Focus on UK Manufacturing
highly skilled team has decades of experience. They have created a stock range of corporate clothing that not only meets the demands of wearers, but is stylish too. The design team will also work on a one-to-one basis with clients to either bespoke the stock range to suit or to redesign a new uniform from scratch.
Once a design has been confirmed, it moves into the factory to come to fruition. First the roll of chosen fabric is laid out in layers on a table, depending upon how many of each size are to be made. Then a paper template of each segment of the garment is pinned on top of the layers of fabric and then cut out by hand. The pieces of cut out fabric are then passed through several machinists, who sew the garment together, with each machinist adding another piece to the jigsaw puzzle before the final garment is complete. It is then labelled proudly with a Designed and Made in Great Britain swing ticket tag.
On an average week, the machinists can manufacture around 600-800 garments.
Changing times To keep up with the changing corporatewear market, First Corporate Clothing has had to alter what products it manufactures. Until five years ago the company only specialised in ladies wear. “We underwent a huge retraining programme with our staff so they could manufacture menswear as well. We saw an opening in the UK market and decided to take it. Needless to say I wasnʼt very popular for a few months! But the end result is that we have a team of multi-skilled machinists who can put their hand to anything. It also gives us complete flexibility as a business, after all why would you source uniforms for your female staff from one manufacturer and uniforms for your male staff from another?” says Mal.
Around 70% of the fabrics that are used in the factory are sourced from UK fabric houses, and this is because the business has to ensure a constant and seamless supply of fabric to achieve quick turnaround times. The remaining 30% of fabrics are imported from Sri Lanka.
It is this process of importing from overseas that worried many UK businesses when the result of the Brexit referendum was announced in June last year. The only effect on business that First Corporate Clothing has seen since the vote, was the immediate fluctuation in prices. General manger, Kirstee David, explains: “The garments that we import are bought in US dollars or the Euro. We saw an instant 10% increase in prices the night of Brexit. In some cases since we have seen a 15-20% increase in prices from our suppliers who manufacture overseas.
“As we agree long-term contracts in advance based on price, we have had to take a bit of a hit or spend a long time renegotiating on price to hit a certain price point. For our customers our main catalogue prices havenʼt altered.” It is this great level of service that First Corporate Clothing provides for its customers, that lies behind the success of the business.
Some clients have been working with First Corporate Clothing for as long as 10 years and highly rate the dedicated service that the company provides. Each client is allocated a dedicated account manager, who becomes their main point of contact throughout the manufacturing process. “The set-up that we have in our factory, gives a better service.
We donʼt gain contracts purely on the basis that we are a UK manufacturer, we gain them because of the excellent level of service we can offer. Companies like the comfort factor of working with us,” says Mal.
He continues: “Companies that have taken their manufacturing
offshore have lost their flexibility. They receive a poor service after the initial roll-out, they are put off by large order quantities and how difficult it is to reorder stock. These are not issues they face when working with us.” Letʼs hope that many more retailers and businesses realise the benefits of working with UK garment manufacturers and the industry begins to see a resurgence in skills and work.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk The fabric cutting in process The design team busy working away
First Corporate Clothing’s vast stock holding
The factory floor with the machinists at work September 2017 | 55 |
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