2012 saw more records broken at Bartoline. Despite the economic doom and gloom, and the difficulties surrounding the home improvement and DIY sector, the company achieved record sales at just over £23m.
The highpoint has undoubtedly been the huge expansion of the export department, with sales now over £2.5m, up over 21% compared to the previous year, with further increases predicted during 2013. Several new markets have been opened, and we have also witnessed the welcome resurgence of some of the deflated EU areas that have suffered as a result of the banking crisis. Negotiations are also underway for a massive expansion into large DIY multiples in Europe and markets further afield.
2012 also saw significant growth in the supermarket sector. Food multiples have increased their non-food offering in recent years and have become major suppliers of DIY products. We expect this to rise even further in the future.
A significant capital expenditure programme is currently underway, mainly for equipment to enable a further expansion of the fillers and adhesives range, but also to replace ageing machinery.
Several new high volume products are also about to be launched – please check back frequently for further updates.