Decking firm adds £1m to sales in last year

Preston-based Lakeland Verandahs is planning nationwide expansion after reporting a 33 per cent increase in sales over the last year.

The company tapped into the desire from homeowners to make the most of their outside spaces and recorded £4m of orders over the last 12 months, an increase of £1m over the year before.

Founded in 2008 by industry specialist Russell Milburn, Lakeland Verandahs has now launched a new franchise offer to help it increase its geographic coverage to all parts of the UK and Ireland, with four territories already signed up and beginning to trade.

These include representatives in East Anglia, Northern Ireland, Northern Scotland and West Mercia, with seven more areas currently in final negotiations.

With plans to create 35 to 40 total operations the plan is already six months ahead of schedule.

Russell said: "Lockdowns have seen people spend more time in their gardens and this has definitely led to greater investment in outside spaces and, in particular, our uPVC decking solutions.

"The growth in the North West made us think about how we could take the Lakeland Verandahs’ brand into more areas and the fastest way we can do this is through a franchise model that gives potential entrepreneurs all the tools and support they need to go from a start-up to a £1.2m business in just three years.”