Greeting card legend Andrew Brownsword (of Forever Friends fame), Card Factory co-founders Dean and Janet Hoyle, IG Design Group’s founder Anders Hedlund and Jellycat co-founders William and Thomas Gateacre ensure that greeting card and gift entrepreneurialism is represented in the Sunday Times’ Rich List, which was published on Sunday (May 13).
This is the 30th anniversary of the Rich List, which claims to track the UK’s wealthiest individuals, couples or families.
Incredibly, the industry’s only four entries appear on two pages of the 160 page publication which was distributed with the Sunday newspaper.
Andrew and Christina Brownsword topped the ‘greeting card list’ cited as the 423rd most wealthy UK inhabitants, with their interests valued at a very conservative £295 million. The couple sold their successful card publishing interests to Hallmark for an estimated £165 million in 1994 and have since turned their attentions to developing their hotel concerns.
Appearing on the same page of the List, Dean and Janet Hoyle (pictured at top), who founded Card Factory come in ranked as 427th, against another conservative estimate of £290 milllion. Although no longer involved in Card Factory, Dean Hoyle is now a major shareholder and chairman of The Works as well as owner of Huddersfield Town FC.
A few pages on and Gatacre brothers William and Thomas, co-founders of Jellycat receive their just deserts for their winning take with their plush and gift company, appearing in 723rd position, valued at £155 million.
Although his business interests are now a lot broader than the own brand cards, wrap, crackers and stationery that IG Design supplies to retailers, Anders Hedlund retains a stake in the company he co-founded back in 1979 with his (and his family’s) wealth put at £153 million, 761st in the top 1,000 Rich List.
