The Company:
Grosvenor Shirts is based in Strabane, Co. Tyrone and manufactures fine quality mens’ shirts and ladies’ blouses. All shirts produced by Grosvenor Shirts are made from the finest cloths which include Sea Island cotton or light wool. The company was first established in 1999 when the local textile industry was in decline. Its strategy for success against this difficult backdrop was to offer a unique customized service to consumers that would give them the opportunity to purchase a shirt or blouse to fit individual requirements. Part of this “made to measure” offering gave the consumer the ability to personalize their shirt/blouse with variations in the collar, cuff, and buttoning etc.

The Project:
Quality is a hallmark of the Grosvenor Shirts brand. When the company started to experience problems with unevenness in attaching bespoke cuffs they saw it as an imperative to find a solution that would safeguard customer satisfaction and production performance criteria

Making it Happen:

• MTP
• Invest NI - Innovation Credit
• The North West Institute of Further & Higher Education

MTP moved quickly to assist with this challenge and offered the company help from ‘Innovation Credits’ funded by Invest NI. MTP proceeded to enlist the support of one of their partners North West Institute of Further and Higher Education (NWIFHE), Engineering Department. Following months of development work, a JIG was designed and produced.

The Result...
The new jig allows an even seam width to be incorporated into the design achieving consistency in size, length and width of all cuffs. These can now be fitted with greater ease enabling a higher daily production output.

John Quigley:
“MTP helped in finding an affordable solution while NWIFHE were efficient and responsive in delivering the solution. Since incorporating the new jig, we have improved both our productivity and quality. The ‘Innovation Credit’ was very effective; no hurdles were put in our way. MTP did everything possible to help us find the right solution."