SHIRTMAKER EMMA WILLIS INVESTS IN GLOUCESTER

Joedan Group marks 35 years in business with jobs and expansion plans

Tewkesbury home improvement company The Joedan Group is celebrating 35 years in business this year.

The Joedan Group, which is part of the Conservatory Outlet retail network, has seen sales increase by 25 per cent since lockdown eased and has ambitious expansion plans to boost turnover to £25 million by 2026.

The business moved into the building, a classic Georgian style property with views of Gloucester Cathedral and its historic docks, in 2014.

Last year it attracted a visit from The Prince of Wales who met her cutters, seamstresses and pattern makers including those who had trained under the company’s Conde Nast Sewing Scholarship set up by Emma and Conde Nast International chairman Jonathan Newhouse.

Emma has thrived in the male-dominated world of shirt tailoring for nearly 30 years.

In 2008 she founded the charity Style for Soldiers in response to the casualties incurred in Iraq and Afghanistan. She regularly visited patients at the Military Rehabilitation Hospital, measuring them for a bespoke shirt as a gift of thanks for their bravery and sacrifice.

As demand grew she approached various English brands to assist. Since then Marks & Spencer has given more than 750 suits.

Russell & Bromley has given 250 pairs of shoes and Burberry donated 200 trench coats and scarves.

Over the years, she has gathered a loyal following of international clients, including The Prince of Wales, and has become a chosen shirtmaker for top UK film studios.

Many British actors now wear Emma Willis shirts, including Charles Dance, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Daniel Craig.

Joedan, which employs 148 people across its five sites in the UK, has its own production facilities and fabricates its own aluminium windows and doors.

The design and strength of the aluminium means that the frames can be thinner, allowing more glass to be used which lets in more natural light.

John Purcaro, Founder of the Joedan Group, said: “One of our key commitments is to reduce our carbon footprint, and our environmental philosophy and the operational choices we make reflect this. Our manufacturing, supply and installation operations follow strict recovery and recycling policies.”