A woolly hat maker who began knitting as a hobby has invested over £50,000 in machinery that will allow the business to increase and diversify its product range.
Wonky Woolies, founded by Alison Pottie, has had to move into larger premises in Kelso due to demand and now employs three members of staff and sells to customers across the UK.
The company, which began by designing and knitting handmade bobble hats, will now add to its product range to include scarves and headbands after securing the specialist equipment.
Wonky Woolies is undertaking a growth and marketing strategy, with the aim of increasing sales by 30 per cent from both consumer and corporate customers, backed by Business Gateway Scottish Borders.
Ms Pottie said: “When we decided to invest in machinery that would allow us to diversify and ensure sustainable practices, it meant we were committing to being long-term manufacturers of our collection.
"That led to us relocating back to my childhood home of the Borders from Glasgow to find suitable premises that would complement this, while placing us at the heart of the textile community in Scotland.
"We’ve grown organically throughout the last six years and we wanted to remain in control of our expansion in order to maintain the quality of our products."
Ms Pottie’s husband Graham joined the business last year, running the design suite and becoming a trained machine technician.
Sandra Campbell, of Business Gateway, said: “We identified that Wonky Woolies needed help around strategy and marketing that would allow the business to work to a defined and detailed plan.
"At the same time, Alison and Graham were undertaking a redesign of the company website, so it was the perfect time to access our DigitalBoost support and focus on getting a digital marketing plan also in place."
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