Conservatory Outlet’s managing director Mick Giscombe (left) with CEO Greg KaneWakefield-based
Conservatory Outlet, one of the UK’s leading home improvement specialists, is marking its 20th year in business in style by setting out a four-year growth plan to achieve £100 million of sales. The company, which is headed up by CEO Greg Kane and managing director Mick Giscombe, has unveiled a new strategy that will see it invest heavily in diversifying its manufacturing operations and further expansion of its buoyant home improvement offering.
Conservatory Outlet is also marking the major anniversary by introducing a new corporate structure that will involve the introduction of Conservatory Outlet Group as the holding business, with CO Manufacturing and CO Home Improvements reflecting its two main areas of operation. New websites and branding have been introduced to support these changes, kickstarting a £1 million investment drive that will involve the installation of ‘state of the art’ CNC machining at its Cutting Room facility, a fleet of commercial vehicles, new IT infrastructure and the creation of 20 new apprenticeships.
Greg Kane, CEO of the Conservatory Outlet Group, said: “We have had a fantastic two decades in business, enjoying significant growth across both our manufacturing and retail arms - so much so that we are now generating £62 million of annual revenues and employing more than 400 people. This is just the start. You can’t stand still in our world, and we want to continue to meet customer expectations when it comes to new home improvement products and improving their experience.”
Growth opportunitiesHe continued: “That is why we have outlined a new four-year growth plan that will look to accelerate us towards £100 million and, to do this, we required a clear business structure that clearly celebrated our history but also paved the way for the future. Our group will now comprise CO Home Improvements (covering the six retail businesses we own – Clearview, Orion, Planet, Trent Valley Windows, West Yorkshire Windows and Yorkshire Windows) and CO Manufacturing.
“The latter reflects our commitment to delivering the highest quality windows, doors and living spaces to our vitally important premium retailers, but also the growth opportunities we see in other markets.”
CO Manufacturing has identified strong expansion possibilities in its fledgling trade products business in the North West and Yorkshire, as well as with housing companies through its dedicated new build offer. The firm has developed a specialist collection of windows and doors for both areas and is investing £1 million in four-axis CNC machines to give it greater capacity and repeatable quality across its production facility.
Similar levels of investment are being channelled into boosting the skills of its workforce, with 10 apprentices currently being recruited and the launch of its tailored Manufacturing Degree pathway that aims to create the production leaders of the future.
Mr Kane added: “We are currently generating over £30 million of revenues across manufacturing and we believe, with the right backing and diversification, we can take this figure up to £50 million. The market is changing and we’re helping push the boundaries of innovation when it comes to thermally efficient products and utilising new materials for achieving different aesthetics.”
CO Home Improvements will work closely with the company’s network of 22 independently owned retailers, which span all of England and Scotland. These firms have worked with the business for many years and share its values of excellent customer service and trust, with an appetite to embrace the latest technology to improve the client journey. The network complements the firm’s six retail brands that operate predominantly in the East Midlands, North West and Yorkshire.
Mr Kane concluded: “We are expecting similar growth in retail as we are in manufacturing and, together, we will hopefully hit the £100 million target by 2029. Our aim is to enhance the support we give to our network even further so they can collectively achieve great things, as well as looking at the opening of four new showrooms in Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, the Lakes, and one in either Liverpool or Manchester.”