Bootle-based brand marketing specialist has invested more than £2m transforming its headquarters in Derby Road in Bootle. Tony McDonough reports
One of Merseyside’s fastest-growing SMEs Wild Thang has taken a step into a new era with the handover of its upgraded headquarters.
The Bootle-based brand marketing specialist, which was founded 20 years ago by Andrew Dwerryhouse with a £1,500 grant from the Princes Trust, has invested more than £2m transforming its base in Derby Road, close to the River Mersey.
Backed by bankers at NatWest, managing director Andrew looked to take the business “onto the next level”. That dream started to become a reality when Frank Rogers Building Contractors officially handed over the revamped premises.
Wild Thang manufactures and supplies a full range of branded marketing materials. Its clients have included Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Wembley Stadium, Liverpool and Everton football clubs. It currently employs more than 30 people and aims to grow its workforce by a further 25%.
Andrew said: “This represents a major step forward for the business and it is amazing to see our investment start to come to fruition. When you embark on an expansion on this scale, you take a deep breath. It’s a big commitment – but when you see it start to become reality, you know it is the correct decision.
“We wanted to make sure we brought the right people in on this project. Myself, the directors and our senior team care a great deal about this business so it had to be right for everyone. It’s fantastic to be able to report that all staff are already benefiting from the amazing new spaces.
“Central to the whole development was always to create a wonderful high quality working environment for our amazing colleagues and the really big news is that I actually had my first lunch break away from my desk in 24 years, which is quite a revelation.”
Andrew praised the work of Frank Rogers and architects K2, who he said had “not let us down”. He said they had delivered a “genuinely high quality job so far”, especially with the added complexity of it being undertaken while Wild Thang maintained its manufacturing output.
“Our eye can’t be taken off the ball just yet because we still need to complete the demolition of our old building to create the new cladding and windows around the rest of the outside,” added Andrew.
“We also need to create a completely new production configuration which is a big task in itself. The full completion of the entire development is looking like it will be towards the end of April 2020.
“It has been an intense and challenging few months for the whole team working alongside the development while it progresses and something like this only happens through that real team ethos in every area of the business.
“Overseeing this project and continuing to make sure the day-to-day work of Wild Thang isn’t compromised has been a huge logistical challenge. Our team has worked brilliantly to ensure it has been business as usual.”
Andrew also singled out another consultancy, Box Clever, that had taken Wild Thang through the tender process and acting as the development project manager. And looking to the future, he said: “As a company we have enjoyed growth of around 18-20% for the past three years and are aiming for further 20-25% growth following completion of the project.
“The transformation of the headquarters will allow the business to significantly increase manufacturing capacity and will require a rise in headcount to meet our aspiration to be one of the leading branded clothing, merchandise and print companies in the UK.
“We are now the biggest company in this sector in the Liverpool city region and we see huge opportunities for growth in the coming months and years. This project has been three years in the planning and seeing it finally come to fruition is incredibly exciting for us all. In fact I can safely say there may have never been a more exciting time, because this is one of the biggest moments in Wild Thang’s history.”