Merseyside brand marketing specialist Wild Thang invests £250,000 in new hi-tech equipment at its Bootle production facility. Tony McDonough is the reporter
Wild Thang is investing £250,000 in new machinery for its Bootle plant as it increases capacity to meet growing demand from both UK and overseas customers.
Wild Thang is located close to the River Mersey and produces a large range of branded items, such as t-shirts. pens, baseball hats, mugs. coasters. bags.
Blue-chip clients include Vimto, SkyBet, McDonald’s, Princes Foods, LJMU and Paddy Power. The company also works for several Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and Everton.
Despite seeing a downturn during the pandemic the firm invested more than £2m in an upgrade of its headquarters. In the last year it has also opened a base in the Republic of Ireland and headcount has grown by around 25% – with more jobs on the way.
The firm has entered a new growth phase. LBN announced earlier this year how Wild Thang had installed solar panels to its roof. Now it is investing a further £250,000 in the latest machinery to increase production capacity and save energy.
Managing director Andrew Dwerryhouse, who founded the business with a grant from the Princes Trust, said: “At Wild Thang, we have always been committed to pushing boundaries and exceeding expectations in the world of printing and branding.
“So it is with great excitement and pride that we announce our significant investment in new machinery, solidifying our position as one of the biggest and best manufacturing hubs in the UK if not the world.
“In 2023, we are investing approximately £250,000 to enhance our capacity and so our team can embrace the latest innovative branding techniques, which will elevate us to new branding heights.”
The new kit comes with a V8 Direct To Film (DTF) machine and an industrial finishing unit. This uses inkjets for printing the image directly to film to create industrial retail quality textile transfer which is then heat-sealed to the fabric or garment.
The printer can print up to 24 square meters per hour. It has high-resolution capabilities, enhanced colour vibrancy, and high-speed printing. Wild Thang is able to offer customers faster turnaround time.
“It really places us at the cutting edge of the industry meaning we are able to brand on any type of apparel with a huge variety of branding methods,” added Andrew.
Wild Thang also purchased three new embroidery machines. These machines will boost the embroidery capacity, and will in particular help Wild Thang meet the growing demand for headwear.
A further two pneumatically programmable industrial heat presses were also added. This investment increases the production capacity of heat seals, which has seen a significant growth in demand.
Wild Thang acquired an extra forklift truck as well as a high-level picker vehicle. The firm has added more warehouse space, which offers increased safety and efficiency.
Andrew said: “Our commitment to sustainability is another important aspect of our investment. DTF printers like the V8 DTF use water-based inks that are environmentally friendly and reduce excess ink flow.
“And many models feature innovative features such as powder shakers or upgraded suction systems, reducing waste and promoting a greener approach to printing.
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Wild Thang invests in its staff, technology, branding, HQ, software and HQ.
“We know that with continued investment, we can continue to push the boundaries the world class Wild Thang way.”