The PCIAW® and Gerber Technology Webinar
13-07-2020
On the 8th July 2020 Fashion-Enter CEO, Jenny Holloway, joined an industry strong panel that included the likes of Richard Jessup – Gerber Technology UK, Sales Director EMEA, Adam Mansell – UKFT, CEO and Simon Hunter, MBE – Hunter Apparel CEO, amongst others to discuss some of the most pressing topics facing the UK clothing industry.
Organised by PCIAW® (Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide) and Gerber Technology, the Webinar ‘Manufacturing in the UK: Challenges and Advantages’attracted 150 people tuning in to listen to what the experts had to say and answering pertinent questions as they came in.
The webinar included topics such an economic overview of the entire professional clothing industry, a look at the challenges arising in manufacturing in the UK and a discussion on the impact to the textile industry. Some prominent points within the discussion featured concerns at how the PPE industry needs further support and investment from the government, how the challenges of Covid-19 has bought the industry together, and how UK manufacturers have managed to adapt to the challenges during this difficult time.
Answering the listener’s questions, Adam Mansell voiced advice on resources to help manufacturing businesses acquiring additional workspaces, whereas Jenny Holloway shared some fantastic support for small companies needing to manufacture only small quantities of garments. Samantha Fernando emphasised the need for government investment in the manufacturing sector along with more support for training and skills development.
Hot on the heels of the press reports on Leicester factories and unethical practises the panel discussed working together to ensure standards are raised and adhered to up and down the UK. Jenny Holloway also discussed how an overhaul of the manufacturing process is required to achieve a speedy and lean response working in tandem with retailers and brands. Using her own factory as an example she also talked about the need for on-going stability and that being a fully compliant factory is achievable when the right systems, such as Galaxius, are in place.
You can listen to the webinar in its entirety here.
Many thanks to the team at PCIAW® and Gerber Technology for organising this event.
