Aluminium glazing firm invests £45,000 to launch first retail outlet

Dortech, the aluminium glazing business headquartered in Huddersfield, has invested £45,000 in launching a new retail outlet.

Founded in 2012, the business’ online building supplies division Dortech Direct has continued to grow within the £9m turnover Group.

With this brand aiming to hit the £2m revenue mark in the next 12 months, managing director James Sutherland made the investment in a new trade counter for builders, glaziers and the public alike.

The ex-fabrication unit is now a dedicated 8,000 sq ft warehouse with new racking, lighting, heating and stock – complete with a public-facing storefront on Old Fieldhouse Lane, off Leeds Road.

Sutherland said: “We have worked hard over the past year to better configure our architectural and maintenance divisions, and we’ve ploughed over £150,000 into new machinery, lighting and racking to take our capabilities to the next level.

“The result is stronger collaboration between departments, a more efficient business footprint and space to launch the Dortech Direct trade counter. We’ve currently got two people in our ecommerce warehouse, but will shortly need six.

“This is an exciting step that will take us from an online-only building supplies retailer to one with bricks and mortar space for the trade and general public. It’s a bold claim but I’d love to think we can become the ScrewFix of the glazing industry. We know these products inside out, so people come to us for our expertise as well as our stock.”

Dortech Direct has also been announced as the official northern distributor of fenestration products manufactured by Sika. Agreements have also been signed to make Dortech an exclusive reseller for blu performance hardware to this particular industry sector in Midlands, Yorkshire, North West and Northern Counties, and a key distribution partner for Tremco illbruck.

The trade counter was officially opened on Tuesday by Sean Jarvis from Huddersfield Town A.F.C.