New jobs in the pipeline as Torque expands

The firm, which has a client list including Crew Clothing, Sweaty Betty and Trespass, has boosted turnover by 20 per cent to £60m in the last two years after winning new business.

Torque is headquartered in Leeds and has two warehouses in Bradford as well as sites in Slough and Wigan totalling 1.5m sq ft.

But it is now looking for another building to accommodate its expansion.

Vanessa Hope, sales and marketing manager said: “Because of the growth we have experienced in the last couple of years, we are looking to open a new warehouse in Yorkshire, which will offer new employment in the region.”

She added: “We are expanding, taking on new business and seeing growth within our existing clients. Because we need to manage their growth and our growth, we need to take on a new site in the next year.”

The company started life more than 20 years ago as a three-person business based in Bramley, near Leeds. The company now employs 800 staff across all its sites.

Mrs Hope said it was unknown how many new jobs would be created by the new warehouse but added it would be “lots”.

The last warehouse Torque opened was in Wigan in December 2011.

Last year, the company spent over £1m in a new fashion processing centre at its Wortley warehouse in Leeds.

The centre covers all aspects of processing including a conveyer for unloading and loading to reduce handling, quality control, steam tunnelling, extensive pressing facilities and bagging.

In addition to these services, Torque is able to provide ozone treatment capable of destroying mould spores and other unwanted contaminants.

Torque also provides garment finishing services, such as hand and mechanical pressing.

The centre helps clients manage online returns and exchanges as well as removing and fixing labels and repairing and altering clothes as well as carrying out embroidery and heat transfers for football and cricket teams.

Mrs Hope said the expansion of the processing department was fuelled by the rise of online sales.

The company specialises in the retail sector, although Mrs Hope said the firm was open to business from other sectors.

Torque recently helped women’s sports clothing retailer Sweaty Betty expand into the US by supporting the launch of two new stores in New York. A third store is planned in the near future.

It organised the movement of all stock, consumables and entire store fit-outs.

The company’s employees picked and packed all stock required for the new stores at its 550,000 sq ft warehouse in Leeds.

Sweaty Betty’s UK manufacturers also sent items needed to duplicate the retailer’s UK branch layout, for Torque to package, pack and label them individually.

Torque sent products required for the stores to open via sea freight and arranged for these to be de-vanned in the US, with smaller vehicles then accessing the stores.

The company has worked with Sweaty Betty since 2007 and now supports all the client’s retail and e-commerce business, servicing stores and web orders to the UK, Europe and the US.

David Scott, head of warehouse and distribution, Torque, said: “The launch was a challenging project but both teams have a ‘can do’ approach and delivered brilliantly.

“We now look forward to helping Sweaty Betty continue its growth, at home and abroad.”

Torque has seen growth in its importing business from China, Vietnam, Cambodia, India and Turkey.

Mrs Hope said sentiment surrounding the UK and global economy was improving among Torque’s clients.

“When we are speaking to people, there is a more positive feeling generally that things are easing in the market place,” she said.

The main challenge, she said, was volatile shipping rates.

“Trying to keep up with that is a challenge on its own,” she added. “We are keen to pass on savings to clients but costs can change in a very short window.”

But looking ahead, Mrs Hope said: “We feel very positive. We have got a nice pipeline of existing clients who are growing and new clients as well.”

A force to be reckoned with

Torque was previously known as the Elite Group but decided to rebrand as Torque (a name for a twisting force that can cause rotation) as it geared up for growth.

The company had a rapid period of expansion at the turn of the century, when it bought a large site next to its headquarters in Wortley Road, Wortley, near Leeds.

Torque delivers to major markets by road, sea and air.

The firm operates globally for clients ranging from large and famous high street names to small internet retailers.

Clients include coastal fashion retailer Crew Clothing; lingerie brand Curvy Kate, and business workwear retailer TM Lewin.