Shropshire toy specialist celebrates record breaking year with new toy range
A Shropshire businessman who creates adapted toys for youngsters with special needs today launched his new range as he revealed a record-breaking year for the company.
Dr Mike Taylor, who runs Excitim in Market Drayton, said the company had seen further solid growth in orders from UK and international customers and distribution partners throughout the year.
Dr Taylor, who adapts mainstream toys and electrical items for people with disabilities, said it had been a “phenomenal year” for his company.
His latest range released for Christmas includes popular Tolo toys which are adapted with large, easy to use switches for people whose disability means they cannot switch conventional toys on and off.
The adapted Tolo toys include First Friends Car and First Friends Pony Club, along with Gund toys including Thomas The Old McDonald Bear, Peek-a-Boo Dolly, ICalled Bear and Crawl With Me Turtle.
He has also adapted a radio controlled R2D2 toy as part of the limited edition Christmas range which is expected to be a sell-out.
Dr Taylor said: “This year has been phenomenal on all sides of the business. The sales of adapted toys have increased year-on-year with a particular spike since the start of the new academic term last month.
“I was asked to adapt speed boats for a Paralympics-style event at a Scottish hospital and I saw a young girl who first used my adapted model sailing yacht sail the real thing solo around the Isle of Wight.
“After the busiest year since the start of Excitim in 2007 we are preparing for a record breaking run up through Christmas and on until April and expect to exceed last year’s sales by around 15 per cent,” the 59-year-old said.
“For youngsters to be able to have the same mainstream toy as their sibling but adapted in a way so they can use it without any parental intervention is fantastic.
“Orders for adapted digital cameras, music systems and other electronics will keep us amazingly busy but it is such a joy to do as I know what a huge smile it will create on Christmas day.”
“At this time of year we start to receive enquiries from parents searching the internet desperate for new switch accessible toys and gadgets for their child. “We frequently get asked to deliver to the USA and Canada and last year we even shipped an adapted radio controlled car and camera to Port Stanley Hospital on the Falklands,” he added.
Excitim’s switch adapted toys were voted the “overall winner” in the inclusive play section of the Good Toy Guide 2009/10.
Dr Taylor’s products are now being distributed in Sweden, France, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands along with the UK.
