Durham steelworks firm reports "unprecedented" 900 per cent online sales growth

A Durham steelworks company has announced a 900 per cent increase in its online sales during the last financial year.

Steelcraft Ltd, which operates in Chester-le-Street, specialises in manufacturing architectural metalwork and sells ready-made products for delivery or click and collect through its ecommerce arm, Forjj.

The performance for Steelcraft’s online sales is a result of its digital strategy as well as the expansion of its product lines.

Steelcraft employs a 24-strong team at its headquarters and clients include local authorities, Taylor Wimpey, Keepmoat Homes, The Esh Group, Vistry, and Engie.

Matthew Rodgers, managing director at Steelcraft, commented: “We’ve seen unprecedented sales through Forjj, which we launched in November 2018… turnover reached £10k in its first year of trading, but in the second year we reached the £100k point, equating to a 900 percent boost to our top line.

“The last year has been exceptionally difficult for many industries, so we are pleased to have seen a sustained and growing demand for buying crafted metalwork products during this time.

“People have been investing in their homes, a trend that we anticipate will continue and, as a result of this along with the phenomenal sales we have experienced, we have been able to secure our workforce’s jobs while setting in place further plans for growth.

“Having the right infrastructure in place has been key to achieving our aims and our ecommerce growth strategy has been at the heart of this, so finding a way to sell further afield without needing to establish a physical office in another region has meant that we have been able to secure jobs and provide supplier opportunities in a time where many others are closing their doors and reducing staff numbers.”

Liam Armstrong, operations manager, said: “Steelcraft originally started life as a security grille company over 30 years ago before phasing into more up-market architectural goods, and we have worked hard to ensure we retain that ethos as we grow the product range.”

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