Images_Digital_Edition_August_2019

IS DECORATOR PROFILE www.images-magazine.com 56 images AUGUST 2019 another way that the business keeps costs competitive. “I get good rates because I pay suppliers straightaway. All my suppliers get paid within seven days, I make sure of it personally. If you have got the money, why not pay it?” Unusually in today’s market, Pally International decided to give up its business website, has no time for social media, and directs all incoming emails through a single email address. “We don’t need the headache of a website,” Pally explains. “We have 10 customers and we keep them happy. We would rather spend time looking after them. We can rely on word of mouth. It’s the service we give, and that’s how we keep everyone here busy.” Having a small number of regular customers makes it easier for Pally International to turn orders around “very quickly” – essential in the ever- moving high-street fashion market. “Customers want their finished garment in their shop within a week,” Pally says. “We can print it, dye it, pack it, do it all in five working days.” This is particularly appealing for retailers with an online channel that will flag up immediately whether a new design is proving particularly popular. “The retailer will want to re-order straightaway, maybe order it for their stores. We can do that.” Cars and copyright After 33 years, Pally appears as driven to make a success of his business as he was on the day he started out. As well as being the first to arrive at the factory every morning, he rarely takes holidays – each year he goes away only for two weeks at Christmas and on bank holiday weekends. Ultimately, the motivation to keep going and keep growing is what allows him to make the most of his leisure time: he continues to be a fan of top-end cars, from Porsches to Aston Martins, and holidays in exotic destinations such as Saint Lucia, Bermuda, Jamaica and Goa. “What is the point of working if you are not making lots of money?” he asks. “Nice watches, a lovely house, the cars. I enjoy doing it because I like nice things.” Pally is proud that he and his family have built the business up without needing to borrow. “We don’t owe any money. We put the money back into the business.” He is also pleased that, over three decades, there have never been any judgments against his companies for copyright – a constant risk for any garment decorator in the fast-moving fashion industry. The son of a steelworker, he is well- known and widely respected for the part he has played in maintaining the region’s long-established textile industry, earning him the nickname of ‘the King of Leicester’. Seeing him at work at the hub of production on his bustling print shop floor, it’s immediately evident that this is one royal who has no plans to give up his crown any time soon. 0116 2626 767 What is the point of working if you are not making lots of money? Each of the four Adelco Pro-Cure dryers serves two presses The company has bought two 12-head Happy Japan embroidery machines in the past year