32 Empowering young minds Debra Tiffany, Marketing Manager of Brainstorm Ltd talks about the ever-expanding business bursting with creativity, inspiring kids and parents alike Tell us a little bit about the company. Where are you based? When did the company start? Brainstorm Ltd is a leading supplier of fun and educational toys based in Clitheroe, Lancashire. The company was founded back in 1995. Who founded the company and why? The business was established by Rosanne Kenealy in 1995 as the European distribution arm of a USbased educational company, Dowling Magnets. It was acquired by the families of the current directors in 2003 when the company name was changed to Brainstorm Ltd. What prompted you to launch the business? Rosanne already had a relationship with the US parent company Dowling Magnets and together they came up with a plan to form a UK-based sales, marketing and distribution hub for its educational products. Rosanne recently retired and Nick Saunders and Julie Greenwood (Rosanne’s sister) continue to run the growing firm. As well as working together for many years, Nick grew up with Julie and Rosanne as neighbours in the Northeast Lancashire village of Higham attending the same schools and sixth form college. How has the company evolved? Under our portfolio and available for distribution worldwide, we have the Brainstorm Toys range of fun science toys, designed to entertain children and to inspire them to explore the world around them. We’ve evolved significantly over the years, adding to our Brainstorm Toys range and acquiring The Original Glowstars Company brand which includes the original paper glow-in-thedark stickers and a whole range of Glow Kits, Glow 3D and Cosmic Glow. We also distribute several extremely successful ranges in the UK and ROI including StikBot, KLiXX, Aqua Dragons, The Natural History Museum and PAW Patrol licensed ranges and eco-friendly crafts craze EUGY. In recent years we’ve expanded our ranges to include more arts and crafts which has opened up even more retail channels for us and this year have launched Water Art and Create N Colour. What do you specialise in? While we’ve diversified our product portfolio, engaging educational products remain our core offering. Talk us through the current products you’re particularly excited about. Do you have a favourite? Our brand-new Water Art range was a huge hit when we launched it at the trade shows at the start of the year. We also have the cute Create N Colour collection
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