Alan Halsall: The surprising potential in old prams

Once an icon of British industry, pram maker Silver Cross fell foul of the changing times. So, Alan Halsall resurrected and modernised the business that hasn't stopped growing since.

Not every budding entrepreneur would jump on a failed old-fashioned pram business. But when Alan Halsall, 58, who held the licence to sell toy versions of the real thing, saw Silver Cross go bust in 2002, he spotted an opportunity.

"It had been a great business but it got into trouble because it didn't move with the times. Its competitors were making products in the Orient while it still had all its production in Britain." Halsall bought Silver Cross's intellectual property, branding and some plant equipment for £500,000. "It was a good price."

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James McKeigue

James graduated from Keele University with a BA (Hons) in English literature and history, and has a certificate in journalism from the NCTJ. James has worked as a freelance journalist in various Latin American countries.He also had a spell at ITV, as welll as wring for Television Business International and covering the European equity markets for the Forbes.com London bureau. James has travelled extensively in emerging markets, reporting for international energy magazines such as Oil and Gas Investor, and institutional publications such as the Commonwealth Business Environment Report. He is currently the managing editor of LatAm INVESTOR, the UK's only Latin American finance magazine.