Black Country entrepreneur recovers from £50k burglary and expands into new warehouse

A Black Country business that creates and supplies light-up shoes and accessories for the youth market nearly collapsed after losing more than £50,000 in a burglary two years ago.

But Love Innovations, which trades as Flash Wear, quickly recovered and is now expanding into a new warehouse.

Flash Wear is currently preparing its new base in a unit on the GK Davies Industrial Estate in Lye, Stourbridge, a 2,398 sq ft space which will replace a smaller property in Gornal and four 40ft containers where its products are currently stored.

Jon Gupta, who runs the business with his wife Chelsea, said: “Flash Wear creates, designs and sources the best light-up shoes on the market, along with the latest must-have styles of LED masks, clothing and accessories.

“But we were nearly wiped out after our original premises in Stourbridge were burgled back in 2017.

“The door was ripped off and the whole place was ransacked, with all our goods and piles of cash stolen, and because of complications at the property the insurance never paid out, so we lost everything.

“Thankfully, because of the popularity of our products, we recovered, and we’ve been trading from a small premises and until now have been adding extra containers for storage.

“We’re really grateful to Angela at Bulleys for finding us the new unit on the GK Davies Industrial Estate, as this is a great building in a secure location that we are adapting for our use.”

As well as the shoes and clothing equipped with LED lighting, the Gupta business duo also operate a hoverboards business and an events business.

Gupta added: “Basically the kids love the LED shoes and hoverboards, and we hold huge discos in Stourbridge which are really popular for the seven to 12-year-olds wearing our products.

“We’re also growing revenues from selling our gear at rock festivals across the country where people of all ages love wearing LED shoes and products.”

Angela Holland, agency assistant at Bulleys, said: “We’re always delighted to help young, fast-expanding businesses to grow by finding them the right places to operate from.

“As well as needing a bigger space, Flash Wear also required an established business park with good security to provide a safe place to store their products, and we now look forward to watching their expansion.”

Bulleys negotiated the letting on the GK Davies Industrial Estate for £7,200 per annum on a three-year lease on behalf of the landlords, Davro Steel.

Davro Steel was advised by George Green Solicitors in Cradley Heath, while Love Innovations acted for themselves.

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