Doncaster-based House of Play, the world-leading manufacturer of indoor playgrounds and soft play equipment, is celebrating a record year of growth which saw the annual turnover increase from £750k to £1.4m having secured £15,000 of investment, thanks to the support of Business Doncaster, a partner of the Sheffield City Region Growth Hub Enhancement Project.
The Enhancement Project is aimed at supporting growth businesses and is financed by the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
Launched in 1994, House of Play has since been leading the way for indoor play equipment suppliers. Having invested in and developed new, cutting edge design technologies and manufacturing techniques, the business has increased its annual turnover by 86.7% and now installs well in excess of 1,000 play frames annually to its growing customer base across the globe.
The £15,000 investment that Business Doncaster’s Key Account Manager helped House of Play to secure contributed to the purchase of new equipment as well as allowing the firm to double the workforce in order to keep up with the spike in demand for its products on a global scale.
Formerly a team of 20, the now 30-strong force not only benefited from intensive one-to-one support from an Enhancement Project Key Account Manager, but also accessed the Project’s free Masterclasses that are delivered by private sector experts.
Director of House of Play, Kevin Bowles said: “The ongoing support we’ve received from Business Doncaster has been fantastic! Sue, our Key Account Manager, immediately got to know our current operation, delved into what we needed and understood what avenues could be available for us.
“After speaking to Business Doncaster one of the biggest changes for me is that we began to think like a bigger business right away, allowing us to review our processes and make some real improvements to our systems.
“2018 has been our most successful year to date and I look forward to continuing to work closely with Business Doncaster as we push for further expansion.”
Sue Harrison, Key Account Manager added: “It’s excellent to see the growth that House of Play has achieved following the investment they received and, having taken on more staff, we’re delighted that the regional economy has also benefited significantly.”
