Alastair Amis, managing director of UKFixings.com with his dad, Mike, director, and brother-in-law Pena Sokia, driver. Picture: Denise Bradley

A Norwich-based fixtures and fittings supplier has seen business quadruple in the last two years following the successful introduction of online trading.

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Turnover at UKFixings.com has risen from £250,000 to £1m after the company began selling silicant-based products such as applicator guns used in the building and construction industry over the internet, helping to turn it into a global brand.

Alastair Amis, managing director, said the business comprised of three brands UK Sealants, UK Stainless, and latterly UKFixings.com, which all operate from the firm’s base and warehouse in Vulcan Road South.

The family business, which was founded by his father Mike, started life as Goldstar Fasteners and Goldstar Tool Hire, based at Hall Road. But after selling the tool hire business in 2007, UK Sealants was born the following year.

“Originally we were a nuts and bolts, fixings and fasteners suppliers,” said Mr Amis, whose sister Julie Sokia also works for the company. “But we saw the sealants as a low risk entry in the online market and it’s worked out fantastically well. It’s revolutionised the way we do business.

“We have got three websites now...Between them we have managed to double the turnover for the last two years. It’s really gone from strength to strength.”

The company worked with Acle-based internet specialists Lucid Digital Media to develop the web operation and Mr Amis said it had helped turn the operation from a company supplying traders primarily in Norfolk and North Suffolk to one doing business across the country and overseas.

It is also hoping to open a second warehouse in North London as part of a plan to expand the business.

“We export quite a lot to Ireland and we are now taking orders from India, France and Israel,” Mr Amis said. “We have got our first shipment of swimming pool silicant going out to India.”

The company supplies some of the largest UK construction companies and retail outlets. “We supply Siemens and their windfarm projects in Antwerp,” Mr Amis said. “They find they that we can ship it out to them quicker than they can have it from Belgium themselves.

“We have also had orders from a lot of Formula One racing teams including Lotus, Redbull and Maclaren, and we have supplied products to the One Hyde Park development in London.”

He said he was hoping to mirror the success of Screwfix, which was now one of the worlds largest online brands with a £359m turnover.

The business had also been boosted by a decision to import directly from China instead of through UK-based suppliers.

“We’ve been out there a couple of times and we are now importing by the container load of 9,500 application guns,” he said.

“We bought from UK suppliers, who were themselves importing from China.

“We thought that we were clearly missing out and we decided to cut out the middle man. We’ve added 40pc to the margin by doing that.”