Future looks good for Wellington businesses (From Somerset County Gazette)

Future looks good for Wellington businesses

1:30pm Friday 4th March 2011 in News

TWO of Wellington’s best-known manufacturers shrugged off the economic gloom this week to announce increases in their order books.

Swallowfield, the cosmetics and toiletries company, declared sales were up by 7.4% to £31.3m for the first half of the financial year.

And Fox Brothers woollen mill, taken over by TV personality Deborah Meaden last year, has also revealed an increase in demand.

A spokeswoman for Swallowfield said the company’s growth had been underpinned by a strong performance from the export side of its business, which has seen direct international revenue grow by 23.4%.

She added: “The outlook for the coming months looks positive with future revenue growth underpinned by a strong order book, new product launches and the development of new client relationship.”

Chief executive Ian Mackinnon said: “As expected the UK market has been particularly challenging during the last six months.

“We have driven revenue growth in the business in spite of the difficult market background and expect new product launches in the coming months to continue this trend.”

Douglas Cordeaux, managing director of Fox Brothers, said: “Business is good for Fox Brothers.

“As a producer of a luxury product, we're seeing increased demand from both the domestic and international markets.

“Leading designers, fashion houses and high street brand names are buying Fox’s cloth in appreciation of our genuine and much valued ‘Made in England status.

“For the first time since the 1970s two new looms will be installed to cope with demand, enabling us to preserve and enhance the traditional skills of our growing workforce at the mill in Wellington.”