1Wall to move premises and double workforce

A Blackpool-based wall mural designer and distributor is looking to double its workforce following the acquisition of larger premises.

The brothers identified a gap in the market for quality yet affordable wall murals while working at their established family owned wallpaper and home furnishing business.

Integral to 1Wall’s success has been securing a number of major licensing agreements from brands such as LIFE magazine, Moto GP, DreamWorks, VW and Discovery Channel. The business, which has 13 employees, currently sells more than 300 mural designs and turnover for this year was £2.1m.

Director Scott Jones said: “We had outgrown our old premises and it was beginning to restrict our business ambitions because we simply didn’t have the room to store large orders. Moving to these new premises will allow the business to grow in new directions and we are grateful to Yorkshire Bank for the support. The expansion also means we are looking to double our workforce to meet demand across all areas of our business.”

Ian Hardman, head of Yorkshire Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre in Preston, said: “The Jones family have been longstanding customers of Yorkshire Bank and we are thrilled to be able to support Scott and Gavin – the next generation of this entrepreneurial family – as they enter a significant landmark in their business plan.

Yorkshire Bank recently launched a series of lending initiatives for UK businesses, designed to encourage growth for new and existing customers. As well as capital-free periods for up to five years, the Bank has also introduced high percentage funding for businesses to purchase trading premises. Yorkshire Bank has strengthened its support for UK SMEs by becoming the first to partner with the British Business Bank under its ENABLE Guarantees scheme. Up to £125m of new lending by Yorkshire Bank will help more small businesses achieve their growth ambitions.