Workwear Express dresses for success
A family business from Durham that specialises in providing corporate clothing and workwear has seen its annual turnover increase by 10% despite the challenging economic climate. Workwear Express achieved a turnover of £3.5 million in the year ending March 2010 and has already embarked on ambitious plans to sustain growth and reach more customers.
Workwear Express was founded in 1999 by husband and wife Andrew and Angie Ward, who have spent their whole careers in the textile sector. Initially responding to what they saw as a gap in the workwear supply trade, the business has since grown steadily and expanded its portfolio of services. The company now works for a very diverse range of clients, from SMEs to major multi-nationals, offering clothing solutions for work, leisure and promotional use.
Workwear Express is a full service company and is based in a purpose built 15,000 sq ft factory and showroom in Belmont, Durham. The site incorporates one of the UK’s largest embroidery and screen printing facilities, allowing the business to customise garments quickly and at a very competitive price. Workwear Express supplies a wide range of clothing, including uniforms, leisure wear and corporate designs, working with both small and very large businesses. The company offers an off the shelf catalogue service for smaller orders and full bespoke design and manufacturing for larger clients and projects.
During tough economic conditions in 2008 and 2009, the company continued to explore new ways of developing the business and made significant investment. It was rewarded with a stable turnover in 2008 and then the increase to £3.5 million by the end of the last financial year.
Now in its 12th year of trading, Workwear Express has in recent months expanded its workforce to over 30, has secured a number of new regional and national clients, including, Little Chef and webuyanycar.com and will be opening a London office later this year. The company has also updated its trading model and launched a new e-commerce website to help drive business development, while the hiring of additional skilled account managers has strengthened its commitment to excellent customer service.
Andrew Ward, managing director of Workwear Express, comments:
“We were faced with major challenges in 2008 and 2009, as some of our clients were forced to cut back on their investments in the products that we supply. In response, I’m proud of the way we took the bull by the horns and made significant changes to the way the company does business. Workwear Express already had an excellent reputation for providing a comprehensive and completely flexible personal service for corporate clothing and other workwear. By improving our operating methods, increasing the breadth and depth of our services and developing new routes to trade, we have not just protected our position in the market, we have also grown and improved our share of it.”
The company now plans to increase the pace of development. Andrew Ward continues:
“We are going to invest more in the business this year, in our marketing efforts, machinery, our IT systems and we are also looking to recruit more staff; this will inevitably give our clients better service, a faster turnaround time and more competitive services. In the near future we will be opening a London office to better service our clients based in London and the South East. All of this means that we continue to have the capacity to welcome and give equal focus to every bit of business that comes our way, regardless of the size. These are very exciting times for everyone in the team at Workwear Express.”
Contact Name : Workwear Express
Contact Tel : 0191 370 7790
Contact Email :
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