EVESHAM: Online trader, Plumbworld, is turning 12 years old this month. James and Anita Hickman founded the site, an early pioneer of online trading in 1999.
In 2006 the company was sold to the Grafton Group. Now the Plumbworld Network incorporates 50 e-commerce websites including its sister site Toolbox.
The network trades in more than just plumbing equipment and bathroom accessories but also power tools, automotive tools and garden tools as well as wood burning stoves, leaf blowers, barbecues, snow shovels.
Mark Satterley, financial director, Plumbworld, said: "The hard work put in by everyone at the company and the ambition to grow and succeed has led us to where we are today. We've seen sales and turnover improve year on year and we're confident about the growth yet to come."
Plumbworld has recently begun trading on auction site eBay and has its own eBay shop where it sells many of the products available on its own website; commonly showers and kitchen sinks. The company has embraced other aspects of the Internet, in particular blogging and social networking, launching Facebook and Twitter pages for many of the websites within the Plumbworld Network.
Scott Morris, marketing manager at Plumbworld, said: "We're an internet based business so it makes sense to embrace all new aspects of the Internet. By putting ourselves onto Twitter and Facebook we've boosted our profile through very important channels. Likewise by driving forward with search engine optimisation and blogging we're really increasing our online market."
This openness to change and new technology is part of the reason Plumbworld now has an annual turnover in excess of £18 million and is growing by more than 20% year on year.
Managing director, Plumbworld, James Hickman, said: "It's taken twelve years of hard work and ingenuity to get the company where it is today and I'm confident that if we continue and build on the approach we've taken so far we can look forward to another 12 years and more of success at Plumbworld."
