15th December 2006
FIRM FOUNDATIONS IN PLACE FOR DOLLS HOUSE MANUFACTURER

A unique Cornish business that produces beautifully detailed dolls houses which are sold throughout the UK and internationally is facing a bright future after securing vital funding from South West Investment Group.

The Dolls House Builder, which was created by former lorry driver Mark Wilcox 6 years ago after he brought and built a dolls house for his daughter, secured an interest free loan of £9,000 from SWIG, enabling the purchase of vital CNC machinery to produce all the elements of its houses ‘in house’.

Before receiving the funding, the company, which is based in Liskeard, had to outsource the production of the separate parts of its dolls house to a company in the West Midlands, reducing its profitability and productivity.

With everything from country Manor houses and Victorian shops to a Spanish Villa all produced in the most fantastic detail, the company is growing a reputation for high quality.

According to Mark, since securing the funding and being able to bring in its own CNC machinery, the business has gone from strength to strength.

“The CNC machinery has been a fantastic development for the business which has enabled us to bring all production in house, increase productivity and improve the levels of service and choice we can offer our customers.

“We knew the benefits that the machinery would bring, but it was a significant investment which we could just not meet on our own. We approached Ian Riddle at Enterprise Tamar and he helped us put together an application to SWIG which was successful, enabling us to purchase the machinery and computer equipment to run it,” said Mark.

The Dolls House Builder, one of only a handful of hand made dolls house builders in the UK, is now building a customer base stretching across the UK and internationally. After building the houses, which can cost anything from under £100 to several thousand pounds, Mark delivers them in person, ensuring they reach their destination safely.

“From day one we have placed a great deal of emphasis on customer service. Now we have the CNC machinery we have been able to increase this further and are reaping the rewards with growing demand for our products,” said Mark, who is planning to take on
extra staff in the New Year to cope with the increased levels of business.

John Peters, Fund Manager at South West Investment Group hopes the funding will now provide the company with the foundations on which to expand.

“We are delighted to have been able to provide support for a Cornish company which is not only developing a growing national customer base but also a reputation for excellence,” said Mr Peters.