£600,000 deal for uniforms supplier
Nov 4 2008 by Iain Laing, The Journal
A CORPORATE clothing maker hopes to increase its turnover by nearly 50% in the next couple of years with a series of contracts with blue chip companies.
Durham-based Workwear Express has landed a £600,000 deal with facilities management giant Mitie for uniforms for thousands of its staff at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports.
The 11-year-old company, which numbers Sage, Rolls Royce and Greggs among its customers, expects to win more work for its 35 staff by increasingly undercutting larger rivals and see its turnover rise from £3.5m to £5m within two years.
Founder and managing director Andrew Ward said the company’s strength lies in its efficiency in designing, embroidering and finishing clothing which is then made in countries with cheaper mass-manufacturing sectors.
“We’re looking to expand the business. We are beating companies 10 times the size of us to contracts because we are lean and efficient.
“Our turnover has doubled over the last three years and we are on track to grow our turnover to £4m this year. We are confident that the managed contracts side of our business will help us reach our target of £5m turnover in 2010.
“Despite the industry being in decline, we are winning market share. We have an exceptional customer retention record and have never lost a single contract, which speaks volumes about our customer service.”
A Mitie spokesman said: “Following a rigorous tender process, we were able to award Workwear Express with this contract. The decision was based on a range of factors. We were very impressed by the firm’s capability and flexibility to meet tight deadlines as well as their approach towards continual improvement.”
