British firm CHANCE targets double digit growth in the manufacturing of deal toys, financial tombstones, and recognition awards, as global markets boom and AI helps power the 40-strong team’s competitive edge
CHANCE, the leading British manufacturer specialising in premium, art-grade recognition awards is targeting double digit growth. as demand booms for its distinctive “deal toys”, amid a blockbuster year for dealmaking in 2026.
The Argyll-based firm, founded over 40 years ago and specialising in acrylic, counts a tranche of financial and legal industry titans amongst its clients. These include Barclays, Rothschild & Co, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, HSBC, UBS, Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, Jefferies, Houlihan Lokey, Lazard, Evercore, RBC Capital Markets and other leading global banks, advisory firms and corporates. The firm’s ‘Made in Britain’ recognition awards can be found in boardrooms across the UK, Europe, North America, Middle East and Asia.
Now, CHANCE is moving into an exciting new era and reaffirming its status as a global leader in the design and manufacture of deal toys, financial tombstones and recognition awards, within the banking, energy and legal sectors.
Deal toys, also known as financial tombstones, lucite awards or transaction mementos, are bespoke commemorative pieces created to mark successful mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, refinancing transactions and other major corporate milestones. Demand for deal toys, which are handed out after a transaction goes through to honour exceptional achievements, often rises alongside dealmaking, which has surged this year.
CHANCE recognises the immense growth opportunity of the market and is positioning itself to seize a greater share of this new business: in the first half of 2026, the value of global M&A deals reached £1.75 trillion, up 49% from last year, and there were £125 billion worth of IPOs in the first half of the year, up an astonishing 246%, according to LSEG data. The financial tombstone market is currently valued at £50-100 million+ globally.
Driving the competitive edge of CHANCE as it embarks on this period of growth, is the central role AI is playing in allowing the firm to push the boundaries of award design. Increasingly, clients are presenting AI-generated design requests as they seek to gift their high performing staff with more distinctive, more impressive, and more coveted recognition deal toys. AI is turbocharging the CHANCE business model, allowing the firm to lead a new frontier of design possibilities, underpinned by its impressive in-house technological capabilities. A state-of-the-art factory in Lochgilphead on Scotland’s mainland west coast, and an in-house team of 40 experienced designers, technicians, and skilled craftspeople, is enabling CHANCE to deliver premium acrylic products of distinction for investment banks, private equity firms, law firms, advisors and corporate teams across the globe. The unit price of a bespoke deal toy can range from £80 – £800.
Images show some of the 40-strong CHANCE manufacturing team: Anita Vernis, Graham Oswald and Laura Neville.
Acrylic is a remarkably adaptable substance, possessing qualities of both resilience and transparency. Its pliability allows for intricate moulding, drilling, cutting, and shaping, facilitating the creation of virtually any desired form of recognition award.
This unique ability of CHANCE to manufacture ultra-specialised acrylic products, driven by AI inspiration from clients, is taking the concept of personalisation into new, exciting creative realms.
Also key to the success of CHANCE is its credentials as a pioneer in sustainable acrylic award production. Given the scale of the global deal toys market, material choice, supply chain transparency, and meeting ESG responsibilities is a key procurement decision. Where a business might once have been driven primarily by aesthetics or price (such as crystal with its cheaper, energy intensive – often coal dependant, and low labour cost), organisations are now assessing the environmental impact of the products they purchase.
Image shows recent example of CHANCE-manufactured deal toy
Acrylic – and CHANCE’s own range of recycled acrylics: Remade – is recognised as a sustainable choice. Remade contains up to 70% recycled acrylic waste, while maintaining 100% polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) purity. It can be Pantone matched to brand guidelines, and ethically sourced wood and metal are also often incorporated by CHANCE into a client’s design. Beautiful, bespoke acrylic awards are created in the Argyll factory using a biomass boiler – a renewable energy source, whilst an acrylic recycling service is offered whereby any acrylic products purchased from CHANCE, that are no longer required, can be returned free of charge for recycling. These unwanted items are dismantled and reprocessed into acrylic granules at the on-site reprocessing plant, ready to go back into the industry. In addition, plastic packaging has been replaced with recyclable cardboard. All of this helps reduce the reliance on virgin resources and promotes recycling.
