FROM collecting autographs at New Road in Worcester to selling signed winning England 1966 World Cup shirts for £10,000 - it's been quite the journey for the now millionaire Worcester businessman Peter Johnson.
Peter Johnson, who owns Firma Stella Sports, has seen his sports memorabilia company expand exponentially in the last four years and it is now worth millions of pounds.
In 2018, Mr Johnson was £10,000 in debt but in 2023, he is the founder and CEO of a multi-million-pound business that has become global.
"The motivation is still there, I am up at 4/5 am most mornings," said Johnson in an interview last month.
"You have to have a vision, set out what you want and then everything falls into place from then.
"You have to turn the wheel quickly and effectively in business. You have to quickly change things when you have drops and the same when things are going well.
"But the really exciting thing for me is what is coming next. We are going to become the number 1 sports memorabilia company in the world and then my next goal is to grow the business to a worth of £1 billion.
"I also want to inspire millions of people all around the world and I am going to do that through public speaking."
Having started collecting autographs at Worcestershire cricket matches as a child, Johnson's hobby turned into a job that would take him all around the world to obtain signatures from some of the biggest names in sport such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Salah.
By the time England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, he was travelling the length and breadth of the UK with his parents, collecting signatures from famous faces.
He then started Firma Stella Sports in 2019, based in Hartlebury, and they now sell a full range of 100% authentic autographed sports merchandise, covering rugby, football, F1, cricket, tennis, and golf.
Johnson also has exclusive memorabilia partnerships with big sporting names such as England rugby's Manu Tuilagi, cricket Ben Stokes and now Paul Gascoigne, who came to Hartlebury last week.
Johnson has also recently began the process of opening a Firma Stella branch in New York City, where he now works and lives.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel