Production kicks off again at football scarf manufacturer
A Leicestershire manufacturer that supplies scarves, hats and memorabilia to all 20 Premier League football teams has resumed full operations after calling full-time on its coronavirus lockdown, with support from Lloyds Bank.
Brookes Jordan, Europe’s largest producer of football scarves, netted a six-figure loan from Lloyds Bank as part of the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) to support the business after the pandemic halted production at its factory in Barwell, on the outskirts of Leicestershire.
The Brookes Jordan team will be returning at full strength after the support package enabled the firm to secure the jobs of all 65 employees at its Barwell site. The business has also remained committed to ensuring the wellbeing of all its staff throughout this time, and ensuring that the site is a safe environment for them to return to work.
Now, following the easing of restrictions, the loan has helped the firm get the ball rolling again to quickly meet growing demand following the return of the Premier League and other sporting competitions around the world. The business is once again exporting its products to European football teams and leading NBA and NFL sides in the United States. In total, exports account for around 10 per cent of the business’ income.
With the 2020/21 football season also on the horizon, the firm is anticipating a growing order book and is preparing to introduce new products, including a snood, which can be used as a face covering as well as helping sports fans to stay warm during the winter months.
Trudy Doyle, director at Brookes Jordan, said: “We’re proud of our role in the local community here in Barwell, so it was a priority for us to ensure that we were able to keep all of our staff together. The funding we received made this possible and we’ve been able to resume production of our high-quality, locally-made goods to help fly the flag for British manufacturers across the globe.
“The support and guidance that the Lloyds Bank team provided has been vital in helping us to navigate this turbulent period. We look forward to developing our relationship with them as we continue towards recovery.”
Noshad Khowaja, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, said: “Brookes Jordan is an excellent example of a British manufacturer that has enjoyed significant growth both at home and abroad in recent years. Like many businesses, the coronavirus outbreak posed a number of challenges, but it’s been encouraging to see them returning to more normal business operations.
“The manufacturing sector is hugely important here in the East Midlands. We know that many businesses across the region have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, but we will continue to work closely with them during the months ahead as part of our ongoing commitment to helping Britain prosper.”
