Case Studies

A family run hot tub business is overflowing with expansion plans

An Inverclyde hot tub business is expanding its operations after experiencing significant growth.

10th January 2025

About the business

Exterea is a family run business that specialises in luxury spaces for gazebos, hot tubs, and wellness saunas. The business was started in 2016 by husband-and-wife Sandy and Sharon Jarvie.

With a background of over 25 years in construction, Sandy, and Sharon pride themselves on delivering high quality products and premium services to their customers with a wide range of products, sourcing the highest quality materials. The couple now offer hot tubs, log cabins, summer houses, gazebos, wooden garages, garden sheds and more using bespoke designs.

The business has also now launched a new mobile sauna product, focusing on Concept Therapy. This combines the heat benefits of the sauna with cold water exposure, providing a rejuvenating and therapeutic experience. 

Exterea is also looking to diversify by introducing more energy efficient products which run off solar and deep source energy systems. The showroom is now expanding to display more of their models, as well as Exterea now widening their geographic reach with deliveries further afield.

The advice and support we got from Business Gateway was brilliant and gave us the confidence to go ahead with our growth plans, as well as helping us get the funding we needed for expansion.
Sharon Jarvie, co-founder of Exterea

How Business Gateway has helped

As Exterea looks to expand its business, Sandy and Sharon are aware that they will come up against more competitors, but the support that they have received from Business Gateway has helped them prepare for this.

The couple was introduced to Business Gateway adviser Barbara Mennie, who provided 1:1 business support and helped with cashflow forecasting to outline the growth strategy for the business. Barbara was also instrumental in helping them launch the new mobile sauna.

Barbara also gave the couple advice on local authority grant funding and assistance with funding applications, which helped them secure funding from Inverclyde Council. This funding gave them the green light for their expansion plans.

Their adviser also referred them to local authority growth accelerator programmes to help provide further advice.

Sharon Jarvie, co-founder of Exterea, said: ‘‘The advice and support we got from Business Gateway was brilliant and gave us the confidence to go ahead with our growth plans, as well as helping us get the funding we needed for expansion. We would not have been able to do it without Business Gateway and we cannot thank Barbara enough for all their help.’’

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