It follows steady expansion of our presence at Euroway Trading Estate, and now we have three distribution centres at the scheme.”
Samantha Ackroyd, area director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, which provided the funding, said: “EPE International has managed to rapidly grow its market share over the last decade through its dedication to supporting customers, and its in-house expertise of the sector.
“EPE actively provides customers with the insight needed to be more successful in their sales practices. Its resulted in better retention of clients, and a progressively larger customer base.”
