Creative Apparel
Creative Apparel Ltd (CAL) is an owner managed business based in Stockport. The company was established in 1988 and currently supplies a wide range of branded clothing (hoodies, t-shirts, sweat-shirts) to high street and online retailers. Creative brings together in one business all the key garment finishing processes including; labelling, printing and embroidery. The business has consistently focused on customer service excellence, investing in competence and capacity, reducing costs and maintaining quality to increase sales in an increasingly competitive world market.
A new factory is currently under construction to enable the business to increase production and increase headcount. This new facility also offers an opportunity to radically improve efficiency, productivity and employee job satisfaction and to focus on the eco-agenda which is a major issue for fast fashion brands. This change is being achieved through:
- A digital transformation strategy that enables modern manufacturing machines to be digitally networked (Internet of Things)
- Driving a radical cultural change within the business
- New factory design and aesthetics that create a positive working environment
- Focus on sustainability
The introduction of extensive automation will bring to an end repetitive jobs and enable the staff to upskill which creates a more rewarding, more productive environment. The factory will include a wide range of sustainable features, including rainwater harvesting, solar heating, and a living wall. It will also have a rooftop garden, which will cut down water rates and provide a cost saving but will also be a great space to use – it will be a benefit for wildlife, for growing edible plants, for the staff to chill out and entertain customers. The rooftop garden will also be used for production meetings – this environment will help build creativity in the development of new fashion designs. There will even be a drone landing.
The intention is to reach a BREEAM “Excellent” rating, which would be a major achievement in a manufacturing environment. In order to deliver this, the business owner is consulting with a wide range of experts to understand how best to implement best practice.
- Listing ID: 2606
- Contact: Phil Millar
- What are your aspirations and plans for the future?: The company’s aspiration is to continue to grow, to contribute to the local economy and to demonstrate that the pursuit of the sustainable/eco agenda is totally consistent with commercial best practice. Creative is happy to share best practice with any other organisations.
- What types of projects are you interested in working on through Future Fashion Factory?: Automation, cultural change, manufacturing efficiency and anything connected with the eco agenda.