24/09/2026
A personal update from CIK9…
CIK9 has never really felt like just a business to us. Over the years, so many customers have become friends, and a lot of you have known Ellen and me personally for a very long time. Because of that, this isn't something I wanted to simply gloss over with a generic business update.
After more than 26 years together, Ellen and I have separated and are going our separate ways.
We have four fantastic children together — Madison, Neve, Reece and Xander — and have an awful lot of memories from those years. And, of course, one of the things we built together along the way was CIK9.
So I wanted to take a minute to publicly thank Ellen for everything she's put into this business over the years.
A lot of what Ellen did probably wasn't always obvious from the outside.
I've generally been the face of the stall as well as the one hidden away doing the majority of the manufacturing, while Ellen was the person many of you actually spoke to. She answered your messages and emails, dealt with orders and confirmations, sorted and packed parcels, made sure I was making the right thing for the right person and generally kept everything moving in the right direction.
And if you've bought one of our Rabbit Twists, Ultimate Twists or any of the other twisted toys over the years, there's every chance Ellen was the one that made it.
She has been a large part of CIK9 and I genuinely want to thank her for the time, effort and work she's put into helping make the business what it is today.
From here, things are going to be a little different.
I'll be taking over the parts of CIK9 that Ellen previously handled, as well as continuing with the manufacturing side. I'm under no illusion that I'm going to instantly fill her shoes — particularly when it comes to how quickly she could answer messages, keep on top of orders and seemingly know exactly what I was supposed to be making before I did! 😂
We've also recently moved premises, there's been a lot of change personally and within the business, and there's an awful lot happening behind the scenes at CIK9 at the moment. So while everything settles into its new routine, there may be the odd occasion where a reply takes me a little longer or I have to double-check something that Ellen would have known instantly.
But CIK9 isn't going anywhere.
I'll still be here, probably covered in fluff, sat behind a sewing machine, making the same products in exactly the same way I always have.
It's simply the beginning of a different chapter, we've launched our Partnership Programme, and have new products coming too.
So, from me personally, thank you Ellen for everything you've done for CIK9 over the years.
And to everyone who has supported us, ordered from us, recommended us, competed alongside us, stopped for a chat at a show or simply followed what we've been doing — many of you who we now consider friends rather than customers — thank you.
Here's to the next chapter.
Sam
CIK9
