Party Shop Supplies dressed for success with funding
A Stoke-on-Trent fancy dress shop has moved its China production line back to the Midlands after securing a five-figure loan from Michelin Development.
The funding allowed Party Shop Supplies, which trades as Charlie Crow, to buy new machinery for its manufacturing operation in Stoke-on-Trent.
About 80 per cent of its operations are now carried out at its North Staffordshire premises which will create four new jobs.
Fifty per cent of the companies manufacturing work had previously been based in China.
Sue Crowder, Party Shop Supplies' managing director, said: "By moving our production process back to our Stoke-on-Trent premises, it has enabled us to be more flexible in meeting the demands of the market.
"We can now produce new designs and styles that fit with the demands of the market, such as our new Kings and Queens range, which was generated in response to this year's royal wedding."
Party Shop Supplies is also planning to expand its geographical reach. Crowder said the company would enter the US and Australian markets and grow its current European footholds in 2012.
Mike Cole, Michelin Development director, said: "Party Shop Supplies have shown themselves to be a true progressive, forward thinking company by moving production of the vast majority of products back to Stoke-on-Trent from China, so as to match market demands and thus bucking the trend for the widely claimed demise of the UK manufacturing sector."
