Chancellor of the Exchequer announces Screwfix expansion

Leading trade supplier, Screwfix, welcomed the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, to its Cannock store this week as part of his Great British Brands tour.

During the visit, the Chancellor announced Screwfix’s plans to open over 50 new stores in 2015, which will create an additional 900 jobs. The announcement comes less than six months after Screwfix revealed it will open 60 new stores during 2014, generating a further 900 jobs and follows on from the opening of 60 new stores and the creation of 1,000 new jobs in 2013.

The visit formed the second leg of the Chancellor’s Great British Brands tour, aimed at supporting some of Britain’s best known companies. Screwfix, which recently opened its 360th store, serves over four million tradesmen and DIY enthusiasts per year and employs over 6,000 staff. The company has also recently unveiled its plans to expand overseas in Germany with four trial stores opening this month, alongside next day delivery and a five minute Click and Collect service.

After making the announcement, the Chancellor was given a behind-the-scenes tour of the Screwfix operations at the Cannock store as well as meeting members of the team, providing an insight into what has made the business so successful.

George Osborne commented: “Screwfix is a great British success story and it is fantastic to see them expanding and creating new jobs. Backing businesses who are expanding is a key part of our long term economic plan which is why I have cut corporation tax, introduced the employment allowance, and abolished National Insurance contributions for the Under 21s. These changes are helping companies like Screwfix create jobs and the economic security that comes with that.”

Andrew Livingston, Screwfix CEO, added: “We were thrilled to welcome the Chancellor to our Screwfix store in Cannock as part of his tour of Great British Brands and are proud to be a successful British business. At Screwfix we have seen increasing optimism among our trade customers for some time now, which not only represents potential growth across the construction industry, but also increasing employment opportunities in all sectors within it, which is great news for the UK economy as a whole.”