Stormking – 2022: A Year in Review
2022 turned out to be a roller coaster year for the new house building component supply market. 2021 saw a significant increase in demand for the supply of new homes across the UK.
This increase accelerated during the first half of 2022 which in turn led to a growing demand for building components – here at Stormking we saw an upturn in sales across all our ranges, from our Glass Reinforced Plastics (GRP) dormers, door canopies and bay windows, to roofs and chimneys.
However, this significant increase in demand created challenges within the supply chain, particularly around raw material availability, inflationary pressures, and a need for additional staff.
To ensure Stormking could continue to increase its GRP product availability, we implemented a significant recruitment drive and bespoke training programme across our five UK sites, the success of which saw our production team increase by 15 percent.
Additionally, considerable investment in new manufacturing and tooling equipment helped to increase our manufacturing output substantially, which enabled us meet customer demands. Combined, these initiatives saw Stormking achieve its highest yearly revenue in its 37-year history.
2022 also saw us enhance our customer service experience for both new and existing customers, by increasing our customer service and sales order processing teams. Our online presence was also heightened with the launch of our improved website, which allows customers a much higher level of product and application information via their own secure portal.
Sustainability was a key consideration for us throughout 2022. It is at the heart of everything we do, from the materials we use to create our products to the processes we use to manufacture them. Last year saw a continued drive by the company to reduce its carbon and landfill footprint by improving many of its manufacturing processes and increasing its use of recycled materials.
As we enter 2023, the economic backdrop is changing, and the new house market is looking to be more challenging than last year.
However, demand for new homes remains and we believe the market is likely to return even stronger over a relatively short period of time. Stormking will continue its commitment to investing in its GRP production facilities and personnel capabilities which, when combined with the improvements and investments we made throughout 2022, will ensure the business will be in a strong position once the market and the demand returns.
Craig Cherry Managing Director Stormking Limited