Exciting year ahead for Shropshire toy manufacturer
Bosses of Shropshire-based adapted toy manufacturer Excitim were today preparing for a record-breaking year after the busiest festive season in the history of the company.
Dr Mike Taylor and his wife Gloria worked around the clock at their base in Market Drayton to get the “phenomenal” amount of orders out in time for Christmas delivery.
He said they would now be building on the success of 2012 to focus on the expansion of the number of firms it sells to across the world including on-going discussions with a company in Spain.
Dr Taylor has enjoyed the busiest year since the launch of his company, which adapts mainstream toys and assistive technology equipment for people with special needs, in 2007.
He and his wife adapt the toys with large specially-adapted switches to enable the user, with complex learning needs or disabilities, to work the toy independently.
With the orders they have already placed until April, Dr Taylor expects business to be up by at least 15%.
Dr Taylor, who has won awards for his specialist work: “It is a very exciting time for the company and I am looking ahead to significantly driving the business forward.
“I really want to expand the number of companies re-selling Excitim’s toys and to see the business dramatically grow.
“What 2013 will create for Excitim I do not know as of yet as 2012 was such an unprecedented year for us.
“In the weeks up until Christmas we did not have a spare hour so we will have to prepare for that or more in 12 months’ time.
“This small business based in Market Drayton really could be a world leader and that thought is what drives us to continue the growth in orders from our customers in the UK, international customers and distribution partners.”
The 59-year-old said it was one of the most rewarding jobs after often receiving letters of thanks from parents, grandparents or the user thanking them for giving them that much wanted independence.
“We will certainly be vastly expanding our product range in 2013 and visiting toy fairs to meet existing suppliers to find out the latest toy trends on the market.
“It is vital we are on top of what are the latest toys on the market so we can look at adapting them for people who cannot use the mainstream products.”
Excitim has created a number of adapted products, including remote controlled boats for a para-Olympics event at a national spinal injury unit in Scotland and the first radio controlled model yacht for a 15-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who went on to sail solo around the Isle of Wight.
