Solmar Villas plans to take on five new directors as it targets significant expansion over the next three years.
The family-run operator is stepping up growth plans post-Covid to become the ‘go-to’ specialist for private villas with pools in Europe.
It has already recruited a commercial director and purchasing and product director, both understood to be from the travel sector, and is now looking for a sales and marketing director, operations director and finance director to “drive the business forward quicker than in the past”.
The company, which is keen to work with more travel agents, turns over just under £30 million a year and has 56 staff. It is targeting £40 million turnover next year, up from this year’s turnover £15 million, lower due to the Covid pandemic. It hopes to reach £100 million by the end of 2025.
Its portfolio features 1,500 villas and it expects to have 2,500 next year.
Around 10% of sales come through agents, with around 2,000 currently working with the company. Accommodation-only is sold via agents direct or packaged with flights through tour operators Jet2holidays and Jetset. Flight packages will be reintroduced to Solmar’s portfolio at a later date.
Chief executive Julie Blake, whose parents started the company nearly 30 years ago, said the company would need to recruit more staff in its sales, marketing and overseas teams once directors have been appointed.
The company has already doubled the size of its head office with new premises in Burton-upon-Trent and pre-Covid invested more than £600,000 in its technology with a bespoke reservation system and website.
She said: “Now we have come out the other side of Covid we will continue our push for growth. We have a new structure. Now it’s about focusing on the teams. We hope to have the new directors in place for January and then we can look at recruitment below that level.
“We want to grow steadily but the quality has to be consistent. Having new directors will that make happen.”
The company remains committed to providing in-resort support, she said, with representatives based at 80% of properties.
“Some companies have pushed back to remove in-resort support but this is inherently important to us. We have retained in-resort teams and want to expand on that because post-Covid everyone wants their hand held,” added Blake.
She said the company was “picky” about which villas it offered, with the majority walking distance from restaurants and beaches, and 40%-50% secured exclusively.
The company revealed it also planned to expand its destination portfolio, with some new locations outside Europe.