Liverpool city region brand merchandise specialist Wild Thang hosts major city centre expo to celebrate 30th birthday and the head of its industry trade body told a packed audience the firm is among ‘the best of the best’. Tony McDonough reports

 

Brand merchandise manufacturer and supplier Wild Thang saw a big turnout for its first city centre expo and conference – an event held to celebrate its 30th birthday.

In morning and afternoon sessions at the Hilton Hotel in Liverpool city centre, multiple speakers addressed a packed room with topics discussed including sustainability, ESG (environmental, social and governance), tech and innovation, social impact and B Corp certification.

One of those who spoke was industry leader Phil Goodman, chief executive of the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA). During a panel discussion on ESG, he praised Bootle-based Wild Thang and its founder and managing director, Andrew Dwerryhouse.

During his first few weeks at the helm of the BPMA, and still finding his feet in the role, Phil was engaged to speak at a major conference. He said: “I’ll never forget how kind Andrew was to me at a time when he saw I was nervous and new. He reached out and offered some really, really kind words.

“I came to learn how Wild Thang operates as a business. They do things properly and are authentic… They are among the best of the best in this industry.”

From its headquarters and factory close to the Port of Liverpool Wild Thang supplies branded merchandise to blue chip customers such as McDonald’s, Paddy Power, Sony and Formula One.

In the last few years Wild Thang has invested well over £2m in upgrading its expanding base, adding solar panels to the roof to power the business. It was those extensive efforts into sustainability that saw the firm awarded B Corp status in 2025, marking it as one of the most sustainable businesses in the UK.

In tandem with that Andrew and his team have turned Wild Thang into an international company. It now operates both in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland and also has a base in New Jersey in the US.

Called the Wild Thang 30th Anniversary ESG, Product & Tech Revolution Expo, the Hilton event brought together business leaders, innovators, and sustainability pioneers to explore the future of creative branded clothing, merchandise and print.

Andrew said the purpose of the event was, of course, to promote Wild Thang as a “world class” business, but also to promote the idea that businesses, while not losing sight of profit, can create a positive impact through sustainability, and responsible growth.

 

 

Back in 1996 it had humble beginnings. With the help of £1,500 from the Prince’ Trust (now the King’s Trust), Andrew established Wild Thang in a back room in his father’s company. Speaking to those present at the Hilton, Andrew reflected on the journey.

He said: “For our 30th birthday we really wanted to do something that was different. Celebrate our family business highlight fellow directors Chris Dwerryhouse, John Howarth & Sarah Howarth along with the rest of the team, partners, suppliers amazing efforts all of who we see as family but also showcase how business can be done & needs to be done differently placing ESG central to Wild Thangs culture.

“It has been 30 years and we are no overnight success. Very few companies reach that milestone and we are very proud of our small beginnings.

“Originally we were funded by the Princes Trust, now of course called the Kings Trust, and a special special guest in the room today, Walter Yates, was our original mentor 30 years ago.

“What we have done over those 30 years is try every year to get a little bit better. Being part of the community and making a difference to people’s lives has always been central to everything we do here.”

B Corp Certification is a “rigorous and comprehensive” process that evaluates a company’s impact on its workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment.  Andrew has described the achievement as one of the biggest milestones in Wild Thang’s history.

“Three years ago we decided we were going to become a B Corp company. That has been a very challenging journey. It is not easy – it is the platinum standard. Other B Corps in the room here will understand that. So we are very proud of having done it.

“Having been through that process we can now answer the ‘why?’. And we think every company and every organisation should be asking that question.

“Companies should only be aligning with those that have shared values and shared ethics. You only want to be around the right people – those who are driven to make a difference and want to do business with purpose.

“To be world class you have to deliver. We know that technology is becoming more and more important. We have talked about AI today.

“People can ask ‘why trust Wild Thang?’. Yes we are one of the most sustainable and certified but it is also about all those other services and products that we can truly say are world class.

“Maybe you can get on that journey as well. It has been integral to what we do as a world class company.”

Phil Goodman, who represents the views of around 400 BPMA members, urged the industry to fully embrace sustainability and said failure to do so, and to recognise the challenge of AI, risked an “existential” threat to the sector.

“I think it is really really important that we don’t present ourselves as an industry that just puts logos on things. If we present ourselves as that then it is the easiest thing for AI to just take us out of the equation.”

On sustainability, he added: “Our industry is unregulated. Anyone can start. If you have a mobile phone and a laptop you can become a practitioner in the world of branding merchandise.

“That is concerning because there are client organisations that are placing trust in these businesses to manage potentially huge orders. But there is no regulation so who is making those products, where are they coming from?

“If we don’t take sustainability seriously, if we don’t get our own house in order, then I am afraid we will be easy to say no to. And that is why sustainability is so important and why we really need to get our act together.”

 

 

As Wild Thang’s ESG manager, Carrie Dwerryhouse played a key role in the delivery of B Corp. She explained why it was such an important accreditation for businesses and organisations to aspire to.

“When I was at school we would do spirographs,” she said. “If you look at B Corp like that, there is a centre and the biggest web you have ever seen with so many different parts to it.

“If all those people and all of the suppliers and everyone you deal with all have the same mindset, then imagine how amazing the world would be. I have two daughters and when they grow up and have children I want their world to be better.

“If all the companies acted like the B Corps, even those who aren’t B Corps, we would make the world a better place we now have our sights to become one of the most sustainable and certified companies in our industry sector globally.”

Other speakers across the day included Andrew Borland, chief executive of the Virtual Engineering Centre, Paul Cherpeau, chief executive of Liverpool Chamber and David Connor, United Nations Foundation Advisor. There were also examples of Wild Thang products displayed outside the main room.

Speaking towards the end of the day, Sarah Howarth, sales director of Wild Thang, told the audience: “We have always aspired to drive ourselves forward to be as good as the best – that was ingrained in us from childhood (Sarah is Andrew’s sister and the firm is very much a family enterprise).

“That mentality was always there. And we would ask ‘how would we get there?’. The last few years have seen more collaboration, getting into those rooms and those networks and talking to people and learning.

“That leads to delivering for our clients and how we support our community. It was always the mindset of doing better. It has been 30 years but I actually feel like we are just beginning. The bar has gone up again, and I mean high.

“There is competition. We see big players with big investment from private equity. Do we need private equity? We can do this, we can invest in young people, we can collaborate with other family-mindset businesses. With our fabulous partners we can do this ourselves.”