Sliderobes’ designer, Steve Healy, has clocked up 32,000 miles and has designed 200 fitted wardrobes in the company’s first year in Stockton.

Business is booming according to Gary Shaw, general manager of the Sliderobes showroom on Portrack Trade Park. Since opening the showroom in January 2009, Mr Shaw has recruited a further seven staff, taking the headcount to 12.

He said, “As well as a showroom we have our own workshop onsite. All the fitted wardrobes that we fit are built here, to the highest standards and to customers’ own specifications, using a lot of locally sourced materials. We employ a skilled team of craftsmen, and we’re delighted that we’ve been able to recruit all the talent that we needed locally.”

Mr Shaw said that his team had designed and fitted Sliderobes in seven counties, from the Scottish borders through to Morecambe Bay and North Yorkshire and that business had exceeded all expectations.

As Sliderobes celebrates its first year in Stockton, he said that they had all worked hard to achieve success.

“This is Sliderobes’ first showroom to the North East and we serve a large area. We appreciate people can’t always make the journey here, so we go to them,” he said. “It’s all about being flexible. That’s all part of our approach, which is to provide a service that puts customers’ needs first.” “With any new venture, particularly in a recession, it is good to see that there is an appetite for the product. It gives us confidence in the future and our ability to develop and recruit,” he said.

“Our business is in helping people who are tight on space to make the most of what they have in a cost-effective and practical way. Research shows that in hard times, or when they can’t afford to move, people choose to invest in robust and reliable craftsman-built products rather than cheap quick fixes,” Mr Shaw added.

Sliderobes was established in Ireland over 25 years ago, and today has 23 showrooms across Ireland, England and Scotland.