SPECIAL REPORT
“Our competitors went offshore three to four years ago, but we’ve actually increased production over here” – Andy Smith, managing director, William Turner
Here are some case studies of printwear companies who supply goods made in the UK:
William Turner & Son
and would look for a UK source.” Team Colours offer the key strengths of
manufacturing in-house, being able to offer a great deal of flexibility regarding its design and
manufacturing capability. It offers an online design tool so customers can create their own kits by selecting from ready-made designs and colours or even upload their team badges to include in the design. Customers can also have items designed and produced to their own specifications.
T
his British-based manufacturer of schoolwear specialises in bespoke ties, college scarves and school badges. “Our competitors went offshore three to four years ago,” says managing director Andy Smith. “But weʼve actually increased production over here.”
Smith reckons that the benefits of manufacturing locally is the increased service levels, consistency of colour and shape and flexibility that the company is able to offer its customers – all considered important in the market to which William Turner supplies. “I think genuinely, people are fed up of being let down,” Smith continues.
The company produces around 40,000 ties per week from its two factories in Skipton, Yorkshire and Colne, Lancashire and employs around 100 people. Even the fabric is woven locally to its factories, enabling the company to provide the fabric designs specific to certain clients. “The only thing we import from abroad is the yarn itself,” Smith continues.
This also gives the company the flexibility to deliver small- scale bespoke orders quickly; it is capable of delivering a minimum of 50 club ties, in either silk or polyester, in specific colours, even featuring a particular club crest, within six to eight weeks (an express service is also available). “On the school ties our minimum is even less at 36 with delivery normally 4-5 weeks or sooner,” Andy Smith says. “We also hold in excess of 500,000 stock school ties all made in the UK at peak manufacturing time, so we are able to be very time sensitive.” School ties arenʼt the only goods William Turner supplies; ladiesʼ scarves and rugby scarves are also made at its factories. Again, the company can supply a completely bespoke order of as little as twelve items, in six weeks. The company also imports a limited amount of goods from abroad, including school bags – apparently there simply isnʼt the infrastructure to manufacture schoolbags in this country. “We are keeping very busy at the moment,” Smith continues. “In fact, we are actually looking to increase production here.” n Visit
www.william-turner.co.uk
Team Colours T
eam Colours is a thriving clothing supplier specialising in netball kits, teamwear and base layers, based in Stanstead Abbots in the southeast of England.
A spokesman for the company cites the rising freight costs associated with importing goods as a principal driver behind UK manufacture. “Obviously there are times when itʼs more economical to source bulk orders from abroad,” he says. “Many importers do not want to bring container loads and hold stock, they would prefer to order smaller quantities on a regular basis
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
Founded in 2000 as a family business, now consisting of three generations, the company started off producing netball dresses (one of the first companies in the UK to specialise in this) but now its inventory has extended to other
sportswear items such as custom tracksuits, polo shirts, hoodies, bags and
a number of workwear and schoolwear items. n Visit
www.team-colours.co.uk
Cottonridge – The Hooded Top Co T
he Hooded Top Co, key suppliers of hoodies to the student market, uses a mixture of overseas and UK suppliers. Two lines under the Cottonridge brand – the baseball jacket and the double fronted zip hood – are sourced from UK manufacturers.
UK MADE: Cottonridge Baseball Jacket.
Managing director Richard Joyce says the rationale was simple; while itʼs a little more expensive to source locally, in these particular cases, the quality is good and with local suppliers there is greater flexibility than if the products were being imported from overseas.
Whether using overseas or UK- based factories, the company is keen to promote its interest in ethical sourcing. On its website it stresses that the factories it uses in Pakistan are WRAP and Sedex certified and are personally visited on a regular basis. The UK-based brand was created fifteen years ago and is now owned by the Hooded Top Company, which recently moved to new premises in Cannock,
Staffordshire, and has ambitions to grow the brand. n Visit
www.cottonridge.co.uk
December 2012 | 41 |
IN-HOUSE: Domestic production offers flexibiity, say Team Colours.
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