Royal Appointment for Cranfield Client
Equestrian clothing specialists Mears Country Jackets has had a Royal appointment with a difference.
Managing director John Mears, whose family has been in business for almost 25 years, had the honour of measuring up Royal beauty Zara Phillips when she won gold at last year’s European Evening Championships.
Mr Mears has relaunched the renowned clothing firm based in Bloxwich after RH Mears, founded by his father in 1982, was closed down after suffering financial losses through the food and mouth epidemic.
The company now manufactures around 3,000 jackets each year, 600 of which are exported to Ireland and the United States, and employs 16 members of staff.
Mears Country Jackets operates at the top end of the scale and provides top quality British made riding wear for top showjumpers including the Great Britain equestrian teams at the last two Olympics in Athens and Sydney.
Last September, when Miss Phillips won two gold medals at the showjumping Championships, Mr Mears personally fitted the jackets for all the British team riders.
He said: “She is a very pleasant young lady and I was featured all over the national television news fitting her with a double breasted jacket. It is not often that you get so close to a member of the Royal family!”
Mr Mears plans to sponsor young showjumpers in the future and establish the company as the first in its field for equestrian attire.
He added: “We are appealing to the top end of the market, for the people who want quality merchandise. That is where we want to use our skills, knowhow and expertise.”
“There is still a demand for hunting jackets although there has been a move away from the traditional scarlet colours.”
“When the previous business closed we had a lot of people in the riding community concerned that we were gone for good. Now we are over that particular hurdle and heading for the winning post.”
Tony Mitchell, managing director of Warwick based business rescue and personal insolvency specialists Cranfield Business Recovery, was delighted to advise the directors and assist in the restructuring of the business and secure the future employment for 16 employees.
He said: “Mears Country Jackets has an excellent reputation in the horse world and I’m pleased to have played a part in its renaissance.”
“Despite the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 and last year’s ban on fox hunting, they are proving that countryside companies can reinvent themselves and survive in a tough business climate.”
“They are one of the few specialists for hunting jackets in Britain and by using British tailoring skills and fabrics they are able to compete with importers of cheaper products by offering high class clothes.”
