In the Craft Market Graham Aldous, Director at Peak Dale Products, Talks About the Brand and the Future of the Company
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JAKAR front cover_ADS 07/03/2019 11:40 Page 1 £3.50 ISSUE 138 MARCH/APRIL 2019 CraftBusinesswww.craftbusiness.com The leading trade title for the craft industry AWARDS INFLUENCERS INTERVIEW Craft Best in the BUSINESS Who’s a The Queen AWARDS industry 2019 (paper) cut of Couture celebrated above the rest? Craft P8 P18 P24 ARTCOE page_ADS 08/03/2019 11:25 Page 1 NEWS 3 Patrick Grant launches Future Textiles London Welcome z Patrick Grant, the Savile Row tailor and judge of television’s z Mark Hayhurst z @craftbiz The Great British Sewing Bee, z [email protected] helped to launch The Prince’s Foundation’s fashion and textiles z Well the year seems to be racing ahead already! education programme for At the time of writing this introduction Brexit is still a London secondary school couple of weeks away. And without a crystal ball I have no idea pupils. Patrick what’s going to happen. By the time you read this we could Grant launched Future Grant and have left with a no deal, we could have managed to thrash Textiles London, an extension of a Jacqueline out a deal or the deadline to leave has been extended. One successful initiative by The Prince Farrell at the thing that I hope is that by the next issue all the uncertainty of Wales’s charity, alongside launch of will have gone and we know what we have to deal with. Jacqueline Farrell, co-founder of Future Textiles London, Trinity But on to happier things. I was honoured to hand out the the Future Textiles programme Buoy Wharf. 2019 Craft Business Awards at CHSI Stitches. It was also a that has catered for thousands Picture: Rory pleasure to meet a lot of you at the show and at the ceremony of pupils over five years at James itself, which is always one of the highlights of my year. Dumfries House in Scotland. So well done to all the winners and don’t forget to get Workshops at Trinity Buoy “Our hope is that pupils enrol on the prestigious Future your nominations in later in the year for the 2020 awards! Wharf in Tower Hamlets will learning on workshops at 30 programme, an advanced I hope you enjoy reading this issue. run in line with a model that has Future Textiles London can certificated course that has already encouraged dozens of develop the skills to aid their proven to increase their chances graduates into further education existing education in textiles of gaining a place in further and employment in fashion and that they can be inspired to education and, later, employment. ON THE RECORD and textiles across the UK. The pursue further such study and, Future Textiles forms a key programme is part of a larger eventually, gain work in that field. element of the vision of His Royal “Craft makes me education initiative which will be “Our objective is to address Highness The Prince Charles, run by The Prince’s Foundation at a glaring skills gap in the textiles Duke of Rothesay, who used happy, it allows me to Trinity Buoy Wharf, which will also industry by providing training £20million of his charitable express my creativity feature training in other traditional workshops for secondary school foundation’s money in 2007 to craft skills such as stonemasonry, teachers and pupils, as well as secure the future of Dumfries and brings me a pargetting and thatching. those seeking employability skills.” House and use it to help people Jacqueline Farrell said: The Prince’s Foundation’s engage in learning experiences massive sense of “Although Future Textiles London Future Textiles programme aims that promote confidence and achievement and will share similar principles and to breathe fresh talent into the personal development as objectives with the established UK’s fashion and textiles industry. well as offer training in real- wellbeing.” programme at Dumfries Thousands of school pupils have life skills to open up future House in Scotland, it has been engaged in the programme at employment opportunities. HANNAH READ-BALDREY designed to complement the Dumfries House near Cumnock Schools can enquire teaching and curriculum in since October 2014. Pupils about Future Textiles London place at schools in London and who show particular aptitude by emailing education@ Checker Distributors’ shipping solution throughout the rest of England. on workshops are selected to princes-foundation.org saves money and time for shop owners z Checker Distributors is offering three business day BLUEGEM CAPITAL PARTNERS EXITS THE shipping from the USA to the EU and it’s VAT free. DMC GROUP TO LION CAPITAL Checker Distributors has over 120,000 products and is z Lion Capital LLP (“Lion”) has acquired “Thanks to the team’s work, The DMC Group is the world’s leading supplier purchases are a consolidated Crafts Group