Focus on UK Manufacturing Made in the United Kingdom
This month we pay a special tribute to UK garment manufacturing. To gain an insight into their UK manufacturing set-up, P&P editor Melanie Attlesey spoke to Mike Carden of Balmoral Knitwear, Charles Horton of Charles Kirk and Dan Turner of William Turner.
Q
So, first of all where in the country do you manufacture?
Mike Carden: Balmoral Knitwearʼs UK
manufacturing is in Ayshire in Scotland. Charles Horton: Charles Kirkʼs factory can be found on the south coast
in Worthing, West Sussex. Dan Turner: William Turner has been based in the north of England since we started in 1969. Our factories are in Skipton and Colne. Weʼll be moving from our Colne factory to a larger facility in Nelson, Lancashire in January. We have invested £900,000 in this new facility with the aim of being able to make more ties, which in turn will bring down lead times for our customers.
Q Q
How big is your facility? How many staff do you employ?
MC: Balmoral has about 50 staff and has capacity to knit about 2,000
garments per week. CH: Our facility measures 30,000sq ft
and we currently employ 61 staff. DT: In total we employ 125 people, with 75 of those in manufacturing roles. In total our factories cover 20,000sq ft.
What garments do you manufacture?
MC: Pullovers, cardigans, scarves and hats for schoolwear, corporatewear,
promotions, cricket and retail. CH: We are proud to be one of the few schoolwear suppliers that still manufacture in the UK, specialising in knitwear, sweatshirts and accessories such as hats and scarves, for schools, colleges and nurseries.
In the last year we have also worked closely with an up and coming fashion designer on knitted pullovers and cardigans, to add to her collection of tulle dresses and skirts, as well as working on knitwear with a top designer who has recently returned to the fashion scene with a new range. We are also looking to produce our own small fashion knitwear range for adults and children in natural fibres. We hope to grow this production slowly while continuing to service our core schoolwear market to our usual high
standard. DT: We make ties, scarves, badges and wool wraps for schools, clubs, businesses and universities. Weʼre proud to have supplied a wide range of customers, from the independent school
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uniform retailers to some of the top sports clubs in the world.
Q
How long have you been manufacturing in the UK?
MC: The factory has been on the same
site since the 1890s. CH: We have been manufacturing in the south of England for over 75 years. Founded by Charles Kirk in Marylebone, London on November 10, 1939, Charles Kirk began as a ladies blouse manufacturer, designing and manufacturing the latest fashions. Today, Charles Kirk is a schoolwear specialist in the manufacturing, supply and embroidery and printing of knitwear, sweatshirts and accessories and has been run by the
Horton family for over 60 years. DT: 48 years!
Q
Do you think decorators want garments that are manufactured
in the UK? MC: It varies, of course. There are
certainly decorators whose customers value and sometimes specify UK-made. Others require something that cannot easily be obtained from off-shore, such as small and medium-sized bespoke orders or short lead-time bespoke orders. Much of our UK production is for these types of markets, especially in schoolwear and corporatewear. Quality is also a major factor – we use the highest quality European-spun yarns, and these are not often found in garments made in the Far East, for example.
CH: Yes, for made to order garments that require a shorter lead time than an overseas garment and also special
measures. DT: I think itʼs become increasingly more important yes, but price remains a strong focus.
Q
Do you think the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh in 2013 changed attitudes towards manufacturing overseas? MC: We have certainly found that there has been renewed in interest in bringing supply closer to home. CH: Not really but we do think that larger companies are more rigorous in their inspections now. The cost of standard goods from overseas is so much cheaper, that most people are interested in price rather than provenance. DT: I think it has certainly made people sit up and take note that if something appears too cheap, then there is probably a reason why.
Q
Why do you choose to manufacture in the UK? What benefits do you see to manufacturing in the UK? MC: Short lead-times, low minimum orders, high quality. CH: We believe by continuing to manufacture here in Worthing, we are helping the UK in creating much needed employment, contributing to the growth of the national economy and reducing carbon emissions.
Balmoral’s Shima Seiki knitting machine
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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