A UNIQUE sock brand owned by two Warrington brothers has been catapulted to fame after the pair appeared on BBC One’s Dragons’ Den.
Stockton Heath business Stand Out Socks was founded by brothers Christian and Ross Laing.
The aim of the brand, which sells bright patterned socks and clothing, to raise awareness of Down syndrome which Ross was diagnosed with at birth.
And with a mission of becoming the leading employer for people with disabilities in the UK.
Business owners Ross, Christian and his partner Natalie Dixon appeared on the hit BBC One show looking for an investment of £30,000 for a 25 per cent share in the business from one of the Dragons.
The trio were successful in their pitch and the episode which aired on January 4 saw them secure funding from both Peter Jones and Steven Bartlett who invested £15,000 in return for 12.5 per cent shares in Stand Out Socks.
And now Mr Bartlett has been into the offices to help push the brand forward.
The Dragons' Den appearance catapulted Stand Out Socks into the spotlight, generating overwhelming interest in their unique business model.
The company's commitment to inclusivity and empowerment was further showcased as they announced the addition of two more staff members with Down Syndrome into paid roles.
Jodie and Mark will join Oliver and Martha, who joined the team in October 2023.
Inspiration behind the brand Ross shared his excitement stating he is now ‘Ross the boss’. He said: "Happy with our Stand Out Socks crew, love coming to work, saving up for a trip to Tokyo Japan. I'm Ross the boss now."
Co-founder Christian expressed gratitude for the transformative experience on Dragons' Den, saying: "Appearing on Dragons' Den was a great experience. Steven, Peter and their teams have been instrumental in helping us reach this new exciting chapter, and we are immensely proud of our partnership."
Despite recent controversies surrounding Dragons' Den, Stand Out Socks praised the show for enabling this positive change.
The BBC has added a clarification to a later episode of Dragons' Den after concerns were raised the show promoted "unfounded" claims that a product could help myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).
In the episode, which aired on January 18, businesswoman Giselle Boxer said she had used "diet, acupuncture, Chinese herbs and ear seeds" to aid her recovery from ME, and had turned the latter idea into the brand Acu Seeds.
After ME campaign groups complained about the pitch, the broadcaster took the episode off its streaming platform so it could review its contents.
Other co-founder, Natalie Dickson added: "We are eternally grateful to the support of our customers, investors, and amazing staff. Our little sock company with its big message of inclusion is creating a wave of change, and we thank the BBC Dragons’ Den for giving us the platform to share our story."
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