THIS week’s trader of the week is Crafter’s Companion, a craft retailer which was set up by Sara Davies, of Dragons’ Den fame, and Simon Davies.
The business is based on Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe, and employs more than 200 members of staff across the UK and USA.
Crafter’s Companion was founded by Sara Davies in 2005, while she was studying for a business degree at York University.
During a placement at a small craft company, Sara noticed that crafters were using ill-fitting white envelopes for their handmade cards. She spotted a gap in the market for a tool that could create bespoke envelopes of different sizes, allowing the crafter to personalise their envelopes.
With help from her retired engineer father, Sara designed and launched a ground-breaking craft product called The Enveloper.
After securing a slot on TV shopping channel Ideal World, The Enveloper became an instant hit, selling 1,500 in the first ten minutes and 30,000 units within six months of the initial demonstration. This demand led Sara to develop her first line of innovative products for the craft market. She left university with a first-class honours degree and a business turning over half a million pounds.
Today, Crafter’s Companion is a leading craft supplier and global retailer. The company sells its products through its three websites, US, UK and trade, its own outlets, independent retailers and TV shopping channels.
The company has a UK headquarters and store in Newton Aycliffe, outlets in Evesham, Chesterfield and Colne, a head office in Corona, California, and employs 180 people worldwide
The firm has enjoyed some memorable moments including a move to new, bigger premises in 2016, the same year Ms Davies was awarded an MBE for services to the economy. Last year marked the employment of the 200th employee and Sara’s new role in Dragons’ Den as the show’s youngest investor.
In March this year, Crafter’s Companion won a Queen’s Enterprise Award for International Trade.
Plans for the future include the introduction to the UK of newly-acquired US-based business called Totally Tiffany, which sells a wide variety of multi-use organisation and storage products.
The firm has recently bolstered the schedule of shows on its digital channel, Crafter’s TV, to seven days a week.
The focus will also be on creating and delivering crafting digital content on the website branded as Crafter’s TV. The firm’s on-site studio space has been developed significantly throughout the past year and has taken on a number of new staff.
The Northern Echo understands many firms are currently operating under challenging circumstances, but we hope to use Trader of the Week to support local businesses. To see your business featured on our pages and on our website, please email jo.kelly@newsquest.co.uk
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