It was a happy Valentine’s Day for Wild Thang.
As the completion of its major development plan and a new era with the handover of its upgraded headquarters, that dream started to become a reality on Valentine’s Day when Frank Rogers Building Contractors officially handed over the new build offices of the development.
Andrew Dwerryhouse said: “This represents a major step forward for the business and it is amazing to see this investment start to come to fruition. When you embark on a development on this scale, you take a deep breath. It’s a huge commitment in time, planning and of course monetary terms - 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 benefitting 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!
Both Frank Rogers and the architects at K2 have not let us down.
They have delivered a genuinely high quality job so far, especially with the added complexity of it being undertaken while we continue to manufacture. 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 and also 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.
Although Friday 14th February was the official handover for the project there are still some jobs that need to be completed. Another firm, Box Clever, has also been integral to the process, taking Wild Thang through the tender process and acting as the development project manager.
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 inthe 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.”
Main photo image is the handover image on reception stairs includes directors of Wild Thang, Box Clever & Frank Rogers
Other photo images of new offices and Wild Thang staff enjoying the new spaces