An increasing number of organisations are aligning success and recognition with their environmental values, and CHANCE, through its pioneering acrylic products, is demonstrating that protecting the planet can coexist with celebrating success.
Another strength of the ambitious manufacturer is its ethos as being the epitome of efficiency. A remarkably fleet-footed business model operated by CHANCE, deploying the in-house skills of its team of 40 personnel, is augmented within a seven stage concept-to-creation process. This 360’ circular approach – where passionate designers feed into technical expertise and experienced manufacturing all under one roof – is a big USP driving business growth. This nimble tactic enables CHANCE to deliver commissions at an unmatched speed – ten days is a concept-to-creation-to-delivery CHANCE record, an achievement worthy of its own recognition award!
Images show examples of CHANCE manufacturing process and one part of the factory
Furthermore, growth is also being targeted through the creation of BeCHANCE; a new off-the-shelf range of pre-crafted deal toys and financial tombstones, that can be customised and personalised to meet entry level budgets.
Commenting, Graham Ramsay, Director of CHANCE says:
“These are exciting times for CHANCE as our manufacturing expertise, productivity, sales, and distinct acrylic offering allows us to embark on an ambitious road map to growth.
“The global “deal toys” market is booming amid a robust year so far for dealmaking, and AI is rapidly changing the shape of our business by unlocking possibilities, pushing the boundaries of what CHANCE is delivering for its clients, and driving revenue. In the dynamic landscape of business, evolution is not only inevitable but often essential for growth and relevance, and AI is delivering tangible, positive results for CHANCE. We are embracing the power of AI wholeheartedly, along with continuing our drive for ever greater sustainability across the business.
“An acrylic award stands out with its perfect fusion of timeless elegance, lasting durability, and unmatched versatility, making it a top choice for honouring exceptional achievements in a more sustainable way. Off the back of our success in custom deal toys, financial tombstones and bespoke awards, the creation of BeCHANCE, our off-the-shelf range of pre-crafted products that can be customised and personalised, has seen our order book swell.”
CHANCE SHORT SHOWCASE VIDEO
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SUSTAINABILITY at CHANCE – ABOUT
Remade:
CHANCE has pioneered Remade; a recycled acrylic material made from up to 70% industrial waste which can be Pantone matched to brand guidelines. Choices include:
- Original: Clear, clean recycled acrylic
- Brut: Bold, glass-like texture
- Bijou: Playful, refined finish
- Kelp: Organic, richly textured appearance
- Rarity: Hand-recycled, gem-like fragments for a luxury finish
- Kin: Harmonious, blended tones
Factory and office powered with renewable energy:
Chance uses a biomass boiler, established in 2015. Using wood chip heating sourced from a local entity, Our Power, wood is acquired within 30 miles, curbing emissions, and channelling profits to the community.
Cardboard recycling machine to replace the waste plastic in CHANCE packaging. Sustainable awards by CHANCE are paired with eco-friendly packaging, using recycled or biodegradable materials. Minimalist packaging that serves its purpose without excess waste is always a key consideration.
Recycled awards service:
CHANCE is continually pushing to be an environmentally manufacturer and offers an acrylic recycling service. Any acrylic products purchased from CHANCE, that are no longer required, can be returned for recycling. At an on-site reprocessing plant, items no longer needed are dismantled and reprocessed into acrylic granules, ready to go back into the industry.
Low energy lighting installed:
CHANCE has reduced its carbon footprint, and the amount of energy it uses, by upgrading its factory lighting. This has resulted in an overall energy reduction of 8.4%.
