Price Western Leather

The Challenge:

Minehead based, Price Western Leather (PWL), manufacturers of high quality leather goods, supplying customers around the globe, including the police, security and military sectors were often receiving large customer orders which required large volumes of accurate repetition.  They wanted to expand their capabilities in order to enable them to fulfill these orders by investing in new innovative machinery. 

Managing Director, Jonathan Littlewood contacted SWMAS to enquire as to whether there were any programmes of support available, that Price Western Leather could take advantage of. 

SWMAS Action:

SWMAS introduced the Local Manufacturing Advisory Programme (LMAP) funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to Price Western Leather, designed to support established manufacturing SMEs in the South West to understand and develop their capability and capacity to improve and grow, as well offering capital expenditure grants.  

Price Western Leather was awarded a grant of £2,600 to support their exponential growth by purchasing a computer controlled sewing machine.

Results:

The new machinery has had a huge impact on the overall productivity of the business, allowing them to free up their highly skilled machinists to concentrate on the more bespoke customer orders and teach others to operate the computer controlled sewing machine to execute the larger repetitive orders.

• 25% saving in time to produce orders 
• Employed 2 new members of staff to assist in fulfilling the customer orders the new machinery has enabled PWL to accept 

Due to the exponential growth Price Western Leather have seen this year, they are now looking to relocate the business to bigger premises within the Minehead area and hope to continue to grow their team, customer base, innovate with new products and widen their capabilities.

It is so rewarding to see how the Local Manufacturing Programme has enabled Price Western Leather to increase their capacities and capabilities. The new machinery has allowed them to continue to offer a range of top quality products to their customers. I am certainly excited to see the company’s growth ambitions come to fruition over the next few years and hope that SWMAS can continue to be part of their journey.

Phil Halse, Manufacturing Specialist

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