Qualtex Global which manufactures and supplies spare parts for domestic appliances is to invest £400k to transform operations in its Denton, Manchester warehouse. This follows a hugely successful year for the family business which is in its 60th year. It specialises in original and compatible spare parts for appliances including vacuum cleaners, fridges, freezer, washing machines and driers, supplying retailers, engineers, repair shops, builders’ merchants and also sells direct to consumers via Amazon, eBay and other internet outlets.
The business which also has operations in the US and Ireland, increased its underlying pre-tax profits by 60 per cent in 2020 to reach £2.4m, on revenues of £27m, compared with £29m for the previous year. Finance director Chris Gibbons hailed the group’s performance during the COVID-19 pandemic and said it has been boosted by a sharp rise in eCommerce sales and a tendency for householders to repair, rather than replace, appliances. eCommerce sales now account for 50 per cent of revenues.
Qualtex has invested in a new warehouse picking system, enabling it to more than double the number of SKUs despatched each day to 7,000 and is implementing technology to go paperless at its Denton warehouse. A move, it says, will reduce paper usage by one million sheets a year.
In total, Qualtex stocks more than 250 brands and exports to more than 40 countries. In the UK, the group operates from a 90,000 sq ft office, warehouse and distribution hub in Denton, supplemented by teams in Kent and Essex. In addition, it operates a trade counter, warehouse and sales team in Dublin. Its US business, 4YourHome, is located in Atlanta, Georgia.
Gibbons added: “Last year was a great 12 months for Qualtex and we will use this platform to build upon and improve our operational efficiencies, through investment in our people and in new technologies.”
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