Stripping comes easy for village paint removal firm supplier

A business, which specialises in paint removal products, has seen demand sky-rocket following a rise in home improvement projects during the coronavirus pandemic.

At the height of the crisis, Strippers Paint Removers in Belchamp Walters received an overwhelming level of orders from homeowners keen to carry out work on their properties.

General manager Rosalie Lawrence said the team had not anticipated the scale of demand.

“We were pleasantly surprised and reassured because there was so much uncertainty during lockdown,” she said. “We didn’t know if we would able to keep the business open, but we were fortunate that we didn’t have to close at any point.”

Mrs Lawrence, from Kelvedon, highlighted that, while many people were forced to stay indoors during the UK-wide lockdown, the unprecedented time had lent itself to focusing on DIY projects.

“It gave people the opportunity to work on projects that they may not have got round to doing,” said the 44-year-old, adding that fulfilling a challenging task at home can be extremely rewarding.

“It’s nice to have that sense of satisfaction from doing something productive and to have the inclination to do it.”

Having received a high volume of inquiries, Mrs Lawrence said she was able to offer advice to people so that they could obtain the right materials for the job.

“A lot of people don’t always know what type of product they’ll need,” she said. “But by talking to them, we could give them all the information, which gave them the confidence to buy the right supplies.”

Praising the dedication of her team, Mrs Lawrence said their continuous support had been instrumental in managing a challenging few months.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them,” said the mother-of-one. “I had to take a step back and I was fortunate because I was able to put all my faith in them.”

Mrs Lawrence’s father, Philip Poels, established the business back in 1974.

Having expanded his product range over the years, Mr Poels has provided supplies to large businesses, with a recent order from a company appointed to carry out a refurbishment project at London’s renowned luxury department store Liberty.