Each year we set aside funds to improve our working space and reduce our costs and environmental impact. Last year, we built a secondary ‘skin’ at both ground-floor and first floor level, which combined increased heat insulation and natural light which floods in through the new double-glazed windows and doors we fitted. The impact was huge as it reduced heat loss as well as reduced the need for artificial light.

Following up from these works, we have just replaced all the old florescent light tubes on our factory floor with state-of-the-art LED counterparts. The difference is like day and night and the benefits accrue immediately on various levels.

Firstly, the white light means that colours are far more faithful to the naked eye and we no longer have to venture into the cold outside to inspect dyed and/or finished buttons; secondly, they cost, on average, around 85% less to illuminate than the old strip lights and, thirdly, as they use significantly less energy in producing better and cheaper light, they also reduce our emissions.

It has been a visible success – quite literally.

Until recently, there was one piece of the jigsaw missing; it was our inability to respond to our customers’ demands for etched buttons. It was an obvious and reasonable request. As we all know, branding has become indispensable to more or less every label, atelier and designer. Branding reinforces the names and identities of their makers, allowing them to individualise and project their names to customers on multiple levels. And etching buttons with brand names is an integral part of this exercise for many.

And so, our latest investment has been directed at acquiring, installing and learning how to use a cutting-edge laser etcher from our favoured machine supplier, Bonetti. With their expert help and guidance, we are now up and running and able to offer etching services to our customers.

The jigsaw is complete. And the picture it reveals is one which spans every aspect of button-making from rectifying blanks, to turning buttons, to polishing, dyeing and now etching our buttons to our customers’ specifications. All carried out right here in our Cotswolds factory.

If you would like to know more about our button etching services, please drop us a line. We’d love to help you stand out from the crowd.

We were delighted (and not a little bit surprised) to receive an invitation for an event at No 10 Downing Street a few weeks ago. It was being organised by the Board of Trade and Anja Hindmarch, the head of the eponymous British handbag maker and was hosted by Akshata Murty, the PM’s wife, who is herself a fashion designer, having started her own brand called Akshata Designs back in 2009.

The event, held on the 17^th April, was billed as a ‘matchmaking’ opportunity to promote British makers and introduce them to a plethora of British brands whose knowledge and contact base of local British manufacturers needed a little ‘refresh’ and to encourage them to support local makers.

We were among an amazing number and variety of suppliers and garment makers from all over the country which collectively presented a really impressive cross section of many highly gifted, professional individuals and companies who are all too often overlooked in favour of their peers dotted around the globe.

Of course, local manufacturing and sourcing is not only good for the UK economy, it is also an astute alternative approach in a world in which conflict, climate change and pandemic have decimated global supply chains. Local production may be more expensive (this is not always or automatically so when seen in the broadest sense), but it does massively improve reliability, flexibility, consistency while maintaining or even improving quality. Coming as it does at a time when economies are struggling and excessive waste in the fashion industry is being penalised, there is now no better time for British brands to support British manufacturers.

Along with so many other firms here in the UK, we are ready to rise to the challenge and become a go-to and reliable ‘manufacturing partner’ to British brands for many years to come. The benefits are many and clear to see. Thanks go out to all those at the Board of Trade, No 10 and Anja Hindmarch for their invaluable support.