Images Digital Edition March 2019

IS BRAND PROFILE www.images-magazine.com 46 images MARCH 2019 what could have been an issue for the business into an opportunity,” Daniel says. “When we couldn’t find anywhere very local, we decided to build and invest in a factory. It is more efficient, brighter, warmer and more modern and has enabled us to take on more people.” The company’s head office, meanwhile, has remained in Reddish for nearly 50 years. “We have moved a few times but always within a mile or so,” Daniel notes. “We have always been part of the local community.” Bill, the company’s founder, died in 1984, and Daniel’s dad, Keith retired after 42 years service in 2011, having originally intended to join the business for just one year to help out. William Turner is still very much a family business, however, with Daniel taking over from his dad as managing director, and younger brother, John, beside him as production director. Sales director Andy Smith may not be directly related but he has been with the business for 40 years and is “like family”. Daniel and John have seven children between them. “Without putting any pressure on them, we are hoping that in due course we can hand over the reins to the next generation,” Daniel adds. “We try to espouse the family values of reliability and trust and dedication to what we are doing. A lot of our customers are family-based so we hope that there’s that connection too. My father was obsessed with customer service as part of building a business and it’s something that over the years we have been known for. We understand the privilege it is to be of service to our customers and we want to make sure we are going above and beyond.” Two years ago, the company dropped the brand name, Unicol, which had been used as a trade name for its uniforms since the start, switching to William Turner. “We want to make sure that our name is on every product and every box, showing that we are proud of our company.” To mark the company’s 50th anniversary, Daniel and John plan to get staff and customers together for a celebration in the summer, although details are still being planned. “We’ve got a fantastic team of hard-working and dedicated staff, enjoy strong relationships with our customers and we’re all very much looking forward to writing the next chapter of the William Turner business story and adapting to the ever-changing needs of our customers,” Daniel comments. “We are not frightened of change but will always stick to the core values of the business. I’m confident my grandfather would have been proud of what we’ve achieved.” www.william-turner.co.uk A collective voice William Turner is a co-founder and patron of The Schoolwear Show, which celebrated its 21st anniversary last year. The company also helped to set up the Schoolwear Association in 2006, providing a collective voice for everyone involved in uniforms from manufacturers and decorators through to retailers and schools. Daniel, who is vice-chair, explains: “It’s very important that a positive story about school uniform is presented by the media and that the government has good advice on the school uniform trade.” The association has played an important role in putting the industry’s case across when the Office for Fair Trading and the Competition and Markets Authority have looked into competition and pricing in school uniform retailing. www.schoolwearassociation.co.uk William Turner celebrates its 50th anniversary this year The company’s turnover last year was £11million