Big increase in orders prompts expansion for Wolverhampton firm

MASSIVE growth in the DIY wedding decorations and baby christenings sector has helped a Wolverhampton firm double the size of its operation.

Perfect Tables, which supplies products and services to the sector, has seen a 30% increase in orders and is targeting a record £500,000 turnover.

To support growth, the firm has moved into a new office and distribution centre at Merryhills Enterprise Park. The £30,000 investment has given the firm 2,500 sq ft of additional space to house over 10,000 favours, cake toppers, keepsake books, ribbons, confectionery, stationery and other items.

Run by partners Mandy Hopkins and Ricky Watkins, the company has also launched a dedicated showroom to illustrate some of the latest designs and trends.

“I started the business in 2010 after giving birth to twins, so that I could still work, but also spend time bringing my children up,” said Ms Hopkins, who was previously an export manager for two industrial companies.

“Turnover was about £25,000 in the first year, but that quickly grew over the following twelve months and we quickly realised we needed some storage space for our rapidly growing range.”

While serving the UK, the firm is now targeting expansion in Europe where it believes there is strong potential for its business.

It uses an extensive network of contacts to source thousands of ‘on trend’ products not readily available on the high street and this has led to an extensive client base featuring major hotels, party planners, cake decorators and a resurgent Asian market.

Mr Watkins said: “There has been a lot of interest since our move and this has definitely turned into new orders, so much so that we’ve actually doubled our workforce in the last three months.

“In addition to the physical premises, we have also invested heavily in launching a new e-commerce website boasting a state-of-the-art shopping facility and will complement our work on Amazon and e-bay.”