Merseyside branded clothing, merchandise and print manufacturer Wild Thang launches third overseas base with two top executives taking charge of the new operation as it gets set to celebrate its 30th birthday. Tony McDonough reports
Wild Thang has revealed further ambitions for international expansion in 2026 as it opens its third overseas base and gets to celebrate 30 years in business with a major expo on the 26th March.
Bootle-based Wild Thang, a branded clothing, merchandise and print manufacturer delivered a £2m expansion of its local headquarters five years ago and followed that up with new bases in the Irish capital Dublin and New Jersey in the US.
Wild Thang supplies branded merchandise to blue chip customers such as McDonald’s, Paddy Power, Sony and Formula One. It celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026 and is planning to host a major expo.
And in a serious sign of Wild Thang’s intent to maximise the potential of the expansion, it has dispatched two senior directors of its management team, John Howarth and Sarah Howarth, to help mastermind this latest growth strategy – a new base in Northern Ireland.
John is Wild Thang’s global supply and contract director, while Sarah is well established as the firm’s sales and commercial director. This, explained Andrew, “will place my sister Sarah and brother-in-law John at the forefront of Wild Thang’s international development and growth”.
He added: “At Wild Thang, our mission has always been to deliver one world-class solution that elevates creative branded clothing, merchandise and print through more sustainable practices and ethical production, wherever our clients are in the world.
“As part of our continued international growth and commitment to providing exceptional service, we’re thrilled to announce the next exciting chapter in our global journey as a family business. Our expansion across the Irish Sea marks another milestone in Wild Thang’s evolution.
“This move represents far more than just a location change, it’s a reflection of our ‘Wild Thang Way’ commitment to building a truly global network.”
Back in March 1996 Andrew Dwerryhouse secured a £1,500 loan from the Prince’s Trust (now the King’s Trust) to launch a fledgling branded clothing business with school friend Mark Zajac. They set up shop in a room in Andrew’s father’s engineering business.
Now Andrew says he wants to mark the birthday with a special event to celebrate what he calls “30 years of creativity, innovation, and purpose-driven branding”.
He explained: “We have gone from a micro local start-up supported by the Prince’s Trust to an multi award-winning, world-class, internationally recognised business and one of the most sustainable certified in our industry.
“Being a proud B Corp, we wanted it to be much more than a party, but an event with real social impact so we will be delivering with the support of key partners The Wild Thang 30th Anniversary ESG, Product & Tech Revolution Expo.
“We think it’s the first of its kind and want it to be a landmark event, over the coming weeks, we’ll can’t wait to reveal the location, full days itinerary, expert ESG speaker lineup, ticket details and much more so you can learn how we can be a genuinely trusted branding partner.
“We are celebrating the future of creating more sustainable and ethically produced branded clothing, merchandise, and print, powered by cutting-edge technology and fearless ESG ethical creative thinking.”
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Now, buoyed by its newly-acquired B-Corp status – cementing its position as one of the most certified sustainably-focused businesses in the UK, Wild Thang is pushing on with its global ambitions by opening another base in Northern Ireland.
Andrew Dwerryhouse said the move is the “next exciting chapter in our global journey”. The Northern Ireland operation, he added, will help establish “an even stronger gateway to Europe”.