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Oakham firm Woolroom targets further US growth after £2.8m rise in annual turnover




A town company is making inroads in the United States and has announced ambitious plans to further expand its reach across the Atlantic.

Woolroom, which sells natural wool sleeping products and homeware, was founded in Oakham in 2008, sourcing products from UK farms and buying directly and exclusively from British Wool.

But the quintessentially British products are proving a hit Stateside.

Woolroom managing director Chris Tattersall is targetting further growth in the US
Woolroom managing director Chris Tattersall is targetting further growth in the US

The US market currently represents 25% of Woolroom's sales and the business plans to grow this figure to 50% over the next three years.

The Rutland-based business has been granted a six-figure funding package from Santander UK to support these plans.

It includes foreign exchange support, as well as international expertise to connect Woolroom with American product distributors and home delivery partners.

It has four stores in the UK, while its website attracts international customers, particularly from the US and Europe.

The company’s annual turnover increased from £5.7m to £8.5m between August 2020 and August 2021 and is targeting £12m this year.

Increased demand, particularly in the US, for bedding products made from natural materials is believed to be the major driving force behind the growth.

In 2020, the company launched a traceable wool programme which allows customers to scan QR codes and trace which UK farm the wool came from.

Last year, Woolroom won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, which recognises outstanding achievement by UK businesses in innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.

The company plans to hire three further staff over the next year and launch a new woollen sleepwear line.

As well as its store in Pillings Road, Oakham, it has branches in Ipswich, Marlow, and Rowsley, in Derbyshire.



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