Asking price: £35,000

Sales revenue: £52,000

Net profit: Undisclosed

Fixtures value: Undisclosed

Stock value: Undisclosed

Business description
The company is a family business that was established to manage and promote a unique timber, and has set out to establish Portuguese Maritime Pine as the number one choice amongst architects, builders and contractors for flooring and other wood products. The aim is to give the same level of service and support expected from a traditional, old-fashioned family operated business to the ever increasing list of national and international clients.
All products are purchased via the e-commerce web site or by post, phone, fax or e-mail. The company is an independent limited company under its original ownership.

The History of Maritime Pine
The oldest known sustainable and managed forests are in Portugal. As far back as the early 13th Century the King of Portugal planted forests for ship building and to halt the spread of land erosion.
The timbers used by Henry "The Navigator" Magellan and Vasgo De Gamma's ships, which travelled far and wide and circled the globe, were made of Maritime pine from these forests, even Columbus's ships are reputed to have been built by these same timbers. Today there is a transatlantic large sailing ship built over 150 years ago which is still sea worthy and regularly sails the Seven Seas.
Edward the 2nd of England and The King of Portugal together signed the first trading charter in 1308 between the two countries and timber started to arrive in England soon after. It was used extensively for our own ship building programme. By the beginning of the 18th century the Georgians started to use it in house building as they were impressed by its ability to withstand the rigours of sea life as well as inclement weather and for its beautiful colour and texture. This was continued for the next two hundred years.
The trade in this timber to England came to a dramatic end at the beginning of the Second World War when u-boat packs started sinking the vessels carrying cargos of timber to England.
After the war it was not started up again as England had been fighting for six years against fascism and the Portuguese government at the time was a Fascist dictatorship.
The Maritime Pine from this region of Portugal was recognised as unique, for its ability to withstand termites and borers, so much so that the French in the 18th century planted seedlings from it, around Bordeaux and the Gironde to start their own soil stabilisation and forests.
In the 1920's The Australian government imported the seedlings in favour of their own indigenous species and now have a thriving timber industry based on this Maritime species.
However it's the trees grown in this specific province of Portugal which have these unique properties of being almost like a hardwood with such a beautiful patina and feel.

Employees: The company is managed on a day to day basis by one shareholder. The other shareholder does not work in the business. The company employs the services of a specialist storage and distribution company.

Trading hours: The company is staffed during office hours, Monday until Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm

Home based: This business can be run from home.

Relocatable: This business can be relocated.

Location
The business currently operates from a home office and out sources the warehousing and distribution. We understand from our client that the company’s sales are predominantly within the United Kingdom, however our client has had customers across Europe.

Expansion potential
The company has fully recognised that the business size, turnover and profits could be increased through the following: • Organic growth; growing business with existing customer base and referrals. Offering additional items across all product divisions • Linking in to other associated industry sectors web sites and selling other company’s products on a commission basis • Proactive sales and marketing (customer mail/e shots) • Expanding trade wholesale markets • Developing product to include finished pine furniture

Reasons for selling
Other business interests.