Industrials & Support Services
IG Design plc
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Company Description
IG Design Group is a global company, which designs, manufactures and distributes products that help customers to celebrate life's special occasions. Its product offering comprises five main product categories: Celebrations (gift wrap, crackers, bags and cards), Gifting, Stationery, Craft & Creative Play, and Not-for-resale consumables (principally paper bags for retailers). The group produces both own design and licensed product. IG Design works with more than 11,000 customers globally and its products are stocked in more than 210,000 retail outlets in over 80 countries. Of its FY20 revenue, 35% was manufactured in-house and 65% was sourced externally. Its biggest market, following the acquisitions of Impact Innovations in 2018 and of CSS Industries in 2020, is the USA, followed by the UK, Europe and Australia.
Investment Summary
IG Design is a customer-focused, industry leading operator in what remains a very fragmented global market. The group therefore has significant opportunities to grow, both organically and through acquisition. Acquisitions deliver either increased scale in existing categories, or new product categories and/or new retail customers, which can be leveraged across the wider group, driving further operating efficiencies. The significant Impact and CSS acquisitions have been swiftly and successfully integrated, delivering synergy benefits ahead of target and schedule. The group’s three strategic pillars to deliver sales and profit growth are working with retail winners, design & innovation and efficiency & scale. The group’s experienced management team has a strategic and focused approach to delivering increased shareholder value with clearly defined and quantified Key Performance Indicators.
Recent Content

Top-line growth remains robust, with focus fixed on realigning costs and margins
27/04/2022
IG Design Group’s post-close trading update for FY22 showed a strong 10% like-for-like group sales increase to $963m, […]

Robust demand…
26/01/2022
IG Design Group’s trading update for the nine months to 31 December 2021 reports a continuation of contrasting […]

Strong demand…offset by supply chain and cost headwinds
23/11/2021
IG Design Group’s interim results reflect a challenging trading period despite strong underlying demand. Group revenue rose by […]

Supply chain disruption and cost pressures drive forecast cut
26/10/2021
IG Design Group has issued a trading update for the first six months of FY22E. Sales rose by […]

Resilient revenue growth
24/08/2021
The positive start to FY22E outlined at the June prelims has continued with the Group reporting strong LFL […]

Delivering increased profits
15/06/2021
IG Design Group delivered another year of profit growth, at both adjusted and reported levels, despite the vicissitudes […]

A strong final quarter
21/04/2021
IG Design Group’s post close trading update confirmed a continuation of robust trading in Q4, with FY21 revenues […]

Christmas duly delivered
25/01/2021
Group revenues rose by 35% to around $737m for the nine months (9M) to 31 December, with year-on-year […]

Better than expected H1 profits
24/11/2020
IG Design Group delivered H1 adjusted operating profit and adjusted PBT increases of 13% and 16% to $32.4m […]

H1 to deliver ahead of expectations
19/10/2020
IG Design Group’s H1 trading update for the six month period to 30 September has delivered both top […]
Company Management Team
Lance Burn
Interim COO
Lance joined the Board in October 2012. Lance is the CEO of Design Group Americas and Design Group International. Lance’s previous roles included directing businesses for Rank Hovis McDougall plc, Saint Gobain Solaglas UK and also international overseas‑based roles for PepsiCo International in Africa and India. Managing businesses both in the UK and abroad across a number of industry sectors. Business integration and overseas operations.
Giles Willits
Chief Financial Officer
Giles has more than 20 years’ experience in senior leadership and financial roles in multiple household name businesses. He was most recently the CFO of Entertainment One Ltd (LSE: ETO), having joined prior to its IPO on AIM in 2007. Giles was also formerly Director of Group Finance at J Sainsbury plc and Woolworths Group plc and qualified as a chartered accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Giles sits on the Board of Shearwater Group plc as a Non‑Executive Director.