Toy company sets sights on job creation
A BLACKPOOL-based toy company that specialises in creating personalised gifts for children is taking on more staff after expanding its product range.
Cubbies sells a range of soft toys which independent embroiders can buy and embellish – making them into personalised toys.
The business, set up by Lee White in 2013, employs seven staff and expects that to increase to 10 as it prepares to launch a new product range of animal-themed backpacks complete with a face, arms and legs which, like the stuffed toys, can be personalised.
The backpack range has now been designed and White is in talks with manufacturers to get them produced.
The company received help from the UCLan Innovation Clinic, a part of Boost Business Lancashire, to refine his product range and establish a look and feel with a unique shape that could easily identify the teddies as being Cubbies.
White said: “The Innovation Clinic has been very supportive in helping get this new product off the ground. Together we came up with the concept and how it might look. They also developed CAD images and pattern design and have supported me to produce a prototype at UCLan which I am now using to show factories for production, I am just finalising the updated designs and we hope to launch the range by the end of the year.”
Iain Martin, project manager at the UCLan Innovation Clinic, said: “Our work with Cubbies started with support to evolve the core teddy range and led to us working alongside Lee on designing a totally new product range -this is a great example of how one element of business support can springboard on to other areas making sure businesses receive the best support to reflect their plans.”
The UCLan Innovation Clinic has received £1.4m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
