9:00am Sunday 1st November 2009
By Chris Hopper
AN EAST Lancashire company has completed a design contract for one of the world’s leading hotel chains.
Altham-based corporate clothing specialist Simon Jersey has supplied “outstanding” uniforms to the Holiday Inn Express group as part of a wider £500million overhaul by parent company InterContinental Hotels.
It means that by the end of 2011, 4,000 workers at hotels in Britain, Ireland, the Middle East and Russia will be decked out in Simon Jersey-designed uniforms.
Among those who have already taken delivery of the work wear – which includes scarves, ties, suits, skirts and shirts in blue, white and green – are staff at Holiday Inn Express’ Burnley site in Pendle Way.
Helen Harker, Simon Jersey’s head of design, said: “We thoroughly enjoyed working on this project and the new uniform is stylish and contemporary, yet durable and practical.
“It is a complete overhaul of the way the staff look, which is a vital part of the group’s transformation.”
The contract to supply Holiday Inn comes after a 10-year working relationship between Simon Jersey and InterContinental.
And the end product, which was designed and manufactured at Simon Jersey’s headquarters in Syke Side Drive, clearly delighted bosses at Holiday Inn.
Mark Thomas, who manages the hotel giant’s brand, said: “The new range will go a long way towards transforming our business and giving us improved visibility in the marketplace.
“The clothes our staff wear and the image they portray in the hotel speaks volumes about our brand and, after taking time to develop the new working wardrobe from scratch, I think the final result is outstanding.”
Simon Jersey, which employs more than 200 people in East Lancashire, was established in 1971 and now turns over £28million a year.
The company has a prestigious list of clients, including Asda and Vision Express, and last year scooped a Lancashire Telegraph Business Award after clinching a deal to supply the world-leading Emirates airline.
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