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“ In 1970 , our current Chairman ’ s father , Ron Rickett Senior , purchased the business and it has been in the family ever since . While solid fuel remained a key area of focus , Ron recognized that to sustainably grow the business , it needed to diversify into fireplace manufacturing and distribution . The company subsequently grew at a rapid pace , making its first acquisition in 1990 with the purchase of Fires & Parts in Scotland , which expanded its distribution network into Scotland .
Expanding export market
“ A series of acquisitions followed , but a significant factor came in 1994 when we partnered with Focus in China ,” he continues . “ We were previously supplied by foundries in the UK , but they simply couldn ’ t keep up with our demand , so we made the strategic decision to import from a Chinese factory , Focus , with whom we still maintain a longstanding relationship even today .
“ While many of our competitors buy an ‘ off the shelf ’ product from China and simply resell it in the UK market , we work in collaboration with the factory and our internal designers to create unique products that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing . Having worked together since 1994 , we have a relationship of utmost respect and trust for one another , and we ’ re proud that the factory provides 750 jobs in the local area .”
Turning to more recent events , Andrew modestly reflects : “ Although 2023 was a record year for us , the market conditions were in our favor . Gas prices were on the rise and with the cost-of-living crisis impacting people across the UK , many people moved towards woodburning stoves , but as we sell gas and electric appliances , as well as wood burning stoves , we were strategically positioned to serve the entire market . When it comes to woodburning stoves , we ’ re a one-stop shop , selling stoves , beams , hearths , chambers , spares , flues and associated products .
“ Where our competitors struggled to keep up with demand , we were fortunate because we have multiple successful businesses under our umbrella and have the ability to invest heavily in stock ; we carry around 11,000 stock items worth over £ 7 million . We were also able to mitigate the issues associated with long lead times from East Asia due to our distribution agreements with suppliers . On top of distributing in the UK , we recently partnered with a Dutch company to distribute our range of electric fires across 21 countries . Over the last two years , we ’ ve extended our export market to include Australia and New Zealand and will be announcing a distribution agreement in North America shortly .
Comprehensive customer service
“ It ’ s fair to say that export has been a huge factor in our growth , but we excel in other areas too ,” he continues . “ In particular , our customer service and technical support teams are leaders within our sector . We place a lot of emphasis on customer satisfaction and ensure that we maintain sufficient internal and external training that aligns with our high standards . We see our technical support team as an extension of our customer service team , as customer retention and an enjoyable customer experience are as important as technical acumen .”
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