A Yorkshire company that considers itself a “barometer of the builders’ merchants industry” has racked up a 22% increase in annual sales.
Racking specialist Filplastic, which counts many of the UK’s largest builders’ merchants among its clients, saw turnover reach £3.8m in the 12 months to May 2015, up from £3.1m in the same period last year.
The performance was bolstered by a huge growth in internet sales which saw revenue from e-commerce sites Amazon and eBay grow by around 1,300% as eBay sales increased from £10,000 in 2013/14 to £130,000 in the last financial year and sales on Amazon recorded similar growth.
Overall online sales, including those directly through the company’s website, achieved a 300% growth, rising from £300,000 in 2013/14 to £900,000 in 2014/15.
Managing Director Paul Taylor said the results were due to the company’s new e-commerce website and an online marketing push. He said: “It’s been a good year for Filplastic and I’m very pleased with the results. The bulk of our revenue has come from our core services, supplying racking to builders’ merchants and companies in the warehouse and logistics sector, as well as providing a full design service for new warehousing and distribution facilities.
“But sales of our smaller products – shelving, display racking, parts bins, van storage items – rocketed online thanks to a concerted push on the new website and across our other digital channels. The strategy not only drove sales, it also raised awareness of the company by building our online presence.”
Paul added trading remained strong in the new financial year and the company was looking to build on last year’s solid financial performance. For example, it is expanding its business development staff across the north and is hoping to reap the benefits from an upturn in the construction industry.
“We act as a bit of a barometer to the builders’ merchants industry,” he continued. “When the construction sector becomes more active, builders’ merchants get busier and they expand. That’s when they call on us to design new branches and depots, supply the racking and ultimately fit it out.
“All the signs suggest that the year ahead will see activity in the construction sector continue to increase and we should see that trickle down to us, so that, combined with our evolving online strategy will hopefully record a strong year.”
Filplastic is headquartered on High Street in Eastrington, near Howden, and has a distribution centre based in nearby Spaldington. Established in 1993, the company specialises racking, shelving and shopfitting products, as well as lockers, step ladders and handling equipment and office equipment.
