DAVID Duffy was waiting for his phone to ring, knowing that Mike Birtwhistle, the man who founded Stores Direct, would be desperate to know how the company had fared in the awards.
“He couldn’t be here but he will be thrilled. It’s great that we were nominated and even more of a surprise that we’ve won.”
The company has been trading for 10 years and started with Mike selling wood-burning stoves from the back of a Vauxhall Corsa. “Mike started as a one man band and there are now 14 of us,” said David. Now the internet-based company, Stores Direct, is billed as the country’s largest supplier of wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, flue systems and associated heating products.
The company, based at Pennine Business Park in Bradley, has also expanded into other markets providing bathrooms, furniture and soft furnishings. “Stores Direct is now in a position to continue expanding at a healthy pace without any external investment, while still maintaining good profitability,” said Mike.
“With its start from humble beginnings, with zero investment and a lot of determination and hard work, Stores Direct has become a multi-million pound turnover company that is well-respected in its industry.” Also nominated in the category, sponsored by Revell Ward, were Ploughcroft and AS Fabrications (Ltd).
