A company that prides itself on supplying “ethical” educational outdoor play equipment to schools and nurseries is moving to a new £2 million warehouse.
Cosy Direct is leaving its current premises, The Chocolate Factory, in Siddalls Road, Derby, for a 45,000 sq ft, specially adapted building set in two acres of land on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border near Tutbury.
The new building, which will be called the Crater, will double the company’s current capacity.
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Eco-friendly features include rainwater harvesting and solar panels and it boasts a large green outdoors area complete with curved seating, a story circle and a fire pit.
Last year Cosy posted an £8.4 million turnover, and is working on growing over the coming months, including increasing exports six-fold and widening its product range and supply network, which is made up predominantly of small local companies.
Its former home will be taken over by Bustler Market, a monthly indoor street food venue.
Cosy Direct employs 80 people and was set up in 2011 by Peter Ellse, who wanted to establish an educational supplies company that was built along ethical lines, in order to promote a healthier learning culture for young children aged up to eight.
It supplies schools, councils and nurseries across the 海角视频 with thousands of items including climbing frames, reading shelters, story chairs and wooden counting blocks.
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It prides itself on its sustainable approach to business, with 87 per cent of its products sourced from the 海角视频 in order to reduce air miles.
It also has an emphasis on reusing and reinventing end-of-life products such as rubber tyres, of which it sells 10,000 every year by transforming them into mirrors, grass-covered seating or whiteboard circles.
Mr Ellse said: “The Chocolate Factory has served us extremely well and it will be a wrench to leave but we’re excited about Crater’s Edge because it has double the capacity and will allow us to showcase what we are really about.
“The move will also support our ambitious plans to grow our business, which have already started in earnest this year and will see us increase our operations levels, grow our export channels, add more depth to our board and grow our social media teams.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time, but although we are leaving Derby in body, we are staying in spirit, by continuing to back charitable and community causes that are important to us, while we will also be leaving a few Cosy products behind in the Chocolate Factory for Bustler’s to make use of, as part of a lasting legacy.”
Nick Walker, managing director of Cosy, said that it has taken the company 18 months to find its new premises, which are now undergoing substantial refurbishment ahead of the relocation.
He said: “We’re indebted to the professional and expertise of our commercial property agents, CPP, and their director, Sean Bremner, in helping us to make this move.
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“That fact that we’ve undergone a thorough process of buy and radical rebuild is the result of the confidence that we have from working with a professional like Sean, who has helped us to see the sites potential.
“We, and Derby, are lucky to have people like Sean.”
Cosy shares 10 per cent of its profits with charities and community initiatives in Derby and abroad, including Derby Kids Camp, Derby Book Festival and the YMCA, and sponsors five city children’s sports teams.
It has also funded sports coaching in The Gambia and sponsored students in order to pay for their education in Kenya.
It also rewards teachers that it works with by encouraging them to suggest new ideas for products and giving them a share of the royalties if they put their brainwave into production.