ESE Direct Shortlisted for Norfolk Future50

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - Oct. 25, 2012) - ESE Direct is one of the UK's oldest and most respected online and mail order businesses and has recently been shortlisted for this year's Norfolk Future50. Each year Norfolk Future50 showcases businesses from across the county which have pushed boundaries and shown the determination and drive to bring in substantial new business over the course of the year.

The UK as a whole may have been struggling through what are particularly tough economic times, yet expansion and development throughout the hard times is a true measure of a good business. The awards serve to recognise such expansion and growth and to give credit to companies which demonstrate initiative and the tenacity to take the recession by the horns and get both county and country back on track. ESE Direct has certainly done that over the past 12 months and has earned its place in this year's shortlist. The company smashed its previous record for monthly turnover by 20% this July, and is enjoying its third year of sustained substantial growth.

Inclusion in the Norfolk Future50 also helps to raise awareness of companies that have strong ethics and are prepared to take risks. Rapid growth may be one of the main criteria which the judges will be looking for, but that growth needs to be sustainable. ESE Direct is certainly not afraid to take the risks necessary to succeed. ESE Direct has been expanding, taking calculated risks and heavily investing in staff, the framework and rear office processes to ensure its current growth levels can be sustained. The past two years have been extremely impressive, with ESE Direct having increased its customer base by over 190%.

"We have been diversifying our product ranges to attract a broader customer base and have invested heavily in all areas of our business," says ESE Direct Managing Director Simon Francis. He goes on to say that "we have enjoyed 60% growth in two years and still maintained our 99% customer satisfaction which certainly proves that we are doing something right."

ESE Direct has embraced new technology as the natural companion to its already very successful mail order catalogue business, and while it still continues to develop / expand its printed catalogues and use traditional marketing, it is online business which has proved to be the richest hunting grounds for new customers in recent years. Continued investment in improving the website has seen online sales rocket to previously unprecedented levels. The company has now increased its internet visitors to over 500,000 per year, with online sales accounting for almost 75% of turnover this year.

With continued investment in its website and further growth planned, the company looks set to reach its target of a GBP 10 million turnover well inside of its current 5 year growth plan. While new customers are continuing to increase, improving the customer experience is of paramount importance and a key element of the company's plans.

Continued investment in the customer service team and back room staff has certainly made ESE Direct a slick operation, and one which has earned it a 99% customer satisfaction score. With two prestigious business awards already under its belt in 2012 on the back of three awards in 2011, it looks like ESE Direct will be a strong contender to join Norfolk Future50 this year.

Further information on the extensive range of ESE Direct industrial equipment, workshop and business products, health and safety equipment and storage units can be found on http://www.esedirect.co.uk.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
ESE Direct
Lee Newell
lee@esedirect.co.uk
www.esedirect.co.uk