Company: Johnstons of Elgin
Location: Elgin, Scotland
We interviewed Simon Cotton, chief executive, and Tom Syme, operations director, to find out how our courses have benefited fine wool manufacturer Johnstons of Elgin.
The firm has been committed to training its apprentices and dyers on the SDC’s colour education pathway for many years – and here we outline the impact that properly-qualified dyers have had on customer service, product quality, and business outcomes.
About Johnstons of Elgin
Operating since 1797, Johnstons of Elgin carries out every part of the fine wool manufacturing process — from dyeing to the finished product — across its two mill sites in Scotland.
The family-owned business was the first company to weave with cashmere in the UK and its heritage is clear to see, quite literally, via the mature redwood and cedar trees growing within the mill — a throwback to dyeing techniques of the past.
The coloration of fine wool is a specific challenge, and Johnstons of Elgin has perfected the process over the centuries, making it one of the most trusted suppliers of cashmere to high-end brands.
Why did you take the decision to go through the SDC’s colour education pathway?
Tom:
The SDC is the gold standard for dyeing qualifications, in fact, I hardly know of any others. When I was at Paisley Technical College in 1982, all the dyeing exams were set by the society. As far as academic qualifications go, the SDC is seen as the governing body and therefore I’ve always trained my staff this way.
Without this scientific learning, a dyer will only know what the person ahead of them does, and would not be able to innovate any of the new processes that are vital to stay relevant in the industry.
What people outside the sector fail to understand is that without the chemical knowledge supporting the dyeing process, a dyehouse is prone to creating waste and unsustainable practices — all of which cost the business money. They will also find it more difficult to reach specific ISO standards.
Simon:
Only providing in-house training deprives dyers of networking within the industry, allowing them to share ideas and knowledge. It also suffocates them career-wise, as they will only have the knowledge to work in the dyehouse they are accustomed to, as they will have no transferable skills.
It is also important to stay ahead of the curve, and if you have team members that are only able to carry out specific processes, you can’t be flexible — and that will come at a detriment to the business. Dyers must be given the opportunity to learn best practice so we can all move forward together.
It is also vital that our people have the knowledge and skills to create sustainable processes, allowing us to reduce our impact on the environment and stay compliant with new regulations.
We want to create the dyehouse leaders of tomorrow, and without proper training in the scientific process of the coloration of fabric, this would be impossible. We want our staff to challenge the current knowledge, and have a wide range of expertise.
What value has SDC qualified staff added?
Tom:
We now have a team with broad experience that can critically assess situations, instead of repeating information, parrot-fashion. They can also fall back on a pool of scientific knowledge to make the right decisions about dyestuff, and be able to back-up these choices with information.
If our dyers have the right academic training and are able to carry out work in the laboratory, then they naturally need to make less adjustments and are much more likely to get it right first time – providing both a better service for our clients, and saving us time and costs.
Training also gives them the confidence to liaise with suppliers to get the right products in, especially as the manufacturing of dyes has largely moved outside of the UK.
In addition, we now have dyers with the skills they need for leadership, and have been able to promote our SDC-trained people to management positions – and trust them to guide others.
Simon:
With the knowledge our staff members have gained from the SDC courses, we’ve also been able to move into new areas and provide new services.
For example, one of our ASDC students is now able to start offering printing services, which is not something that we have done before. With his specialist training, we are confident that we can now provide this to our customers to add extra value. Our aim is to have a printing expert within the business, and will utilise networking opportunities with the SDC to achieve this.
We have three students currently studying with the SDC, and they have all been able to implement their knowledge immediately. For example, within a few months a new apprentice can get involved in laboratory work and help our experienced dyers to work more efficiently, which is vital when, like us, you work with the fast-paced world of fashion designers.
If we have apprentices that are properly educated, we can turn projects around in 2-3 days, which helps us to provide top-class service and remain a supplier of choice to our customers.
This also gives academic backing to our craft, and improves our credibility when it comes to securing clients.
Are there any other indirect benefits you have seen?
Tom:
In the textile dyeing industry, we are all aware that there is a skills shortage. Training up our staff in-house not only mitigates this, but also shows that we are a business that is dedicated to upskilling our people. This makes us a desirable employer and as a consequence, makes it easier to attract talent.
Simon:
We are committed to our image of a company that supports lifelong learning and continuous professional development, dedicated to promoting from within where possible and giving our staff plenty of opportunities to progress their careers. The SDC courses allow us to do that.
Testimonial:
Tom Syme, operations director, Johnstons of Elgin:
“At Johnstons of Elgin, we would recommend that anyone considering sending one of their team members for training in the coloration of fabric to choose the SDC’s colour education pathway.
Our staff who have achieved qualifications add immediate value to the business, and have helped to secure our reputation as in innovative, science-led, garment manufacturer – with a passion for upskilling our staff, and providing first-class customer service to our clients.”
Thank you for Simon and Tom for taking part in this interview case study.
20/01/2021