Sketchbook firm Pink Pig doubles premises size

Pink Pig, which is currently based in Emley, near Huddersfield, has taken on a 15,000 sq ft premises at Dodworth Business Park, almost doubling the size of its current base.

The firm currently has turnover of £1.4m and produces around 700,000 sketchbooks a year.

It hopes to boost this four-fold to almost three million in the next five years.

Pink Pig managing director Nick Wilson said: “We’ve moved to consolidate our whole operation; update, streamline and expand production.”

The company was founded by Mr Wilson 23 years ago. It now sells its range of sketchbooks to 1,700 secondary schools and colleges across the UK.

The business is now a main supplier for the education market.

Mr Wilson said: “Every art student needs a good sketchbook and schools need to be able to supply them.

“We meet that demand and our catalogues are sent to heads of art at state and private schools from Inverness to Penzance.”

The firm also sells through art shops and direct to artists across the UK and overseas via its own website and e-commerce channels such as Amazon.

“I reckon there are about five million Pink Pig sketchbooks out there in use at this time and that is great,” Mr Wilson said.

Pink Pig was supported by Enterprising Barnsley in its latest relocation. The European-funded programme is delivered by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council to support small businesses and start-ups in the town.