Injection of cash helps Perry bring in new jobs

A 300,000 investment has helped the tailoring company to create 30 jobs.

The company, which dates from 1946, has moved with the times by finding bigger premises and using the internet to attract more customers.

Perry Uniform was rescued from administration by serial entrepreneurs Bernard and Caroline Bunting in 2007.

The company, which was originally based in Armley, Leeds, had been struggling following the death in 2003 of Peter Franklin, who built up the business.

Bringing the firm out of administration, the Buntings merged the operation into their online venture Uniform Schoolwear and moved to an 18,000 sq ft centre in Bramley, near Leeds, which includes a production centre, a design studio and a sales call centre.

Ten original staff were retained and 30 skilled cutters, machinists and finishers have been recruited as annual sales approach 3m.

A London showroom for the company is scheduled to open next month.

Apart from schools, the company has recently supplied uniforms to the Harlequins and South African Rugby Union teams.

Parents can order clothes online and have them delivered the next day, complete with name tags.

Most of the firm's fabrics are from Yorkshire mills.

Mr Bunting said: "By harnessing local manufacturing skills to internet trading, we're able to provide the very best quality at sensible prices.

"This cuts out middlemen and avoids British or overseas cloth being tailored abroad and imported back into the UK.

"It's a cut-throat and competitive market but our value added services set us apart from the multiple retailers."

Ian Williams, policy director at Leeds Chamber of Commerce, said: "Manufacturing and entrepreneurship has a key role to play in helping rebalance and rebuild the UK economy."Editor