Uniform business invests £100k to keep pace with demand
A SURGE in sales has prompted corporate uniforms supplier Clothes2Order to invest £100,000 on equipment as staff numbers hit a record high.
The £4.2m turnover Trafford Park business has bought a 1.3-tonne machine for printing logos on polo shirts, t-shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts.
Clothes2Order’s rapid growth has also led boss Michael Conway to accelerate his recruitment programme. The firm had planned to take on 10 more employees over the course of the entire year, but it has recruited 13 staff since the start of June, increasing its workforce from 28 to 41.
Clothes2Order’s latest piece of kit, the Kornit Storm, will boost the firm’s digital printing capacity by 60%.
It follows a 150% year-on-year increase in overall sales during the first six months of 2013. In June alone, orders were 174% higher than in the same month last year.
The firm’s latest investment follows a £150,000 outlay on additional printing and embroidery equipment earlier in the summer, and £100,000 to refresh the company’s website and brand identity and to upgrade its e-commerce operations.
Managing director Mr Conway said the company has seen growth nationwide and across all of the sectors it serves, including hospitality, IT, sports and leisure. Key customer wins in the past month have included Deloitte, National Express and Best Western hotels.
Mr Conway said: “Demand has rocketed following the launch of our new branding and website, and has outstripped capacity even after the earlier investment of £150,000 in new machinery.
“This latest equipment is one of only five currently in use in the UK and is one of the most advanced of its kind available. Its arrival ensures we will be able to maintain our speed and reliability of production as we look to continue to grow our market share.”
Clothes2Order supplies uniforms to more than 5,000 businesses, from start-ups to household names such as Google, Skype and eBay. Customers also include retailers, hotels, pub and restaurant chains, tradesmen and IT and technology firms.
Clothes2Order is the fastest-growing part of Quayside Group, which also runs a wholesale division.
