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BRAND PROFILE Festive Lights
Festive Lights have that
Twinkly feeling
One of the success stories in Christmas lighting is that of Festive Lights and their ‘Twinkly brand. So it was that I headed my car up the M1 and then M6 to meet Matt Higginson at the company’s Wigan warehouse. I must confess that it was my first visit to Wigan, it was whilst there on a business trip, Mark’s but once at the warehouse it was indeed a trip curiosity led him to the World trade show well worthwhile making. where he discovered Christmas lighting. With First and foremost, Festive is very much a a 15-year background retailing cut trees from family success story now in its 22nd year. Founder his self-made tree farm, the prospect of selling Mark Higginson along with his wife Margaret Christmas lighting wasn’t totally alien to the established the company in the family. With retail space available family’s home village of Charnock “The company truly in his then recently acquired Richard, near Chorley. Mark decided to order a are a family business. office, It is a brilliant story that I’m container for the approaching sure that Mark never envisaged millennium and on his return No less than four growing to include a 90,000sq. opened a Christmas shop. siblings Matt, Mark The lighting store proved very ft. warehouse plus a very healthy turnover of over £20 popular in the area and grew to junior, Martin and million. Originally a Forester, be the regions ‘go too’ specialists Mark’s car was stolen in the late Michelle along with and solidifying Festive lights LTD 80’s, so he decided to invent in 2004. Michelle’s husband a security device to ensure it The company truly are a never happened again. Matt family business. No less than Stephen make up a showed me this very clever four siblings Matt, Mark junior, 7-member board of Martin and Michelle along with device in bright yellow that fits snugly around the steering Michelle’s husband Stephen directors” wheel with a lock system that make up a 7-member board of makes it impossible to remove. The Disklok directors with each responsible for a key sector is still the strongest security lock in its class within the company. and the ethos of ‘building the best’ is carried Along with Steve, Matt showed me the very throughout the group. efficient picking and packaging system that With manufacturing relocated to Taiwan, ensured not only Festive products, but also a
50 christmas in january
From Left to right Stephen Alty (Company Director) Michelle Alty (HR Director) Mark Higginson (Managing Director) Margaret Higginson (Managing Director) Matt Higginson (Commercial Sales Director) Martin Higginson (Marketing Director) Mark Higginson (Purchasing Director) number of third-party companies. Along with over 100 fulfilment clients, their distribution centre is capable of dispatching 5000+ orders every day and operates at this level for the 8 weeks run up to Christmas. A new 8,000sq.ft dispatch extension with 3 loading bays had just been opened, further enhancing the company’s efficiency, turnaround times and growth demands. During the three-month pre-Christmas period, Festives’ employees swell to over 100
christmasinjanuary.co.uk
