Investment signals growth for Teesside designer watch brand
A young Teesside-based entrepreneur has moved into her first premises
and is taking on employees following investment in her growing business.
Twenty-three-year-old Teri Ellington, from Teesside, started designer watch brand Ellington Timepiece from her bedroom with nothing more than a laptop and £80 in cash in 2017 before moving into a converted garage as the business grew.
How time flies
Three years on, thanks to an angel investor, Teri has moved Ellington Timepiece into new premises on Teesside, is taking on two employees and has ambitious plans to grow her collections and expand the business. Lawyers in our corporate team acted on behalf of the investor.
The funds will also enable Teri to expand her watch collections, which she sells to online retailers and in-store, and to buy glass tower display units to showcase her designer watches in shops. Teri also is traveling to a trade show in Switzerland in May this year.
Mental health matters
Teri, who suffered from agoraphobia, anxiety and depression when she was in her teens, named her first range of 300 watches – the Sheba collection – after her German Shepard therapy dog, and her brand focuses on raising awareness of mental health matters to help make a difference.
Her latest range of premium watches, the 600-strong stainless-steel Amare Collection, is named after the Latin word for love, and her business continues to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing issues.
Watch this space
Teri said: “I’m so excited for the future of my business. This investment has enabled me to move into my own office for Ellington Timepiece, with more space for stock and room for four people. I’m also taking on a PA and employing someone with experience in the watch industry to help keep the momentum going.
“My customers are based mainly in the UK, but my brand is really getting traction and I’m now getting enquiries and orders from Europe and America.
“To think when I was 16 that I was struggling to leave the house, and now I’m running my own business created around my love of watches and taking it to the next level!
“I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved so far, and I want to be able to inspire people and help them to chase their dreams and go for their goals.”
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