Fred Evans (centre) with the Lumberjack Tools teamA boom in the popularity of DIY ,as a result of the Covid-19 lockdowns, has helped a Black Country power tool supplier double turnover during the last twelve months.
Lumberjack Tools, which is run by brothers Bill, Dave and Fred Evans, has seen sales soar to £6 million, as customers used their furloughs to complete jobs around the house and undertake home improvements.
The company has had to respond to the increase in demand for its woodworking and garage products by taking on three new people and investing over £600,000 in an additional 17,000ft
2 distribution facility next to its headquarters on the Manders Estate in Wolverhampton.
This decision will support the next stage of the company’s development, which includes the growth of new brands Autojack and Gardenjack and the expansion of its range with an additional 200 products.
Fred Evans, Lumberjack Tools managing director, said: “Like a lot of e-commerce businesses, we have seen a huge spike in demand from the home DIY market, with Covid-19 giving people more time to focus on projects they had been putting off.”
“Sales of saws, sanders, routers, wood lathes and jigs have doubled and we have had to buy in bulk to ensure we can continue to supply demand from our growing customer base. All of our products are selected for their quality, performance and value for money — three big attributes that are proving extremely popular.”
He continued: “Our thirteen staff have worked so hard during the pandemic, really going above and beyond to deliver outstanding customer service. As a business we have also been proactive, pressing the button on a major investment drive that will give us more space, enhanced IT infrastructure and new forklift and pallet trucks.”
Lumberjack Tools was set up in 2004 in a small industrial unit in West Bromwich and grew steadily until it fully embraced online sales eight years later and this sparked a significant growth period. At the same time as this expansion, the business also started to increase its supplier network, appointing a number of international woodworking specialists to boost its product range.
Mr Evans added: “A big focus for 2021 is targeting more key accounts, who can sell our products to a far wider audience in the UK. Machine Mart is the first organisation to sign-up and we are looking at other well-established woodworking outlets which can give us a footprint in the retail world and can also give customers face-to-face knowledge of our products.”
He concluded: “This year will also see us proactively grow the Autojack and Gardenjack brands, which will give our clients access to the latest garage and garden equipment, including air compressors, gasless welders, chainsaws and strimmers.”