Home improvement group unveils factory expansion

A UK home improvement group is laying the foundations for further growth with investment in its first aluminium manufacturing facility, creating 20 new jobs.

Wakefield-headquartered Conservatory Outlet Group, comprising CO Manufacturing and CO Home Improvements, has announced plans to transform a 15,000sq ft factory in Doncaster into a purpose-built production facility.

The investment will include dedicated CNC machines, cutting centres and crimpers, enabling the group to manufacture its own aluminium products for the first time.

Bosses say the move will broaden its product range and strengthen manufacturing capabilities.

Greg Kane, chief executive of CO Group, said: “This is a very exciting milestone in our journey and brings a whole new product range to our home improvement businesses and the 30 retailers in our ever-expanding network.

“It’s a commitment from us to deliver products of the highest standards and at lead times that consumers will appreciate. 

“Aluminium is also an increasingly popular choice for homeowners and businesses looking for exceptional strength, sleek aesthetics and good durability with minimal upkeep.”

The announcement was made at the group’s annual gala dinner in Malaga, attended by nearly 100 representatives from its retail network.

It follows a 12 per cent increase in sales across the CO Retail Network’s 30 retailers in England, Wales and Scotland, despite challenging trading conditions and fragile consumer confidence.

Members have continued investing in showrooms, staff training and digital marketing to support growth.

The gala dinner, held at Malaga’s Museum of Automobiles, also celebrated achievements across the network, with installation awards presented to Bon Accord, Pennine, TradeMark, First Class, 5 Star and Ecofit.

Hazlemere Windows and Mitchell Glass received special recognition after each marking 15 years as a CO Premium Retailer.

Mick Giscombe, managing director of CO Manufacturing, added: “With a lot of our sector reporting significant downturns, I’m proud to say we’re not only surviving, but actually thriving, outperforming the market in all areas!

“Five of our members, based in different geographies all over the UK, have actually recorded more than a 25 per cent increase in sales. 

“This is a staggering performance by all of them.”

Greg added: “We felt that our Gala Dinner was the perfect opportunity to update all our retailers on what we had planned for the next twelve months, twelve months that will also see the launch of the new Extreme window range and our new Flush Sash suite.

“There’s lots of good things to highlight commercially and about industry best practice, but one of my favourite bits is our yearly charity challenge and 2026 was a really good one.

“For some reason we chose to climb the ten highest peaks in the Brecon Beacons, so over the course of two, ten-hour days we trekked 27 miles (mostly uphill) and in torrential rain. 

“The 20 intrepid members of the CO team – fuelled by the backing of other Network members – managed to raise a brilliant £15,000 for the MND Association. 

“This proves you can do anything when you put your mind to it, which sums up how we approach business as a group.”

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