“We are absolutely over the moon,” Claire Mahon of Redmayne 1860 said after revealing how the tailors have become the only company in Cumbria to be recognised in the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise.
With a proud reputation in the US, Australia and Europe as well as closer to home which Business Crack featured last year, the outfitters are among the 76 businesses to have been recognised for their international trade.
In order qualify for the award at least 10 per cent of trade must be from abroad and for the small team at Redmayne that figure is substantially higher.
An ability to tell the story of the company was advice given by David Beeby of Enterprising Cumbria, something Tom Mahon excels at on his social media posts which have helped Redmayne reach a whole new market.
“We’ll be in America five times this year as well as Luxembourg and either northern Europe or Ireland,” Claire, who manages the close-knit team of nine who make up the firm, said. “There is a real demand for quality tailoring and we are delighted to be able to be provide this.”
The company, owned by Tom and Claire Mahon, relocated from Wigton to Carlisle last year renovating a Georgian town house on Victoria Place to fulfil an ambition to expand the business and make room for new staff.
A new recruit has just joined the firm with another vacancy for an apprentice likely later this year. Yet finding recruits willing to enter the trade is proving a challenge.
“There does seem to be a trend of encouraging school-leavers to look at white collar rather than blue-collar jobs yet we know in tailoring there are well-paid careers to be had,” Claire, who is now looking to collaborate with Sealy Beds, Linton Tweeds and other similar industries to promote skilled trades that are often overlooked, said.
A charity which could train more young people is one idea that could help fill vacancies in tailoring, weaving, machining and the rest that are emerging as the existing workforce approaches retirement.
For now the company are celebrating their King’s Award success.
“A huge congratulations to every business receiving awards this year, who once again have illustrated the best of British innovation and talent,” Blair McDougall, Minister for Small Businesses and Economic Transformation said.
“These awards show that right across the UK, there are small businesses that are thriving, growing and succeeding and it’s only right that we champion these successes.”
