UK’s Leicestershire is all set to become a major textile manufacturing centre all over again. A recent estimate reveals the county still accounts for about a fifth of all clothing made in the UK and three-quarters of UK business leaders associate the trade with the area. Leicestershire’s textile sector was decimated during the 1990s as major retailers, such as Marks & Spencer, moved production to India, North Africa, China and other Far Eastern countries to cut costs. Another report by market researchers tasked with assessing the vibrancy of the UK textile industry says Leicestershire is in a prime position to meet the expected rise in demand.
The report, by Cast Intelligence, of Nottingham, says the county still has more than 800 textile firms who produce £500 million worth of goods each year. The report concludes, “This data suggests that the knitwear industry in Leicestershire is still vibrant.” However, in order to fully take advantage, firms are having to invest in new machinery and new staff.
Mandip Rai, Head of Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), which is overseeing the allocation of cash from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund for growing businesses, points out that 30, or about a third, of the applicants were from the textile sector. He said a lot of these companies were now being run by well-qualified executives, usually the second and third generation of Asian family owners.
