A RUTHIN business is a finalist in the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce Recognition Awards for 2021.

Lavinia Stamps, established in 2005, will be in the the Business Growth Award category at the ceremony on November 12.

The business began when founder artist Tracey Dutton started to design stamps for the card making industry and they have never looked back.

Over the last year Lavinia Stamps has increased business by over 130% and now export to over 35 countries worldwide, direct to individual retail customers, and specialist independent retailers.

Trading predominantly online with a small retail shop and gallery, their customer base has grown significantly which has benefited from an increased presence on social media platforms with over 3-million-page hits and over 200,000 unique visitors in the last twelve months alone.

Andrew Peers at Lavinia Stamps said of the recognition: “The last 18 months have been unpredicted for any business, and I believe that we have been fortunate that we offer unique products that we have delivered direct to our consumers to allow them to escape into a world that they love, the world of crafting.

"We have seen this by the increased amount of social media posts that we have received of their creations during this time. We have established a huge online community of crafters who offer encouragement to one another. It has been wonderful to see.”

The Business Growth Award Category is open to businesses of all sizes and recognises those that have experienced exceptional growth in sales, profit, market share, jobs, or international trade. Judges will be looking for an organisation that can demonstrate the highest levels of growth with a strong plan for sustainable financial performance.

Lavinia Stamps’ increase in sales has given rise to the recent acquisition of new premises which will facilitate the opportunity for further expansion including taking on additional staff members.

Andrew added: “There are a range of new and unique products coming on stream over the next few months that will have a significant impact on widening our market and increasing brand awareness.

“We still think of ourselves as a small business and getting to where we are now has been down to the hard work and dedication of our 11-strong workforce and I think we all feel this has been a tremendous achievement to even make the awards shortlist.

“All of us at Lavinia Stamps are very much looking forward to the future and relish the opportunity to continue this fantastic journey. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone the best of luck at the awards.”

To find out more about Lavinia Stamps you can visit their website at https://laviniastamps.com/