The boss of a family-owned 海角视频 clothes company has described how he horrified the board when he said he wanted to take the business in a completely new direction.
Corry Taylor, managing director of outdoor and country clothing distributor Bradshaw Taylor, said he put an ultimatum to the board when he took over – and the gamble paid off.
In the intervening years the business has expanded rapidly, bringing new brands on board and growing global sales.
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Today Bradshaw Taylor – based in Oakham, in Rutland, right in the heart of the country – supplies more than 1,000 retailers with items ranging from waxed jackets to ski gear, wellington boots, hiking boots, rucksacks and climbing equipment.
Brands under its umbrella include fields sports clothing and skiwear company Schöffel, wellington boot maker Le Chameau, Sherpa adventure gear and Keen footwear.
Speaking to Business Live Corry said it had been hard to get the business where it was today, but the company had prospered, most recently helped by people buying outdoors kit to stay fit in lockdown, and investment in online sales.
He said: “I’m an outdoor and fields ports enthusiast – I came back from California where I had started my own business after graduating from Cranfied with my MBA and came home to take over the family business in Rutland, in 1992 from my father.
“The family company was originally founded in Mill Street, Oakham, in 1895 by my great grandfather – Mill Street was named after the animal feed mill and agricultural supply company he founded.
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“When I took over from my father, I made him agree to sell the animal feeds business and allow me to start a branded business based on the activities I’m passionate about – field sports, skiing, hiking and travel.
“The existing board of directors were horrified that I wanted to come in and change everything about the company. The chairman of the business told my father to choose between the two of us.
“Fortunately I had the backing of my father – the chairman and the rest of the board resigned apart from my father.
“We sold the animal feeds business as a growing concern and preserved all the staff’s jobs.
“Crucially, we kept and converted the old mill site in Oakham. The first five years were an incredible struggle to get the company into a completely new business and to make it profitable.
“But through determination and perseverance, we made it. It required a huge effort and the full and unwavering support of my father.
“The rest of the family demanded I buy them out as they felt the new business was far too risky, which served to concentrate my focus on making sure we made it a success.”
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He said the tipping point came in June 1993 when skiwear and hiking pioneers Hubert and Peter Schöffel agreed to manufacture a shooting coat to Corry’s design, using Gore-Tex that was machine washable.
He said: “We have grown and expanded the range and Schöffel Country is now the leading premium fields ports brand in the 海角视频 market.
“After creating the Schoffel Country brand we had also continued as the Schöffel ski distributor for the 海角视频.
“We then brought in a number of outdoor brands into the 海角视频 and European markets from around the world – Osprey backpacks, Black Diamond and Keen Footwear from the US, and Icebreaker from New Zealand.
“The business has grown steadily over the years, we launched into the European market in 1997 and set up a German subsidiary.”
In 2019 the business bought the Le Chameau brand of handmade wellington boots, which was founded in 1927.
He said: “With the acquisition of Le Chameau, we inherited the factory in Casablanca, with 200 staff and an office with 65 staff in Old Bond Street, London.
“We closed the Old Bond Street offices and re-located the 海角视频 HQ to our Oakham site. In addition, we opened major warehouse facilities in Grantham to accommodate the expansion of the business in 2016.
“In December 2020 we opened a Dutch subsidiary and distribution centre in North East Holland to beat the Brexit problem.
“In 2020 we also set up American and Canadian subsidiaries for Le Chameau, Schöffel Country and our other two outdoor brands, Sherpa Adventure Gear and Artilect. Our group now has a team of 500 around the world.
“The most successful brand is Schöffel Country. We have over 100 retailers in the 海角视频, Europe and USA.
“The Le Chameau brand is growing fast and will become the leading handmade premium wellington boot brand in the world in 2021. The synergies with Schöffel Country are excellent.”
Corry said the wellington brand had 1,000 wholesale accounts around the world and turnover was up significantly in 2020, helped by people buying online.
The business is also investing heavily in expanding capacity at the Casablanca factory.
He said: “I’ve been a brand fan of Le Chameau for many years and was delighted to get involved when I was approached by the owners.
“The fit and harmony with Schöffel Country are perfect, as nearly every Schöffel Country retailer also stocks Le Chameau.
“The brand produces quality wellington boots which are built to last and so it is the perfect addition alongside Schöffel Country, which produces exquisite country clothing. We share customers and we share brand values.
“It is the only brand to fully hand make every wellington boot. This passion for the best quality coupled with the highest natural content, makes them both durable and incredibly comfortable. You can wear Le Chameau’s for long periods of time in the worst weather conditions and stay warm, comfortable and dry.”
He said with investment in overseas operations the business was forecasting 50 per cent growth this year, growing from 500 to around 550 staff globally.
He said: “However, we do expect trading conditions to be tough for a number of years to come, profit margins are being squeezed by increases in raw materials and transport – whilst there is pressure to keep retail prices unchanged.”
Asked about plans to bring in more brands he said: “No – we have a brilliant portfolio of brands and are just focussed on growing these.”