A playground equipment specialist based in Burnley is celebrating after starting 2024 off the back of a record-breaking 12 months which saw them turnover an impressive £9.1 million.
ESP Play, the UK leader in its industry and based in Eastham Place, posted a remarkable growth of 40 per cent from the previous year, having completed work on 712 playgrounds in 2023, against 579 in 2022.
This year, the business has set an ambitious target of achieving 25 per cent growth, with the projection of £12.5m in turnover.
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Founded in 2003, ESP Play specialises in the design, manufacture, and installation of playground equipment.
In addition to designing high-quality play areas for early years, primary, and secondary schools, it operates a commercial division, catering for a variety of playground equipment for businesses, housing developers, local authorities, and public play areas.
Andrew Wood, the company’s managing director, said: “2023 was a tremendous success for the company as a whole and for our people.
"The substantial growth we’ve achieved needs to be attributed to our dedicated team, who not only contribute to the business’ expansion but also thrive on continuous development and achievement.
“The way we acknowledge high performance and nurture and retain top talent is something we are very proud of at ESP Play.
“Professional development, health and wellbeing, and employee engagement play a huge part in our culture and it’s no surprise that our latest HR survey reveals that 100 per cent of staff find their role both exciting and challenging.”
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Despite its success and growth, Andrew says there is still plenty of work to be done in the industry.
He said: “Providing appropriate play provision for children with special educational needs is a huge challenge.
"The demand for SEN support both in and out of the classroom is on the rise yet many don’t have access to the correct outdoor environment.
“Our goal is to help all children enjoy physical activity with the correct and appropriate equipment.”
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