HPP seal prestigious award nomination

Furniture industry doors, boards and fittings supplier Hills Panel Products (HPP) has been shortlisted as a finalist in another prestigious award category.

HPP, earlier this year a finalist in the Insider business magazine’s Made In The North West Awards for the Manufacturer of the Year (turnover over £25m) category, has been selected in the Business of the Year (turnover £25-£50m) category sponsored by law firm Hill Dickinson.

The furniture company’s entry highlights growth across sales, manufacturing, distribution, employment, investment and international trade.

HPP manufactures its own products in Oldham including Avanti doors, Glide sliding doors, and Aspect and Aspire kitchens and bedrooms.

It also supplies products by leading European brands such as Egger, Kronospan and XyloCleaf to customers across the UK and Ireland.

Managing director Keith Wardrope said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for the Business of the Year Awards.

"Success would send out a positive message about our contribution to manufacturing regionally and nationally as well as to our staff, customers and suppliers.

"It would recognise that whilst we’ve been quietly going about our business over the last few years, now is our time to shine.

“Despite Brexit uncertainty, our turnover rose 16 per cent year-on-year to £31million for the past financial year. 

“Our manufacturing facilities have been boosted by a £2million investment programme, enhancing speed, efficiency and accuracy, and capacity for bespoke products.

"Door sales have risen by 30 per cent, creating 11 new jobs.

"We have supplied components for up to 1,700 apartments in Manchester, emphasised excellent customer service across the business and invested in state-of-the-art machinery.

“We now have one of the UK’s largest automated storage and picking systems, new routers and edge-banders within a new 14,000 sq ft warehouse.

"Further expansion and investment are planned, and we can now comfortably meet the manufacturing demands from our ever-growing trade customer base. 

"We opened a new 19, 000 sq ft warehouse this summer.

“Elsewhere, our carrier operation has expanded across the entire UK including the south of England.

"We sent £3.7million worth of stock via carriers with the remainder delivered by our fleet last year.

“International trade is a vital part of our business. In addition to being a manufacturer and distributor of our own British-made products to UK and Ireland customers, HPP has been chosen as a UK distributor for leading European furniture component and accessory manufacturers.

"Beyond Europe, we recently won manufacturing work previously done in China."

---

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something going on in and around Oldham? Let us know by emailing news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk , calling our Oldham-based newsroom on 0161 633 2121 , tweeting us @oldhamchronicle or messaging us through our Facebook page. All contact will be treated in confidence.