Hazlemere on course for record year after £100k showroom investments

A £100,000 investment in its two showrooms and the latest 3D design studio has seen a High Wycombe-based home improvement specialist secure a record year. Hazlemere, which offers a wide variety of conservatories, orangeries, tiled roof extensions, double glazed windows and doors, has enjoyed a 37% increase in orders with sales on the retail side of the business now reaching £7.5m.

Part of the Conservatory Outlet network, the company has tapped into the change in purchasing habits brought on by the pandemic by introducing the latest flush casement windows to its range, as well as an extensive selection of new doors. The firm is now setting its sights on further growth and is currently recruiting for 11 new jobs, including a Production Manager, Ssales Administrator, Living Space Sales Consultant, Conservatory Surveyor and several window and door fitters.

MD Rachel Braham-Hill explains: “Nobody really knew what was going to happen during Covid-19, but we quickly realised that people, who were spending an increasing amount of time at home, were keen to tackle those delayed jobs or make improvements with their disposable income. The decision was quickly made to try to maximise this opportunity and we spent a lot of time and money upgrading our showrooms in Wellington Road in High Wycombe and at Welwyn Garden City.

“There was also investment in new presentation software so we could showcase new designs, and our involvement in the Conservatory Outlet network meant we had huge support with our digital marketing activity. All of this saw us accelerate retail sales from £5.5m in 2020 to £7.5m this financial year, with our commercial division also performing very well working with its local authority and education contacts.”

Hazlemere has come a long way since it was formed in 1985 by father and son team George and Stuart Braham. The duo started from a small unit in Wooburn Green where they originally manufactured aluminium windows, adding PVC-U to the range in 1992 and moving to the current HQ and showroom in High Wycombe. They took the decision to join the Conservatory Outlet Network in 2011 and this accelerated the company’s growth, with current MD Rachel joining at the same time after completing her degree in event management. Daughter of Stuart, she became MD at just 28-years-old in 2018 and has navigated the business through the pandemic and to its current record year. Rachel added:  “There’s definitely a female touch at Hazlemere, with Jenna Ledward joining me on the senior management team as Head of Production, Purchasing and Goods In. Our sector traditionally has been very male-dominated, but this is slowly changing, and we feel we are helping to show females that you can have a fantastic career in our industry.”