Wall art firm to double staff

1Wall, which designs and distributes eye-catching murals, has acquired new, larger premises, thanks to support from Yorkshire Bank.

Established in 2012 and owned by brothers Scott and Gavin Jones, it recently secured a funding package of £340,000 to support a move to Kincraig Court in Blackpool from Fox Industrial Estate off Holyoake Road.

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

The duo began with a trade launch of just 12 designs but the success of the product was evident when major retailers like Argos and Wilkinsons said they were interested in placing orders.

The brothers managed to secure a number of major licensing agreements from brands such as LIFE magazine, Moto GP, DreamWorks, VW and Discovery Channel to use huge photographs and images of everything from landscapes, cityscapes to football club images and classic photographs of movie stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe.

The business, which has 13 employees, currently sells more than 300 mural designs and turnover for this year was £2.1m.

After just three years in business, 1Wall now sells to more than 600 independent interior stores across the UK and exports its products internationally to more than 30 countries.

Most recently the company secured a deal with B&Q to supply a range of exclusive designs to all of its UK stores.

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.

“We’re continually innovating to keep ahead of interior trends and to ensure that we’re creating the right products.

“Maps have always been an incredibly popular line for us and in January this year, we launched a new concept called creative collage, which brings something completely new to the market.

“We are now also looking into creating bespoke designs and sizes in response to customer demand.”

The deal was overseen by Andy Nurse, relationship manager at Yorkshire Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre in Preston.

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.”