Limited (“The DMC Group”) now the undisputed market leader in an attractive of quilting and sewing products. shipment via FedEx, with from BlueGem Capital Partners (“BlueGem”). and resilient niche. There remains substantial Their target customers are no weight requirements. The DMC Group comprises a portfolio potential for growth within the company, and independent shop owners and “Our customers will not be of leading European brands in the we are happy to hand it over to Lion Capital. they are a true one-stop shop. charged VAT and it is a three needlecrafts space, including DMC, Wool “Thanks to its unparalleled industry contacts Checker’s website has tools business day transit from and the Gang (“WATG”) and Sirdar. and expertise, we believe Lion will successfully so that you can check stock Checker to their store. The The portfolio also includes Tilsatec, add to the business’s strong existing foundations. availability, top-selling, status of shipments are completely VAT a leading brand of high-performance For BlueGem, the sale of The DMC Group is the back orders, review old invoices Free. VAT Funds will not be technical yarn. BlueGem formed The DMC first exit from our Fund II’s portfolio and generated and more. They even offer online collected at time of delivery and Group in August 2016 as a consolidation a Cash-on-Cash of 2.7x and an IRR of 55 per cent.” chat and their international the shipments are trackable platform for complementary needlecraft James Cocker, Partner of Lion Capital, customer service team are from when they leave Checker brands, beginning with the simultaneous added: “We have followed The DMC Group always available by email. until FedEx delivers to their door. acquisition of DMC and WATG. closely for some time and admire the value Their top-selling brands Our unparalleled selection of BlueGem identified in DMC an unloved creation strategy that the team has implemented are the ‘must have’ notions quilting products is now very and undermanaged company with amazing under BlueGem’s ownership. The business and fabrics that quilters use. affordable and fast to the EU. brand heritage, high-quality products and has a wide array of levers to drive continued They have over 1,000 vendors “We are family owned untapped growth opportunities. The addition operational improvement over an extended including very popular brands and just real people helping of WATG was instrumental to the launch of period, and substantial opportunity for further such as OmniGrid, Olfa, The independent shop owners to an intensive rejuvenation program which acquisition-led growth on a global basis. Gypsy Quilter, and Clover be successful. Our incredible included product innovation, marketing, “Our proven track record of working with notions; Hobbs and Bosal selection and the customer PR and social media and e-commerce. leading global brands makes The DMC Group a batting; Aurifil and Mettler experience through our website In 2017, the acquisition of Sirdar and the perfect fit with our investment strategy, and we thread; Wilmington Prints, and customer service reps, plus opening of a London head office solidified The look forward to working with the team to help Henry Glass, Michael Miller the new consolidated shipping DMC Group’s position as the European leader capitalise on the business’s tremendous potential.” and many more; Kimberbell program to the EU can’t be in the needlecrafts space, led by blue-chip top Justin Wraight, CEO of The DMC Group, and Elizabeth Hartman beat. Try us you’ll be hooked!” managers. In 2018, The DMC Group generated said: “BlueGem have been highly supportive patterns; and Martingale and A new customer can open over €90m of sales across 100 plus countries. partners in the formation and development of It’s Sew Emma books. an account by contacting Marco Capello, Founder and Managing The DMC Group. From these strong foundations Brad Krieger, Checker a Customer Service Partner of BlueGem, said: “We are proud we look forward to the next phase of growth Distributors President, Representative Monday - Friday, of the rapid and significant business with Lion Capital, who share our excitement for said: “We are very excited 8am-5pm EST, via phone 001- improvements that have been achieved the future and have the experience to help us to offer a shipping solution 419-893-3636, online chat at at The DMC Group, where we partnered continue to grow and optimise our portfolio of to our existing and future www.checkerdist.com, or email with a high calibre management team. iconic needlecraft and technical yarn brands.” customers in the EU. Their [email protected]. www.craftbusiness.com 4 NEWS The Hedgehog Hollow named America’s Best Online Retailer ❚ Alexandra Stapleton-Smith started a little hobby blog, The Hedgehog Hollow, to keep her busy when her family moved to America from England in 2016.