A new company launched by a team of Midland entrepreneurs is aiming to bring luxury and class to the gift and stationery market.
Eximius, based in Tanworth-in-Arden, supplies hand-made personalised stationery, hand-embossed Christmas cards, high quality gifts, and desktop accessories.
The company has been formed by Karen Wallis and Guy Beauchamp, an IT expert who has developed website technology for a wide range of clients.
With a background in mapping and geographic information, he has spent more than 12 years providing strategic consultancy and web development services across a wide range of market sectors.
Ms Wallis, from Solihull, has many years experience of retail and business development.
She said the business would initially be internet-based and was aimed primarily at the UK and US markets, with plans being developed to expand into other European countries, particularly Germany.
"There is, we believe, a market both at home and overseas for discerning buyers who want the very highest levels of exclusivity and quality, and that is where Eximius' business will come from," she said.
The product range includes hand milled, cotton-based paper and stationery produced in one of the oldest paper mills in Europe. The mill, near Prague in the Czech Republic, has been producing paper since the 16th century. The stationery can be personalised using traditional engraving and die stamping processes.
The gift range, which can be viewed at www.eximius.com, includes gold plated desk accessories based on 1930s designs, Christmas and greeting cards, playing cards and gaming sets, picnic hampers with bone china crockery and high quality manicure sets made in the German precision-steel capital, Solingen.
Eximius also markets a range of family board games, themed wrist watches and a range of shaving accessories.
Guy Beauchamp said, "The one thing that distinguishes Eximius is that it markets the very best available in Europe. The sort of people we cater for are looking for affordable quality, but price won't be their main reason for purchasing.
"The very best quality doesn't come cheap."
