Firm takes e-commerce by Hailstorm
THE surge in growth in online sales in recent years has created opportunities for Limerick-based e-commerce company Hailstorm Commerce, which is hatching ambitious plans to move into Britain and Europe.
Founded in April 2011, Hailstorm has built up a business developing e-commerce sites for retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and distributors. Now employing a staff of 22, it is currently recruiting and aims to increase this number to 30 by the end of November.
Through expansion into export markets, Hailstorm chief executive James Vizor aims to grow turnover from €620,000 this year to €2m in 2013.
Winner of the Limerick County Enterprise Board annual award and nominated as one of eight finalists in the National Enterprise Awards, the company is based at the Eastlink Business Park in Limerick and has offices in Dublin and Cork. It recently opened a sales office in Poland and plans to open one in Britain in the new year.
A mechanical engineer who previously worked for Intel, Dell and Microsoft, as well as setting up a web company, Mr Vizor identified an opportunity in Ireland for an e-commerce company in 2011.
“Research predicts that online sales will grow from 20% to 50% by 2020 but at present only 20% of Irish business have online sales functionality, compared to 40% in he UK,’’ he said.
He decided there was scope in the market for a company which would do more than just build a website for a customer.
“I saw an opportunity for a company which would offer a higher quality service, which would spend time and effort helping customers to build up sales online,” he said, explaining that Hailstorm also offers online marketing and search engine optimisation.
Although the solution offered by Hailstorm is more expensive than that offered by competitors who simply build e-commerce sites, Mr Vizor says the extra expenditure is worth it. “We have built sites that have sales of €1m a year — you don’t do this with a site costing €4,000; you need to spend €10,000 to €20,000 but you get a much higher return on your investment.”
Hailstorm now has close to 80 customers in Ireland, including retailers selling goods such as chocolates, fashion, baby products and tickets for Ailwee Cave in Clare. The company’s biggest success has been in the area of Business 2 Business and customers in this sector account for in the region of 70% of sales.
Customers in this area include Walsh Graphics in Cork and an international parts distributor for trucks.
Mr Vizor puts the company’s success in this area down to Hailstorm’s technology.
“The core difference between our e-commerce solutions and our competitors’ is that we look to integrate our system into our clients’ existing systems,” he said.
The software developed by Hailstorm is being launched as a branded product early next year and is expected to contribute to further growth.
Aiming for sales of €2m in 2013 and €3m by 2014, Mr Vizor says he believes these targets are achievable.
Company: Hailstorm Commerce.
Location: Eastlink Business Park, Limerick.
CEO: James Vizor
Staff: 22.
Business: ecommerce.
Website: www.hailstorm.ie
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