Alistair Houghton meets DENVER HEWLETT, head of Glen Dimplex Home Appliances

THE Union Jack cooker on his factory floor shows the pride Glen Dimplex Home Appliances boss Denver Hewlett has in his manufacturing plant.

The reason for that pride is set to grow as the Prescot-based firm, which turns out 350,000 cookers, ranges and ovens every year under the Stoves, Belling and New World brands, is about to become the sole remaining UK manufacturer of cookers.

As with any manufacturer or distributor of electrical appliances, times are tough for GDHA, as many consumers hit by the credit crunch shy away from buying “big ticket” items.

But GDHA – formed when Irish group Glen Dimplex bought Prescot’s Stoves plc in 2001 – is planning to focus on strengthening its customer service to ensure it wins and retains customers through the hard times.

With the bulk of its sales in the UK and Ireland, GDHA’s products are very much designed for the home market. That, says Hewlett, gives the company a strong selling point.

He said: “A lot of domestic appliance manufacturers have moved out of this country. At the end of this year, we’ll be the only volume manufacturer of cookers in the UK.

“A lot of cookers are made in Europe, and we buy cookers from Europe as well.

“But the UK has got a specific and peculiar cooking style. On the Continent, people don’t grill as much. We have double ovens, which the majority of Europe doesn’t use.

“Places like Israel and Turkey have twin-cavities, but most of Europe is single-cavity.

“The economy is tough, but we’ve got some advantages and unique selling points in the market.”

Hewlett says the company will have to increase the price of its products to cope with those rising costs, but insists it can thrive if it stays optimistic.