Scaling is proving child's play for the founders of the North-Tyneside headquartered children's toys and accessories distributor.
Haus Distribution has opened a new state-of-the-art head office and distribution centre in North Shields.
The company, which counts Harrods, Fenwick and John Lewis among its retail customers, has signed a 10-year-lease on a 30,000 sq ft industrial hub on the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate.
The move follows a successful year for the business in which it saw turnover rise for the fifth consecutive year, and several new brands join its portfolio, including Mr Maria, Miniland, Bon Ton Toys and Zoo Family.
Haus prides itself on helping sustainable design brands from across Europe expand into the UK, by supporting them with everything from brand management to logistics, importing, customer service and sales aftercare.
The full-service approach has seen the firm grow rapidly since it was launched by chief executive, Lizzie Carroll in 2019, establishing Haus as an exclusive UK distributor for several top brands and helping it become a trusted supplier to numerous high street and luxury retailers.
The company is now hoping the new distribution centre will give it the capacity required to continue building on this success over the coming months and years, as well as providing it with the office space required to continue strengthening its team.
Lizzie said:
"I am so proud of everything we have achieved at Haus. The brands we partner with are carefully selected and share our core values of kindness, positivity and passion.
Making them successful in the UK is such an honour and the whole team bring such dedication and innovation. This has led us to grow sensibly over the last 6 years and it's now time to up our game and move into a bigger unit.
We're gearing up for the best Christmas ever at Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate and we're excited to have the room to work more efficiently and have the space we need to meet demand."
As well as providing Haus with much-needed storage and office space, the facility will also provide the company with excellent links to the main roads and a blank space to set up their operations in the most efficient way and create a beautiful working space for the team, designed by local interior and architectural design firm And+ Studios Ltd, based in the Ouseburn Valley.
Nici Civico, Director and Chief of Operations, said:
"The newly refurbished warehouses and office spaces on the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate were exactly what we were looking for, enabling us to plan our layout from scratch for the warehouse team to maximise efficiencies. There was also the added bonus of solar panels and EV charging points as sustainability is close to our hearts. It is also great to have other local business around us like the fantastic Northern Rye, I'm sure the team will be visiting them regularly!"
The company was supported during the move by Square One Law, with commercial property associate, Charlotte Orr, overseeing the lease of the property.
She said:
"We're thrilled as a team to have worked with all parties involved on this significant deal.
Haus is fast becoming a real North East success story and this new hub – which will position the company in a strategic location at the heart of the region – will be key to ensuring Lizzie and the team can continue building on their success for years to come."
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