Funding deal safeguards ceramics manufacturer’s workforce
Stoke-On-Trent business Wade Ceramics has secured a £400,000 investment to help safeguard its current employees and allow the company to enter new partnerships and grow its product range.
Based in the heart of Britain’s ceramic industry, often referred to as the potteries, Wade Ceramics has been producing practical and ornamental homeware items for more than 200 years.
The company brings to life iconic brands such as Cadbury, Boots and the Mr Men and Little Miss range by creating collectables which are sought after across the world.
Most recently, the company’s quirky iconic Gluggle Jug product was featured on celebrity Gok Wan’s “Isolation Nation” Instagram feed.
Paul Farmer, managing director of Wade Ceramics, said: “The year 2020 was a complete mixed bag for Wade, with certain markets struggling with the impact of the worldwide pandemic, offset by other markets showing rapid growth. The Gluggle Jugs we both manufacture and sell are growing exponentially and we need to increase production and staff. This loan will help in this area as well as helping to rebuild our other markets as we move forward into pre-pandemic levels of demand.”
The company secured the finance from The Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), provided by The FSE Group, Debt Finance Fund, and backed by the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).
Kerry Haughton, investment manager at The FSE Group, which manages the MEIF Debt Finance Fund, added: “Paul and his team are highly experienced and passionate about staying at the top of their game. Wade’s Ceramics are all carefully crafted and their latest designs keep up with current trends which appeal to new customers. And who can forget the classic Natwest piggy banks which made the promotion that ran through the 80’s and 90’s the most successful UK banking promotion ever. It was a pleasure to be able to source the MEIF funding for Paul so that the business can continue to grow and create beautiful keepsakes.”
