The Big Interview 100 years and still pressing strong
This year sees A. Adkins & Sons mark its 100th anniversary. P&P editor Melanie Attlesey spoke with Marie McMahon, general manager, Paul Marks, product manager, and Robin Carter-Browne, sales consultant, to find out more about the company’s past, present and future.
T
here arenʼt many businesses in the garment decoration industry that can lay claim to a century of innovation and experience, but Adkins is one company that rightly can. Founded in 1918, Adkins started life manufacturing larger format machines for the shoe and hosiery trades. The focus of the company changed in the 1980s when it was purchased by the current owner Roy England.
“When Roy took the company over he decided that there was a niche market that Adkins could get into for garment decoration. Back in those days the industry wasnʼt as prolific as it is now. Roy changed the face of Adkins,” explains Marie.
Quality heat presses
Now the company has become renowned for building quality heat presses, the kind that means some garment decorators are still using ones that they purchased 20 to 30 years ago. Adkinsʼ products fit neatly into five ranges; Beta, Studio, Omega, Alpha and an entry-level range available through Heat Presses Direct, which is ideal for hobbyists or start-up businesses. The Beta range is comprised of Adkinsʼ core products and was introduced to the market around 25 years ago. “The Beta Maxi has been our workhorse for many, many years. In the Beta range we go from a pocket press through to a cap press right up to a pneumatic called the Major,” says Paul.
The Studio is the next range down from the Beta and has been in Adkinsʼ portfolio for around 10 years. The presses available through Heat Presses Direct have all been brought in from China, but have undergone rigorous quality checks to ensure they meet Adkinsʼ high standards. “Every single press, before they leave our workshop in the UK, gets put on a bench and is checked from top to tail to ensure they meet safety standards.
| 62 | November 2018
Adkins’ customer service team from left: Julie Kilby, Joseph Langham, Jenny Chapman, Dianne Twigger and Cherie O’Hara
People buy from us because it eliminates any element of risk. They can buy with confidence,” explains Robin.
Itʼs this attention to detail and quality which means when customers purchase a heat press from Adkins the product is unlikely to need replacing for many years. On the outset this may not seem like a very good business plan, as you have to keep seeking out new markets and customers, but for Adkins it is a totally different story as the company experiences year on year growth. However saying this, Adkins has made the move into a new market and with great success. Earlier this year, it launched its own brand of dye sublimation inks called SubliSure.
These inks have been two years in development, with the SubliSure paper created in collaboration with German manufacturer
Felix Schoeller. Alpha Calendar Roll-Master
Paul says: “Our presses are being used so widely in sublimation it was a natural progression for us to move into the ink market. So far the launch of the SubliSure range has been very successful. We carry a full range of cartridges for all major sublimation
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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