(Image: Tom Banks)
A growing business in Newton Aycliffe that has been trading for almost 30 years is preparing for a big expansion.
Power Tool World operates from two sites in the town, totalling 32,000 square feet, and now a third facility will add another 36,000 square feet in one move.
The investment sits between £3m and £5m and will deliver a technology-driven automated facility that managing director Liam Rafferty says will be best in class for any business operating in this sector.
"This is not just about capacity.
"It is about being able to serve our customers better and faster as we grow.
"We have purchased our third warehouse and are investing in automation that will put us right at the top of what is possible in our market.
"That sends a clear message about where we are going."
Power Tool World was founded in Darlington and now has fifty employees, with between 800 and 1,500 parcels shipped every single day for brands like DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee and Bosch.
"A lot of people locally have no idea we exist.
"That is going to change," says Liam.
The business was built almost entirely online.
Long before e-commerce became the default, it was shipping professional power tools to tradespeople and serious DIY enthusiasts across the UK.
Today it stocks more than 8,000 products and processes thousands of orders a week, with the vast majority arriving with customers the next day through delivery partner DPD.
Post-Covid, the business grew to £40m in turnover.
Since then, it has not stopped.
More recently, double-digit year-on-year growth has followed, and a new target of £58m reflects a business moving at real pace.
Liam joined as managing director just over a year ago.
He is direct about what he found and what needed to happen.
"There was a turnaround to be carried out across people, process and technology.
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"We traded our way out of an uncomfortable position, fixed a number of retail and operational basics, and built a structure the business could actually grow from."
For all the commercial ambition, Liam keeps coming back to something more personal.
"My personal ambition is to build something great for the people of the North East.
"Good quality, secure, well-paid jobs, a business this region can be proud of."