A £100,000 investment in two showrooms and the latest 3D design studio has seen a Welwyn Garden City-based home improvement specialist secure a record year.

Hazlemere, in Mundells Industrial Centre, offers a wide variety of conservatories, orangeries and double-glazed windows and doors, has seen a 37 per cent increase in order, with sales hitting £7.5m.

The firm is now setting its sights on further growth and is currently recruiting for 11 new jobs, including a production manager, sales administrator and living space sales consultant.

Hazlemere managing director, Rachel Braham-Hill, revealed the decision to invest £100,000 was taken during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown as people looked to improve their homes.

“Nobody really knew what was going to happen during COVID-19, but we quickly realised that people, who were spending an increasing amount of time at home, were keen to tackle those delayed jobs or make improvements with their disposable income,” she said.

“The decision was quickly made to try to maximise this opportunity and we spent a lot of time and money upgrading our showrooms on Mundells Industrial Centre in Welwyn Garden City and in High Wycombe.

“There was also investment in new presentation software so we could showcase new designs and our involvement in the Conservatory Outlet network meant we had huge support with our digital marketing activity.

“All of this saw us accelerate retail sales from £5.5m in 2020 to £7.5m this financial year, with our commercial division also performing very well working with its local authority and education contacts.”

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Rachel Barham-Hill (left) and Jenna Ledward.Rachel Barham-Hill (left) and Jenna Ledward. (Image: Hazlemere)

Rachel’s father, Stuart, and grandfather George, founded Hazlemere in 1985. She became managing director at just 28 in 2018, and she is pleased to have added a female touch to the business.

“There’s definitely a female touch at Hazlemere, with Jenna Ledward joining me on the senior management team as head of production, purchasing and goods in,” added Rachel.

“Our sector traditionally has been very male dominated, but this is slowly changing, and we feel we are helping to show females that you can have a fantastic career in our industry.”