ImagesMagUK_January_2021

IS DECORATOR PROFILE www.images-magazine.com 30 images JANUARY 2021 with appliqué and 3D techniques – sometimes combining the two with especially impressive results. “Despite these jobs often taking a lot longer and needing a lot of R&D time, we always put a lot of effort into them as we know it is these specialities that help us secure contracts supplying garments for high-end blue-chip corporate companies,” George points out. PPE and SMEs The company has traditionally serviced corporates through creative agencies, but three years ago it diversified into workwear and PPE, setting up a new division, Essential Workwear. This allowed it to expand without competing with its existing client base. “From the outset, it was our intention to focus on targeting SMEs,” George adds. “However, I think as a testament to our service and capability, we have already secured a contract offering a fully managed workwear solution to a company employing over 4,000 staff.” From the start, Essential was an accredited PPE supplier and this helped enormously when Covid-19 came along: the pandemic initially decimated demand for workwear, but it quickly boosted the demand for items such as face masks and shields, scrubs and hand sanitiser. “We were a registered supplier into the NHS and to others,” George recalls. “We went through a period of three months of doing some pretty hefty business selling PPE. That really sustained us for a few months. We are still doing PPE and occasionally supplying into the NHS, but not as much as it was back in the earlier days.” The move into workwear also took Essential into ecommerce, with customers able to set up accounts and order customised garments online. Louis has spearheaded this over the past year and says it is now “gathering pace”, adding: “It’s attracting a different type of customer. People come onto our site having never spoken to us before and place orders. That’s a completely new way of selling for us and is really exciting and gives a great buzz.” He is steering the business towards being completely paperless, supported by a bespoke production management system that allows everyone to track every job, networked to PDAs on machines across the factory floor. Essential’s catalogue is also now entirely online, presenting a wide selection of brands from Kustom Kit and Gildan to Stanley/Stella and Neutral, supported by its ongoing partnerships with suppliers BTC Activewear, PenCarrie and Ralawise. In spite of the increasing automation and online customisation, however, the personal touch remains important, George insists. “Customers will speak to us, give us a brief, and rely on us to put products forward and come up with the best solution.” Despite its growth and success, Essential remains at heart a family business, with George and Nicki’s daughter Elizabeth, who joined the company over 10 years ago, running the artwork team. And that’s not forgetting the family’s nine-year-old pug, Jimmy – a familiar face around the office, he is listed as ‘chairman’ on the company’s website. The long-term plan is for Louis to take over at Essential, but for now the Georgiou family and its staff are focused on continuing to drive the business forward irrespective of any disruption caused by Brexit and Covid-19. “It’s just a case of knuckling down,” George says. “We are all working harder than we were; everyone is pitching in and helping and getting done whatever needs to be done. We know that our own long-term future is very bright.” www.eed-uk.com Digital printing on the Brother GTXs Essential carries out embossing in-house The company’s bespoke IT system tracks all jobs