Victorian factory is back in fashion

              32 LEICESTER MERCURY, THURSDAY, APRIL 29,1993 Business Day■ P
Victorian factory is
back in fashion
by John Stone,
Business Editor
ANEW lease of life is
being given to a dis­tinctive
Victorian
factory in Leicester
city centre, in a job-creat­ing
expansion.
Final Impressions, designers
and manufacturers of fashion
leisurewear, has bought the
freehold of Wimbledon House,
Southampton Street.
Director Mr Richard Hugh (34),
said that the company would be
expanding its workforce from the
present 15 to about 60 when it moves
into the building at the end of May.
Grant aid
Wimbledon House was formerly
well-known as the home of hosiery
manufacturers Hirst and Levy.
Cost of buying and refurbishing
the four-storey building will be sev­eral
hundred thousand pounds.
Final Impressions has received
grant aid under Leicester City
Council’s urban programme
towards the work.
Mr David Firth, of the City Coun­cil
said: “This is job-creating expan­sion
involving refurbishment of a
good Victorian building.
It meets all our criteria.”
Mr Hugh said that he first read in
the Leicester Mercury that Wimble­don
House was for sale.
The four-storey building will
house the company’s warehousing,
office, fabric cutting, machining
and design facilities.
The business is currently in
DISTINCTIVE: Wimbledon House, in Southampton Street.
premises at Buckland Road, Leices­ter,
and its main customers are
chain store groups.
“We started Final Impressions in
London seven years ago, and moved
to Leicester in 1991,” he said.
“Our original textile design and
manufacture was T-shirts for Cam­den
market.
“We still have a showroom in the
East End Of London which we will
retain.”
Sub-contracting of knitting, dye­ing
and making up is carried out by
local firms for Final Impressions.
As part of the expansion at Wim­bledon
House there will be more
jobs for machinists as the company
takes “in house” some of the higher
added-value machining work.
“I originally only came to Leices­ter
for a year while we established a
sub-contracting network,” he said.
“I am very impressed with the
positive attitude of employees and
suppliers and also the co-operation
of the City Council.
“ We can’t beat some overseas
suppliers on labour costs. But fast
response, quality and design are
increasingly important to both
store groups and the public.
“We plan to expand our produc­tion
and are attending shows at the
NEC and London later this year.
“Also we are looking to export,
and plan to take part in shows
abroad.”