Decorator Profile
Going the extra mile F
ound in the heart of Cheddar in Somerset is Extra Mile Printing and Embroidery. The business was founded 10 years ago by Simon and has since grown to become a busy design, print and embroidery studio.
“After travelling and working on ski seasons in the French Alps, I came home with ideas for my own fashion designs,” Simon explains. “As an artist, I create line drawings and illustrations using dots, grids and sweeping fine lines. Much of my work is particularly inspired by travel, and the many sunsets I’ve seen. These are reflected in my early designs modelled by friends in the photos.”
P&P editor, Melanie Attlesey, speaks with husband and wife duo, Simon and Beccy Lloyd, about 10 years of garment decoration and what’s in store for the future.
garments. “We’ve found that, by focusing on brands we know and trust, we’re able to offer our customers the best solution for their needs. We’re really knowledgeable about our products and their properties, including decoration potential, and especially sizing, which is so important when people can’t try things on,” explains Beccy.
Luckily for Extra Mile Printing, the next stage of the business’ three-year plan was already beginning to take shape before lockdown struck. This included developing Extra Mile Printing’s online offering, so throughout lockdown Simon worked tirelessly on the website so that the majority of available products could be sold online. Beccy says: “We’ve continued taking orders online and via phone and email since click and collect has been allowed again. We also printed a lot of 2020 leavers hoodies for the school year that ended without much to celebrate.”
Decorating options
The talented team of six offer a full selection of decorating options from embroidery, sublimation, vinyl decoration and digital transfer prints, to large format printing for posters and signage. “Having a wide range of print techniques available to us means we can do just about anything our customers ask for. We pride ourselves on almost always saying yes. For anything we can’t print or embroider ourselves, we have a great network of trusted partners who can help so that, when we do outsource to meet a customer need, we do so with confidence,” explains Beccy.
Beccy Lloyd pictured with studio manger, Amy Hook, designer, Melza Homewood, and production manager, Zach Newsome
Simon found getting his first T shirt printed a bit of a challenge. “I was told hundreds of times that I would have to place a minimum order of 50. So, I set out to fill a gap in the market for unique personalised clothing, with no minimum order, by buying my first direct to garment printer and heat press. We still specialise in one-off items today,” he says.
In the early days, Simon operated under three different brands, each offering something slightly different. These have merged and developed over the years and became Extra Mile Printing in 2016.
Changes over the years
Much has changed over the years, in particular a move to Cheddar in 2015 to a premises with a shop front at street level. And in 2017 Simon was joined in the business by his partner Beccy, who not only became co-director, but also became Mrs Lloyd in the same year.
Last year saw the business mark its 10th anniversary. Just before the UK was plunged into lockdown in March with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the team successfully completed a total refit of their retail space and celebrated with a party. As part of the retail refit, Extra Mile Printing selected a core range of garments to offer customers going forward: Russell for premium workwear; Uneek for a classic range; and PRO RTX for customers on a budget. Extra Mile Printing stocks coats, fleece and jackets from Uneek and Result and hi-vis items from Yoko and Result. For fashion and sports options Extra Mile Printing recommends Just Hoods by AWDis, Just Cool by AWDis, SOL’S, TriDri, and Cottonridge. For customers who value organic, Extra Mile Printing also stocks Écologie by AWDis and Russell Organic
| 46 | February 2021
Some of Simon’s friends wearing some of his early designs
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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