Growing workwear business to create jobs at new £3.5m factory in County Durham

A North East workwear business is ramping up capacity and creating employment opportunities with the launch of a new factory.

Workwear Express’ new 40,000 sq ft production facility, located at its Durham headquarters, is now operational following a £3.5m investment.

The expansion is part of a wider plan to achieve a turnover of £50m, more than double its current annual revenues, by 2023.

Workwear Express intends to grow its 180-strong staff base over the course of 2019 with at least 30 new jobs.

Located on Belmont Industrial Estate in County Durham, the factory houses modern office space and advanced machinery that will enable the firm to offer a 24-hour dispatch option.

Workwear Express said it welcomes over 1,500 new customers each week. The new factory will help it meet a growing demand for its personalised workwear, uniforms and promotional clothing in the UK and overseas.

Managing director Andrew Ward started the business in 1990 selling work clothing from the back of a van. Fast forward 29 years and the company operates from a 68,000 sq ft site and produces more than two million pieces of clothing a year for customers spread across 96 countries.

Andrew said: “We are delighted to announce the opening of our new facilities – it’s an exciting time for the business, our staff and customers. We’re a forward-thinking company and recognised a need to increase production of our products to meet the demands of our growing customer base.

“The new factory is located next to our current site and is an ideal location to do business. We’re proud to be part of the North East community, supporting the local economy and jobs, and our investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the region over nearly three decades.”

He continued: “The new factory space includes modern machinery and facilities, enabling us to become even more responsive to what our customers want and meet the demands for a fast, efficient service and high quality products.”

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