Feature
Made In The Midlands
Jurnie’s production factories are only five hours away from its Solihull base
Taking a very pragmatic approach, UK-based manufacturing is a lot easier than moving production abroad. I use factories located five hours from my base in Solihull – which means I do not have to struggle with a language barrier or a different time zone, and I can visit and check on production whenever is required, for very little cost. It also means that our carbon footprint is very low. One key factor when choosing to base production in
the UK was research. We visited many factories and ultimately settled with three that were practically on our doorstep. Choosing a factory is one of the biggest decisions we have made so far; it’s very much like choosing a business partner as we are judged not only on the quality of our garments but on the reliability of delivery dates – two factors we are trusting our factories to provide. As a company, we have seen many benefits from choosing to support British-made. By following the trends of exporting to the USA, UAE and Europe, it is clear that it is definitely becoming increasingly fashionable to ‘buy British’. In the UK alone, there are customers who will only buy British-made items, and although this may be a niche area, it is certainly a trend to keep an eye on. In recent years tragic events, such as the Dhaka
factory collapse in 2013, have played out across the media, highlighting the fact that consumers need to consider so much more than the price point when it comes to purchasing clothing. I have had many conversations with customers about who makes our
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clothing and it’s nice to be able to refer to the manufacturers by name, knowing that they are looked after and paid well. One recent conversation I have had with a customer
highlighted the need to know where your food has been grown and manufactured. This particular customer emphasised her desire for consumers to feel the same way about all products, including clothing. If the popularity of British-made produce continues, just think of how many jobs that could create and the amount of people we can up-skill in our local communities. It could also make the big manufacturers think about the strain they put on their overseas factories, which in turn would hopefully encourage them to adopt more ethical ways of working. Our desire to support local manufacturing is not
limited to production – it’s an ethos that we emulate throughout our entire business. We are very fortunate to work with 10 local businesses that make personalised gifts and handcrafted keepsakes. We have also been awarded an ‘Innovation and Enterprise’ award because of our commitment to working with regional designers. With these aforementioned benefits for us
manufacturers, it would be negligent for big brands to sideline a trend that is rapidly growing in popularity. What may be a niche today is surely set to become what ‘organic food’ was to the market ten years ago.
For more information visit
www.Jurnie.co.uk or email
hello@jurnie.co.uk
‘Choosing a factory is one of the biggest decisions we have made so far; it’s very much like choosing a business partner’
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