NORFOLK COMPANY ANNOUNCES FIVE-FOLD SALES INCREASE AND DECLARES ITSELF ‘FULLY CHARGED’ FOR FURTHER GROWTH
A Norfolk company which in just three years has become one of the UK’s leaders in the supply of electric utility vehicles has announced a five-fold increase in turnover in 2022, and seen its workforce double during the year.
Electric Wheels, based in Watton, is predicting a further doubling of turnover in 2023, and has announced plans to expand its premises to accommodate the rapid growth.
A combination of new products, soaring demand for electric vehicles, and a nationwide sales focus has left the company ‘fully charged’ for future growth.
The company, which provides a variety of electric utility vehicles for sale and for hire, was launched in 2019, and has seen its business grow in a number of sectors including events, agriculture and horticulture, equestrian, and film-making.
“Our figures for this year have far surpassed our original projections,” said Chris Hurdle, managing director of Electric Wheels. “We are 400% up on last year and expecting – all being well – for next year to deliver more growth, potentially doubling turnover again by the end of our next financial year.
“This is such great news, not just for the business but also for our growing team. Without the engineers, operations, logistics, accounts and sales and marketing members, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve such remarkable growth.”
The workforce at Electric Wheels has doubled in the past 12 months, and the firm now employs 20 people. In the new year the company will take on more space at Neaton Business Park in Watton, allowing more space for workshops and stock
“Stock levels are usually pretty high so we’re always needing space,” said Mr Hurdle. “The vehicles are often already allocated to customers before they arrive in the warehouse to be built.
“We have a great system for maintaining our stocks levels to meet the growing demand, something which has massively aided our growth. This is an area which has proved troublesome for other UTV suppliers.”
As part of nationwide expansion plans, Electric Wheels is building up a network of partner agents and sales support teams across the country. The business is already working with agents in Somerset, Oxfordshire and the south-east, and has a sales support team in the West Midlands.
“As a business originally serving the East of England, we have been surprised by just how far our customers travel for their electric utility task vehicles,” said Mr Hurdle. “As we offer delivery, we’ve been able to meet the demand, but regular visits from one side of the country to the other haven't made business sense or met with our environmental ambitions.
“Therefore expanding our ability to provide a nationwide service through building partnerships with local suppliers is a top priority. We will be announcing new partnerships in the new year.”