Firm has gone Great Lengths to get to the top

Great Lengths is on track to make record sales of more than £4m by the end of the year, up from £2.9m in 2010. The firm deals with 1,000 hairdressing salons in the UK and has plans to expand into other beauty markets.

“Our sales team focuses on gaining new salons and works very hard with them to kick-start their business when they come on board,” said Carol Leo, managing director of Great Lengths. “It is up to us to encourage salons to sell Great Lengths’ enhancements to their clients.”

Great Lengths has been in business for over two decades. It was founded in London by David Gold and its products are used by hairdressers all over the world.

None of Great Lengths’ extensions are synthetic, they are all human hair.

The hair is sourced from India then shipped to Italy where it is treated and coloured. The firm says that everything is ethically-sourced – the hair is from women who shave their heads at religious festivals. They donate their hair to the temples who then sell it on in order to raise funds for the community.

Leo said: “The hair extensions are processed just outside Rome and have a mix of colours so they absolutely mimic the client’s hair. We are a premium brand.”

It also offers aftercare products, such as shampoos, conditioners, treatments, and styling products, as well as brushes, hair straighteners, and accessories, and training and support services.

Although the business began in London on a kitchen table, it moved to Leeds when the founder relocated in 1997.

When Great Lengths was sold to Fairford Holdings in October 2006, a move back to the capital was under consideration. But a decision was taken to remain in Leeds.

Leo explained: “We have access to some great facilities in Leeds, it’s easy for people to get to us, there’s a great workforce here and we have a very good managed office environment.

“We try and use local businesses for everything that we do. For example, Turn Key [Great Lengths’ marketing agency] is in Leeds.”

When Fairford Holdings bought Great Lengths seven years ago, the investment company saw a niche business that had the potential to grow.

Leo was brought into the company in April 2008. Her background includes roles at Birse Group, IT Incorporated, Leeds Co-operative Society and Beer Paradise. She is a qualified chartered accountant.

“I came in to Great Lengths as finance director and last November, when the managing director left, I took over that job. The majority of our staff in Leeds, although we do have four account managers who work from home around the UK. We are still growing, we took on two new people this week.”

Great Lengths now employs 30 staff and has plans to expand. It is about to screen its first television advert and is focussing on raising awareness of the brand with the consumer press.

Leo said: “We are talking to our landlord about taking extra space. And we’ve launched a new product called Fastrack. We’re doing temporary hair extensions which is the first time we’ve gone into this market. The reaction has been fantastic.

“Going forward, we are starting to look at other brands. We only do Great Lengths at the moment but we are looking at other premium brands that we could distribute into the salon beauty market.”

Great Lengths takes its relationship with salons extremely seriously.

“When any new salon joins us, all of their stylists have to go through our foundation training and have to be certified by us...We like to think of ourselves as the Gucci and Prada of hair extensions.”