boohoo’s New Leicester Factory Uses On-Demand Textile Printing From Kornit Digital To Signal A 'Bright Future' For Garment Manufacturing In Leicester
LEICESTER, England,-The boss of online fashion retailer boohoo Group PLC says that there is a 'bright future' for garment manufacturing in Leicester after the company opened its first manufacturing facility in the city.
The factory represents a multi-million pound investment by boohoo Group and will be used as a 'centre of excellence' to reintroduce skills in garment manufacturing that have been lost in the UK over time.
In April, boohoo proudly welcomed stakeholders, community leaders and the media to their newly opened Thurmaston Lane in Leicester, championing ethical British manufacturing.
They were taken on a tour of their fantastic site to meet the hardworking team making garments for the boohoo group here in the UK.
Leicester has always been known for its jersey manufacturing, but at the new Thurmaston Lane site, boohoo are championing new skills enabling their operations teams to produce more detailed woven garments.
As part of its drive to cut waste and increase speed of response, Boohoo Group has invested in Kornit Digital's on-demand printing machines at Thurmaston Lane.
These machines provide the speed and economic impetus to service online demand using eco-friendly materials with a minimal carbon footprint,
boohoo state-of-the-art digital printing facility uses certified environmentally friendly dyes and has 93% less water usage than traditional screen printing.
Production at this 23,000 sq. ft. factory is already underway and has created around 180 new jobs for local people.
In a change from the traditional way of operating a garment factory, this state of the art facility will operate across two shifts, creating double the job opportunities and greater flexibility for the team.
All workers at the site will enjoy the full range of benefits for boohoo Group employees, including private medical care and free allocation of company shares. A full list of staff benefits is listed below:
Guaranteed 40 hour contracts
33 days paid holiday
Access to our amazing share save scheme
Free shares in the boohoo group
40% employee discount on all brands
medical care
Excellent training and development
Opportunity for overtime hours when production requires.
Speaking at the official opening, boohoo Group CEO John Lyttle said: "This is a landmark moment for us and is a very visible demonstration of our commitment to Leicester and UK garment manufacturing. By operating the site as a centre of excellence, we want to bring back skills that have been lost over time and help our suppliers to diversify their product offerings, meaning they can win business from other retailers who we are hoping will be tempted to start sourcing from the UK again.
"It has been a difficult few years but I am confident there is a bright future ahead and today marks the start of a new chapter for the garment industry here in Leicester."
