LUXURY eco-friendly glamping pod company, Armadilla, secures global contracts in the hospitality market after upsizing from 5,000 to 25,000 sq ft premises and generating an increase in turnover from £550k to £2m in the last two years, which is expected to rise to over £4m over the next 18 months, resulting in 10 new jobs, thanks to supporting from organisations including Business Gateway Midlothian.
The Midlothian company, which has gone from twelve staff to 38 in the last two years, was founded by former farmer, Archie Hunter and his son, product designer Ross Hunter, who built their own award-winning eco-house in 2008 using salvaged materials from an old nun’s chapel, a disused police station and a neglected tollhouse.
Following the success of the eco house, they began creating garden structures for family and friends in 2009, before deciding to break into the glamping market with a unique style of pod featuring a functional and adaptable biophilic design, which brings elements of the natural world into the built environment for improved well-being.
The pods are environmentally friendly with high insulation, using heat pump technology, resulting in minimal energy consumption, meaning they can run off a 13amp plug. They also feature a 7” touch-screen which allows guests to control all lighting, heating, music and blinds in the pod.
The company has now gone from selling individual pods to private buyers in the domestic market and small commercial operations to securing contracts the length and breadth of the UK and globally, from Riverbeds near Glencoe and Luxury Hideaways near Crieff to a retreat in California owned by Jason Vale, ‘The Juice Master”, and international hotel chains throughout the Middle East and Australia.
The support from Business Gateway Midlothian has included growth planning, networking, research and ongoing 121 support.
Ross said: “Over the years we’ve noticed a shift in the market to short experiential breaks which is why we’ve decided to concentrate on both the luxury and technological features of the pods.
“We’ve managed to create an innovative niche product in a market which is fast-growing, thanks to the highly skilled team we have on board, who all live locally, including designers, architectural technologists and electronic and electrical engineers.
“We are very grateful to organisations like Business Gateway Midlothian who have helped us to find our niche and upsize the business in areas including growth planning and research – it’s just great knowing that support is there whenever you need it.”
The product range includes the Hotelier Pod, The Wave and The Kurv which is still in development.
Ann Marie Macaskill, Head of Business Gateway Midlothian said: ‘Armadilla is a fantastic home-grown business right here in Midlothian. Their development and growth have capitalised on putting innovation and sustainability at the heart of what they do and their reach extends from Fort William to California.
‘It has been fantastic working with Ross and Archie and we wish them every success in their future endeavours.”
Business Gateway Midlothian provides expert support and guidance to new and existing businesses, including free advice from experienced business advisers to help start-ups and growth businesses planning to expand or find new ways of doing business.
Free resources include local workshops and seminars covering everything from marketing and finance to HR and e-commerce.
To find out how Business Gateway Midlothian can help your business visit https://www.bgateway.com/local-offices/midlothian/local-support or call 0131 516 6944.
