The company’s trajectory has seen significant expansion since its establishment in 2018, with branches now operating in Loanhead, Falkirk, Rosyth, and Macmerry.

The business supplies and distributes everything relating to plumbing and heating, as well as specialising in bathrooms, underfloor heating and renewable energy products, selling to both trade and the public.

Founders of the business, commercial director Craig Campbell and operations director Alan McConville had accumulated a wealth of knowledge in the industry through their work for large manufacturing merchants in senior roles for over three decades. Together, they identified a gap in the market to strengthen the relationship between merchant suppliers and the everyday tradesman, who they believed to be neglected in the industry.

On a mission to drive change in the sector, the business duo were in search of expert guidance to help turn their business plan into a reality and approached Business Gateway for support in 2018. Business Gateway was instrumental in providing support in the early stages, with both Craig and Alan attending start-up advice workshops.

These also included HR support, which helped the duo create staff contracts. Additionally, Craig and Alan spent time with a strategy expert who helped them map out a five-year plan which they still follow today.

Alan and Craig also benefitted from digital support to help build and develop a user-friendly website, which now includes an online brochure, and provides direct access to the brand’s social channels.

Motivated by the ongoing demand from their customers to have a showroom that could display the bathroom products on sale, Alan and Craig worked with Business Gateway to secure a 2023 Falkirk Council Resilience grant fund award for expansion. This £10,000 grant allowed HPP to build a new showroom at its Falkirk branch.

Since 2018, HPP has gone from strength to strength, starting with its first branch in Loanhead and later expanding its premises to Falkirk, Rosyth and Macmerry, with more branches to follow.

Alan and Craig have also expanded their staff, and now have a team of 28 colleagues, who have over 300 years of experience and product knowledge between them. The business is now on track to turnover £7 million this year.

Mr Campbell said: “After working in the heating and plumbing industry for several years, I’d acquired an abundance of industry knowledge.

“However, starting your own business in the sector can be daunting and knowing where to start can be the hardest part. Our journey would have been much harder and longer without Business Gateway’s ongoing support.”

Andrea Bradley-Priest, Business Gateway adviser, said: “We have been able to support HPP with a range of Business Gateway’s services.

“It has been fantastic to watch the business expand and develop in the way that both Alan and Craig wished for in their five-year plan. I look forward to watching them continue to grow in the future.”