AN EXPANDING North East double glazing company has moved into large new premises at Pelton Fell, near Chester-le-Street.
The family-run BMW Windows has taken over Units 2-4 at the entrance to Stella Gill Industrial Estate.
The new premises afford the firm, established 30 years ago, its first showroom where the range of uPVC windows, doors and conservatories can be shown to customers. All products are manufactured on site in a factory at the rear of the premises.
BMW Windows is run by the family team of John and Debbie Jefferson and their sons, John and Andrew. It was taken over by the family in 1997-98 when John, now 52, left the North Eastern Co-operative Society as an accountant to set up his own business.
Founding owners, Bent, Murphy and Wilson – hence the BMW name – established the business at Pelton Fell in 1985.
Managing Director John Jefferson said: “We have invested more than £300,000 in the new showroom and factory to create capacity to move the business forward.
“Over the past three years our turnover has increased by 22 per cent and we have taken on seven new members of staff. We see the move as putting pegs in the ground to further grow our work with both residential, trade and new-build clients.”
BMW Windows employ a total of 20 people, 12 of whom work in manufacturing with the remainder in sales, installation and administration. The company also retains three teams of fitters on contract.
John added: “Double glazing companies can come and go but we survive by sheer determination and the quality and consistency of our service. The recession that began in 2007 saw our sales slump but we are a family firm and we pull together. We depend upon each other for our livelihoods and our customers have also come to trust us. They know that a ten-year guarantee from our company means something because we will still be here in ten years’ time.”
Prior to moving to the new premises, BMW Windows relied on home visits by their sales representatives to demonstrate their range of products.
John said: “For the first time we can now display our products in the comfort of a bespoke showroom. People come in through a sun room we have erected at the front of the premises and they enter a warm and welcoming environment, rather than having to visit a working factory.
“Our reputation and this investment gives the business a massive amount of credibility and we are forecasting a good period of growth over the coming years.
“If people are looking for an enduring, quality supplier whose entire wellbeing is dependent upon the on-going success of their business, I believe nobody is better placed to offer such a service than BMW Windows.”
- BMW Windows can be contacted at Unit 2 – 4, Stella Gill Industrial Estate, Pelton Fell, Chester-le-Street, County Durham DH2 2RG. Tel: 0191 388 9145; emailenquiries@bmwbuilding.co.uk. Website: www.bmwwindows.co.uk.