Founded on a moment of last minute ingenuity, The Wee Rhubarb Gift Co Ltd has grown from a Scottish spare room into a thriving, multi-faceted business supplying crafters, small businesses and event professionals across the UK. Now, just a year after launching, the company has expanded again with the introduction of TWR Acrylic – a specialist premium acrylic sheet supplier created after identifying a clear gap in the UK market. Investment in the latest Mimaki print hardware is enabling the business to add new products and services to an already impressive offering.



“We started the business almost by chance,” recalls director Claire Sutherland. “My daughter (and fellow director) Loren was getting married and less than 48 hours before the big day, the signage person let us down – they had the wrong date for the wedding! We redesigned everything and had it printed locally. The feedback was incredible and we thought, ‘actually, we’re quite good at this’”. At the time, Claire was working in a corporate role, but the experience sparked a complete career change. “I was ready for something different, so we took the plunge. We invested in a range of personalisation equipment and set up in my spare room.”

Now one year on, The Wee Rhubarb has expanded significantly. Operating from a workshop in Glasgow alongside a dedicated print setup in Dunfermline, the business supports a broad customer base through personalised products, print services and wholesale materials.

Earlier this year, the company launched TWR Acrylic after spotting a gap in the UK market for premium acrylic sheets in modern colour palettes and finishes that had become increasingly popular in the American crafting and signage industries.
“We could see incredible acrylic ranges being used by makers and small businesses in the US, but there was very little available in the UK that matched the same premium look and feel,” Claire explains. “We realised there was a real opportunity to bring those styles and colour palettes to the UK market making them accessible for crafters and small businesses.”

Today, TWR Acrylic’s core offering centres on high quality wholesale premium acrylic sheets tailored for crafters and small businesses who lack the tools or space to process larger materials themselves.

“We supply a wide range of premium acrylics at accessible prices,” Claire expands. “Our customers rely on us not just for materials, but for choice, consistency and service. That’s something we’ve taken seriously from the outset.” Alongside this, the company’s Print Studio arm now delivers bespoke printed graphics, particularly for the events sector, but with an increasing customer base across other industries. “Event companies frequently have fantastic designers, but they’re often not printers. Having someone reliable who understands their needs can make all the difference,” Claire explains.

With demand for custom print work increasing across both The Wee Rhubarb and TWR Acrylic, the team began exploring ways to bring more production in-house.  Claire and Loren’s research spanned multiple technologies, including solvent and UV, but an earlier investment in a lower cost UV DTF solution proved challenging. “We struggled with support,” says Claire. “We didn’t want to be stuck relying on web chats to another country when something went wrong. For us, having proper UK based technical backup became essential.”

That requirement played a key role in their decision to invest in the Mimaki JFX200-1213EX flatbed UV printer, purchased through authorised reseller Xpres following one of the company’s local events earlier this year. Having already seen the capabilities of the larger JFX200 model through a US based contact, the team had high expectations. “The print quality from the Mimaki was incredible. There was just no comparison,” Claire recalls. “When we saw it up close and understood what it could do, it really stood out.”

Of equal importance, the mid-size format of the JFX200-1213EX offered the flexibility they needed without limiting future growth. “We considered a smaller machine, but I knew we’d outgrow it quickly,” Claire explains. “The JFX200 gives us a longer term solution with a larger bed size and faster production speeds. It just opens us up to so much more.”
TWR Acrylic is already seeing steady growth in its print offering, with the ability to produce one off jobs and bespoke personalised items proving particularly valuable. Ranging from highly detailed event displays to retail signage, the new printer is enabling the company to expand its creative offering while supporting the wider growth of The Wee Rhubarb brand.

A recent project highlights this perfectly: a wedding table plan featuring hand drawn caricatures of each guest. “This is exactly the kind of work we love doing,” says Claire. “It’s unique, personal, and shows what’s possible with the right technology behind you.”

Looking ahead, Claire and Loren remain focused on growth and plan to launch their bespoke printed acrylic range in the next few months under the ‘Boundless by TWR’ brand.

“Great customer service is in our DNA,” Claire concludes. “We listen to our customers and are committed to staying true to the principles that shaped the business from the start. We want to offer a fantastic product, backed by the kind of support we expect ourselves. The new Mimaki printer has given us the confidence to take that even further.”

www.hybridservices.co.uk

Image shows TWR Acrylic director Claire Sutherland (centre) with daughter and co-director Loren Nelson-Parker (right) and mum/gran AngHynd.(left)