Wild Thang moves into big league for UK distributors

Liverpool city region brand clothing, merchandise and print specialist Wild Thang is now a top 10 distributor in its industry in the UK according to a new league table. Tony McDonough reports

Wild Thang
Members of the Wild Thang team show off their Sourcing City accolade

 

Brand clothing, merchandise and print specialist Wild Thang has been named one of the top distributors in the UK by its industry peers.

Bootle-based Wild Thang had already figured in the nationally recognised Sourcing City rankings in previous years. But now, for the first time, the business is in the top 10 for the £3m and above turnover category.

Founder and managing director Andrew Dwerryhouse said his team is delighted with the accolade off the back of a “fantastic” 2024 when the firm started to see a return on the £2m-plus investment into the company in the past five years.

“This recognition from Sourcing City celebrates our dedication to service excellence, ethical business practices, and the incredible partnerships we have built with our supply chain,” said Andrew.

Sourcing City’s awards are widely recognised in the industry for showing how well both suppliers and companies in the branded merchandise sector are regarded by each other.

Both sides of the industry vote for the companies they believe offer leading quality, service and integrity.

Wild Thang provides branded materials to multiple blue-chip clients including McDonald’s, LFC, Vimto, Paddy Power and retail giant B&M. It was founded with a £1,500 Princes Trust loan in 1996 and now employs more than 50 people.

Just before the pandemic Andrew and his team embarked on a planned £2m expansion of its Bootle headquarters. Despite COVID almost shutting down the economy they decided to keep faith and push on with the investment.

That decision has paid off with the firm enjoying year-on-year growth while also making a huge commitment to sustainability & ESG. This has seen its roof covered in solar panels and a big shift towards selling products from sustainable sources.

In November 2024, Wild Thang unveiled its new website to a Liverpool business audience.

This highlighted its 19-strong category product range which includes clothing, pens and stationery, drinkware, tech and gadgets, keyring and badges, bags, gift sets and confectionery and foods. It offers multiple  ‘lower-eco impact options’.

 

Andrew Dwerryhouse
Andrew Dwerryhouse, founder of Wild Thang in Bootle. Picture by Tony McDonough

 

There has also been international expansion with new bases opened in the Republic of Ireland and New Jersey in the US. Its efforts have led to multiple awards including the Sustainable Business of the Year award at the Liverpool Chamber Innovation in Business Awards in late October.

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Andrew added: “2024 was a real year of progress and we are thrilled that 2025 has started with this piece of amazing news. This is a huge achievement for us and a vindication of what we call ‘the Wild Thang way’.

“Its a massive milestone for our team. It’s a testament to the hard work, passion, and commitment to being a trusted supplier delivering one world-class solution.”

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