ImagesMagUK_May_2021

IS DECORATOR PROFILE www.images-magazine.com 36 images MAY 2021 TexJet DTG printer and pretreating machine, the company has also added a Roland TrueVis SG2 series large- format printer/cutter. “We had just a small cutter for vinyl before, but we needed this new printer/cutter for new ideas we’re developing,” Paul adds. Some of the new ideas also mean that two more Melco EMT16X single- head machines are on their way. “We can put one of them into HMS Raleigh for personalisation that they can do in the shop, which will cut wait time down from two days to the next day.” The shop at HMS Raleigh, where trainees and their families buy merchandise, is run by Leanne Talbot, but she now combines this job with working at BS Embroidery Plus. She left the Royal Navy after 11 years and joined the company last October, initially to look after marketing and social media, but now also running the embroidery and print operation with Paul’s sons, Gary and Craig. Coming in from outside the industry, but with lots of knowledge about the navy, Leanne has injected fresh ideas into the business, Paul says. With few people in Cornwall already equipped with the skills for decorating, he hopes to expand the eight-strong workforce with more ex-service personnel. “Leanne was the first one and she has great work ethic and gets on with stuff.” As for Leanne, she has embraced the world of embroidery, which she knew nothing about a year ago. “I left quite a secure job where you can predict your everyday into something that is the complete unknown. It’s been good fun.” Like the rest of the industry, the pandemic presented challenges for BS Embroidery Plus, which closed temporarily but reopened to supply garments for ‘essential services’ such as HMS Raleigh. Fortunately, multi-brand distributor PenCarrie was able to continue providing the right garments at this time. “It took a while to get different colours in, but we managed to get it done and then it took off from there,” Paul recalls. Not-for-profit face coverings Customisable, washable Premier face coverings were suddenly in demand from the armed forces and continue to be popular across all sectors, including hospitality. “For the armed forces, I didn’t want to do these to make a profit so whatever it cost us, that’s what we charged. Time has gone by but face coverings are going to be in for a long while.” Brexit has brought some small challenges as BS Embroidery Plus exports military merchandise all over the world. While logistics group DPD restructures its European operations, orders to EU countries such as Germany have to go via Royal Mail, which means they cannot be tracked easily once they cross the border. “We are losing a few sales but it’s all out of everybody’s hands,” Paul adds. However, he remains very positive about the future, with plans to run more shops at naval establishments around the UK as well as the pop- up shops in the car park. Demand continues to grow for personalised plaques for ex-service personnel cataloguing their careers while new customers include Merseyside Maritime Museum’s Titanic exhibition in Liverpool after its previous supplier closed due to fall-out from Covid-19. “We are taking a few risks, a couple of gambles and testing the waters in new areas,” Paul adds. “There is always something different and something new and we want to be up there with the front runners exploring those options. We feel that the garment decoration industry is more of a country lane than a motorway. It is never just a one-track or one idea. The options to keep going and finding new avenues to explore are something to always keep everyone motivated.” bs-embroidery.com What the military taught me was to adapt and overcome An RAF vest with emblem 15% of BS Embroidery Plus work is apparel for bikers, ranging from tees to jackets and patches Paul built his biker apparel sales by setting up shop at bike shows The new container pop-up shop prior to set-up