COMPANY PROFILE Padders - caring for your feet
Tell us about your company history? What’s the story behind the brand? Northamptonshire has always been at the heart of the British Footwear Industry, plentiful in the raw materials - water, wood and livestock needed in the manufacture of shoes. Most of the local towns had shoe factories and it was not uncommon to have several, providing employment to whole families for generations. The Groocock family, already experienced retailers, owning a General store in Rothwell since 1906, saw the potential of this market and true to their entrepreneurial spirit decided to open their own footwear manufacturing company in 1914. Thomas Groocock was the founder of
T.Groocock & Co (Rothwell) Ltd. which originally made traditional English welted shoes. Thomas’ son Irving joined the business in the 1929’s, at 19 years of age and ran the company after his father retired. Tom, John and Elizabeth (Irving’s children) later joined the business and in 1982 the Padders brand was born. The Padders’ brand name was the inspiration of Sylvia Groocock, Tom’s late wife, who saw the huge potential of the growing comfort market. Since its beginning, the business has gone from strength to strength, adapting through the years to changing times, fashions and challenges.
What sets Padders footwear apart? Our shoes are designed around a core comfort concept based on lightweight, flexible and shock absorbing PU moulded outsoles with high quality leather uppers, linings and insoles. Padders have the concept of comfort so well sewn up that feelgoodfeet™ is our very own trademark. It's a word that sums up our unique approach to creating the ultimate in comfy footwear for men and women, with styles and materials based on exhaustive research into the physiology of feet. Using our own systems of design and manufacture, we've gone right back to basics to work out how shoes can be made lighter, more comfortably supportive and durable.
Do you have a brand philosophy? Padders is still a family owned and run business with the same values and standards that the Padders brand is famous for i.e. quality, comfort, value for money and exemplary service. Family members Elizabeth Pearce (Pricing & Design), Mike Rowe (Managing Director), Jo West (Brand Manager), Kate Rowe (Factory Shop Manager), Jane Garner (Accounts Manager) handle the day-to-day running of the company, guided by the experienced eye of Tom Groocock and Steve Valentine (Chairman).
Where are you based and where do you manufacture? How many people do you have working for you? Do you have a high turnover of staff? We opened our brand new 42,000 square feet factory, with its state-of-the- art manufacturing processes, distribution facility, offices and retail factory outlet in 2004 in Kettering, Northamptonshire. We still manufacture a small amount of our Instock range here but most of our shoes are made in China and India. Around 50 people are employed at the factory, including core management teams in design, marketing, planning, production and sales. This investment, bringing with it improvements in efficiency achieved with the latest technology, represents Padders' commitment to the future. We have a very low turnover of staff, with people who have been here for over 30 years. As well as the Groocock family members, there is also a strong tradition of family members following each other into their trade.
How do you market your ranges? National and trade advertising and PR. Direct mail and website. We exhibit at consumer shows and last year we had stands at two Breast Cancer Care Ribbon Walks. We also exhibit at Podiatry events, as they recommend Padders to their clients.
Any famous customers? Diana Moran – The Green Goddess.
Tell us about your role in the Healthy Footwear Guide? Padders sit on the Executive Committee, as we believe that it is an excellent initiative and will help customers choose appropriate footwear for their needs.
And, the next step? Any plans for the future, new lines, technologies etc? Padders are selling and distributing the Equity brand, which perfectly complements our collections. We travel the world to source find inspiration for new product. We are always looking for new markets and have been successful in doing this by exhibiting at Moda, GDS, Garda and Copenhagen. We have agents in the USA, Australia, Dubi, Japan and Europe and we even sell Padders in China.
L – R Jo West, John Groocock, Jane Groocock (standing), Elizabeth Pearce, T
om Groocock, Steve Valentine (standing), Kate Rowe and Mike Rowe.
How do we contact you? Visit our web site
www.padders.co.uk Call Padders sales on 01536 534999
18 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • MARCH 2011
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