Bristol Uniforms, a global leader in the design and manufacture of firefighter PPE, has taken on additional premises to create a Central Cutting Unit and is recruiting extra staff as part of a significant business expansion.
The company was recently awarded a major new contract to supply clothing, equipment and managed services for the new Collaborative Procurement Framework, which is open to all fire and rescue services (FRSs) across the UK. This success, combined with increasing demand from overseas markets, has prompted general expansion across all areas of the business.
The new 40,000sqft Central Cutting Unit is situated in Yate, near Bristol, close to the company’s existing International Distribution Centre. Thirty members of staff will be employed at the new premises to handle lay planning and fabric cutting, as well as storage of fabric stocks and finished goods. The building will house two new automatic cutting machines, as well as existing machines transferred from the manufacturing facility six miles away at Staple Hill.
As a result, the move will enable expansion of both the Production Sewing Line and the Western Service Centre at the existing Staple Hill facility.
Ian Mitchell, Joint Managing Director, said, “Demand for our highly-specialised garments continues to grow, and many more FRSs are now accessing our cleaning and repair services. We’re really pleased to have the extra space at our new premises, as by transferring our Lay Planning and Cutting department, we have been able to increase the capacity and capability of the Western Service Centre, which will handle cleaning and repairs for many of the FRSs signing up to the new Collaborative Framework contract.”
