Images Magazine November 18

www.images-magazine.com NOVEMBER 2018 images 35 IS BRAND PROFILE durability afforded by triple-needle stitching, which they assume will cost more than single-stitching. Ivor is happy to allay their concerns. He points out that because the factories are geared up for running three needles, it’s actually more cost-effective to specify triple- needle stitching, “and they get a product that will not fall apart”. Another USP is Orn’s typical minimum order quantity of 500 pieces. “Our minimums are some of the lowest in the industry,“ says Ivor, who adds that the company also offers a free design service: “We can create a complete corporate uniform on storyboards free of charge, which is a very valuable add- on. Also, we manage the whole process and keep the customer proactively updated throughout, rather than just disappearing into a black hole until 12 weeks later the order turns up.“ For many of Orn’s customers, colour accuracy is critical and this is another area where the company excels, Ivor suggests. Its in-house processes include a lightbox and a highly calibrated spectrometer, which help to ensure precise, repeatable colour control, giving it another edge over Promowear and Europe The company is also supplying promotional garments now, which means offering the much wider colour range that is demanded by this sector of the market. It’s not yet at the same levels of production of some of the big brands out there, says Ivor – “We can‘t take a million T-shirt runs, not yet“ – but his ambition is clear. Alongside this, Orn is opening a European office next year to facilitate a proper launch on the continent. The team is likely to be based in Germany, he says, as it‘s the biggest workwear market in Europe “and they like to buy quality product, which is obviously what we‘re all about“. Less than two years ago Orn opened a new 55,000 sq ft warehouse that was intended to hold all of its stock as part of a ten-year plan. “Eighteen months in and we are filling it fast“ Ivor says in mock-exasperation. “At the moment, we’re exploring being a bit cleverer in our supply chain to take some pressure off the UK operation.“ After a decade of rapid expansion, Orn has no intention of taking its foot off the accelerator. Ivor is clear that the main drivers of the company’s growth over the next few years will continue to be the design and manufacture of new products that promise quality and longevity and meet customers’ needs. “We haven‘t exhausted our market share, not by any means,“ he comments. “We are innovating and bringing on new products and new colours all the time.“ www.ornclothing.com the competition. “We have the capability to deliver a complete bespoke programme, be it T-shirt, polo, sweatshirt, fleece, softshell, jacket or trouser, right across multiple fabrics and multiple styles, and deliver that all in one go. There are very few that have that capability,“ says Ivor. Ten years of growth Bespoke has accounted for a steady 40% of the company‘s business over the past three years, which, given Orn’s rapid growth, is impressive: its turnover leapt 60% in 2015 to £10 million, and the projected turnover for 2018 is £18 million. The number of staff employed has gone from just Ivor and his brother Cameron in 2008 when they began the business, to 65 full-time staff this year including the India office. Plus, of course, Weigle, the bald-headed eagle and official company mascot. When they started out, Ivor and Cameron concentrated on a relatively narrow range of workwear. They have since expanded Orn’s offering to include healthcare, security garments and a complete shirt range. Not only has the workwear range expanded, the styles have changed. “If you go back 10, 15 years, it was function first, fashion second. Workwear has to be functional, but it‘s got to look the part now as well. It‘s about design, and it‘s about the fabrics that we‘re using. We‘re using a lot more stretch fabrics and we‘re seeing fit as being far more critical to this market – slimmer fits, tailored fits...” Otherwise, they‘d be out on the street AWeigle the eagle toy in India, where Orn has an office of 15 staff The minimum requirement is SA8000-certification