Costumes with Character, based in Stockport, has become a global success story in the entertainment industry over four decades, creating supersized costumes for sports mascots and TV characters. The company, which counts Manchester United's Fred the Red, Children in Need's Pudsey bear, Kellogg's Tony the Tiger, and SpongeBob SquarePants among its creations, started almost by accident in 1986.
Accidental Beginnings in a Didsbury Basement
Original owner Liz Milnes, now living in Australia, told the Manchester Evening News that she accidentally started the business in the basement of her Didsbury home. In 2014, she explained: "My husband Nigel is a graphic designer. In the 1980s, he was working with the fire brigade when they created the Wellyphant Safety Campaign. I was working in theatre at the time, but ended up making a big Wellyphant mascot costume, which then got taken on by all the fire brigades in the country."
Milnes added: "Mascots weren't really around in a big way at the time. Everyone imported them from America. So I quit theatre and set up the costume business at home." She initially named the company Situation Clothing, shortly after changing it to Costumes With Character (CWC) and expanding into a larger base at Wynnstay Grove, Fallowfield. In 2006, the business moved to its headquarters on Battersea Road, Heaton Mersey.
Employee Ownership and Growth
In 2018, rather than sell up, Milnes transferred the business into an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) to protect the future of its Stockport-based skilled workforce. Operations director Alison Dermott, 40, who has worked at the business for 14 years, said: "It is just a fun company. I always think if I am ever having a bad day, someone's frog is going to be late rather than a life or death situation." She added: "There is never a dull day. One day you could be talking to someone about making a giant squid, the next day you could be talking to someone about making a little puppy dog."
The company now employs 24 people and recently purchased its building, a move Dermott described as "another massive step." She said: "Liz previously owned it; she was getting to the point where she needed to sell the building, and we found ourselves in a position to go, well, can we buy it? Which was incredible. We never thought it would be possible. So that has further cemented us staying in the Stockport area and expanding operations from there."
Worldwide Clients and Licensed Characters
Costumes with Character creates bespoke mascots for brands, sports clubs, and attractions worldwide. Clients include LEGO, Mr Men, Kellogg's, Children in Need, Nickelodeon, PAW Patrol, My Little Pony, Disney, Butlins, Disneyland Paris, the BBC, Granada, Marks & Spencer, Alton Towers, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Selfridges. Dermott said: "I think as the company's gone on, we have started to see more and more of the licensed characters coming through as well, which is always really exciting. It is thrilling if you get granted permission to make a world-famous character costume."
One of Dermott's current favourite customers is Marks & Spencer and their characters Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar, because "they do so much on their social media with their characters." The company also produces puppets and props alongside costumes.
Financial Performance and Challenges
From humble beginnings, the company now turns over around £1.6 million a year. The Employee Ownership Trust means that anyone who has been with the company for a year qualifies as a member, giving them a say in day-to-day running and a profit share scheme. Profits are reviewed twice a year and paid out to employees tax-free up to £3,600.
Dermott noted challenges including clients' budgets and AI: "People have an AI design but not an AI budget. So that is always a challenge." Other challenges include the increase in National Insurance payments that came into effect in April last year.
Future Plans
Despite challenges, Dermott said the future looks rosy. The company is working to buy equipment to move more costume manufacturing in-house and expand their portfolio to include more licensed characters. "We are adding more and more to the roster of characters we can produce, so I think expanding that area is great. Just strengthening the business for the future of the business and the employees, ensuring that longevity is there," she added.
