It's not unusual to here"nothings made in the UK anymore" or claims that our manufacturing industry is dead. For those starting their own business, it can be difficult to ignore the fact that they're likely to find a manufacturer in the Far East that can produce the same product for a fraction of the cost.
When searching for a manufacturer of his new Pinocchio-inspired push pins design, Duncan Shotton gave "Dufort Associates" - a Wadebridge based injection molder, the contract to manufacture 2000 push pins when they beat the Far East on both speed and quality, as well as the numerous other benefits of working with a partner from your own country.
Although the tooling and moldings weren't cheap (each one requires a technician to manually load a metal pin, which the plastic is then formed around), Duncan re-designed the product to honour a higher retail price.
After being molded in Cornwall in white, they are brush painted to exquisite detail, by hand, by the designer himself, in his Tokyo studio.
Each limited edition (x1000) pack of two "Real Boys" comes in beautiful packaging that bares it's own unique serial number.
So, when you next hear someone moan about the downward-spiral of the UK economy, remind them that we can fight back, and it can start with businesses in Cornwall.
More information : http://dshott.co.uk/RealBoy
