Historic button-maker expands into new premises
One of Nottingham’s oldest independent family-owned business is expanding into new purpose-built premises.
Jones & Co, which supplies buttons to the fashion industry and operates one of the UK’s few remaining button dye houses, is set to consolidate two of its existing premises into a new 9,720 sq ft state-of-the-art facility on Lortas Road after receiving a £1 million funding injection from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
The £7 million turnover business will bring all of its divisions on site.
The move will allow the firm to increase its capacity by up to 20 per cent, growing its soft furnishings product range and improving services for its 4,600-strong interiors customers base.
Each year, the company supplies more than 50 million buttons for all types of fashion house, from high street to haute couture. Its customers include high-profile brands such as Liberty, M&S and Laura Ashley.
In the 1980s, the business diversified and launched Jones Interiors, which rapidly became a leading name in the textiles and soft furnishings sector. It now supplies a range of more than 17,000 bespoke products.
John Ashley, chairman and great grandson of the founder at Jones & Co, said: “Our mantra is to deliver the highest quality products at the best price, on time, every time.
“Having a state-of-the-art new head office provides us with the opportunity to build on that promise and, critically, will deliver massive benefits by bringing our team under one roof.
“The team at Lloyds Bank has been an incredible asset throughout this process, and we look forward to its ongoing support as we look to use this investment as a springboard for future growth.”
Chris Perkins, relationship director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, added: “In addition to its impressive heritage, Jones & Co is a great example of a dynamic business that is continuously looking for new growth opportunities.
“Lloyds Bank’s own origins can be traced back to the button-trade, having been founded in 1765 by British button-maker John Taylor, and we’re proud to have been working shoulder to shoulder with such an ambitious business for the past 70 years.
“The fashion industry is worth £26 billion to the UK economy, and the Jones team is well known as a long-standing supplier to a ‘who’s who’ of British brands. We plan to be by their side during 2020 and beyond, as part of our plan to help Britain prosper.”
