All Sewn Up Ltd is the sister company of Needles and Pins (UK) Ltd; an expert, ISO 9001:2015 UKAS certified, industrial textile sewing company who specialise in production covers and ground support equipment for a number of industries, including global aviation. 

Due to sales decreasing in some areas, and opportunities arising in others, All Sewn Up Ltd was created to diversify into the commercial market and fully utilise the skills of employees. Having previously supported Needles and Pins (UK) Ltd through their ERDF funded programme, SWMAS was on hand to help them again as they embarked on this new journey. To maximise current demand, their talented team of seamstresses quickly leapt into action, producing handmade machine washable facemasks, amongst other exciting new pieces, for both corporate orders and commercial purchases:

The team take pride in their handmade products and compared to their more usual aviation fabrics, they find it a rewarding change to work with beautiful textiles and develop these into new designs. It is important to the company that these products focus on recycling and enable re-use to help reduce the volume of waste seen in today’s society.

Since their formation in May this year, they have successfully launched an online shop to reach their new market and have already increased staff by 50% - a great achievement during these challenging times. 

The Challenge

All Sewn Up Ltd, like many businesses, faced challenges throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions on travel and social distancing called for an online platform to promote and sell these exciting new designs. Therefore marketing, brand awareness, and exposure were essential to generate interest and enquires. Limited cash flow, investment in new designs, and prototypes all put a strain on the business’ finances.

To be successful in a difficult market, the business had to be resourceful, innovative, and prioritise its investments. This included the design of a new recyclable product, which will replace a non-recyclable, much used, plastic version currently on the market. This exciting innovation is on target to launch in the next few months. 

What We Did

The business met with a SWMAS manufacturing specialist on several occasions, who planned and delivered expert 1-1 support for All Sewn Up Ltd. This encouraged the company to assess the different aspects of the business to develop a strategic plan, identifying the road map and priority actions needed to secure future success. In addition, the business was introduced to external support to help them develop a business plan and apply for relevant finance to support future growth ambitions.

The Result

The business now clearly understands which actions they need to prioritise to achieve maximum productivity and sales going forward. After SWMAS’ support, product ranges can now be finalised and launched in the coming months. This will be underpinned by marketing and sales activity, to put this company at the forefront of sustainable textile production.