A family-run company which provides branded uniforms for more than 200 schools throughout Cumbria and further afield is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Identity, at Furness Business Park in Barrow, is continuing to grow and is now serving the third and fourth generation of its customers.
“We regularly have people who say they got their first school uniform from us and now they are buying school wear for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” said director Kay Groundwater.
“We are incredibly proud to have been part of the local community for half a century.”
Identity also provides embroidered and printed garments for companies, sports and other clubs and sells workwear and PPE.
The company was founded in 1976 by Kay’s parents, Harry and Dorothy, who live in Barrow and are still directors. It was originally called Young Ones and sold babywear from a shop in Rawlinson Street, Barrow.
“I remember as a child that after four weeks the shop made £100 on a single Saturday so the family had steak that evening!” said Kay, who started working for the firm full-time in 1992 at the age of 23.
After four years the company moved to The Arcade in Barrow, moving from selling babywear to children’s and teen clothing as well as some schoolwear.
There was another move to Cavendish Street in the town, where the company sold fashion clothing and jeans and changed its name to Trends.
“At this stage schools started wanting prints on school jumpers so we decided to buy an embroidery machine,” said Kay.
The business, which changed its name to Identity in the late 1990s, continued to expand and moved in 2018 to a 12,000sq ft head office at Furness Business Park, which houses the firm’s buying, operations, accounts, web sales and warehousing departments and has a retail counter.
“We now have nine full-time staff and in the summer employ about 15 part-time 14 to 16-year-olds to help us out with the back-to-school rush and to give them invaluable work experience,” said Kay.
“They learn lots of skills which is great for their CVs and to help them get full-time jobs in the future.”
Fellow director Paul Graves said it was important for companies to have their staff wearing branded uniforms.
“They help to advertise their company, if someone is working on a site the host company knows who they are and branded uniforms look professional, help to bond a team and make employees stand out from the crowd.”
Unusual jobs over the years have included embroidering crests on the chair headrests for officers on a nuclear submarine and branding yoga mats for a club in south Cumbria.
Supplying workwear and PPE is an area of the business that has grown from five per cent in 2018 to 40 per cent now.
“We supply garments for the hospitality and trades sectors and firms ranging from a one-man-band to large companies,” said Paul, who joined Identity in 1997.
PPE includes ear defenders, dust masks, safety glasses, hard hats and fire-retardant coveralls.
Both Kay and Paul are members of networking group BNI Cumbria and have adopted that organisation’s core values for Identity, including Givers Gain, Building Relationships and Positive Attitude. They also place great store on service, attention to detail, providing a fast turnaround and caring for customers.
“We monitor our suppliers for factory accreditations and look for stringent ethical trading policies in the manufacture of the schoolwear we provide, giving parents and schools peace of mind,” said Kay.
Identity sponsors several local groups and also donates redundant stock and collects items to send to help residents in a village in Ghana.
To mark its 50th anniversary, the company is planning an open day for the schools and companies it supplies, which will include guided tours of the head office, drinks and canapes.
“We are proud to have grown the company over the years and can see further massive growth ahead with new technology, products and printing processes on the horizon,” said Paul.
“We are very excited about pushing the business forward for the next 50 years. The bigger we grow the more people we can employ and the more families we can support.”
