‘Orders starting to pick up once again’
WHEN LOCKDOWN was announced, luxury knitwear company Corgi knew they had the experience to get through the Covid-19 crisis.
The Welsh firm – which has a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales – has ridden many an economic downturn in its illustrious 128-year-old history. Co-owner Chris Jones, who is great-great grandson of the company’s founder, said: “We take a view that you can get through anything. I think it makes it easier because we’ve been through crises before.”
It helped that the Ammanford-based firm had been through five fantastic years before coronavirus struck. In March they furloughed 50 of their 65 staff but now many are returning as orders begin to pick up. Corgi makes hand-finished wool, cotton and cashmere socks and other knitwear and Chris said: “Normally we run two shifts on the sock machine, so we kept going with one. Next week going back to one and a half shifts – we’re going to have the other knitters coming in some of the time.”
With shops reopening, old customers are beginning to ask for new sales catalogues and Chris expects business to pick up properly in around a month.
What has helped the business survive more than anything though was the package of financial help the Government made available.
Chris said: “The furlough scheme has practically saved us. Without it, we’d have been in a lot of trouble or we’d have managed but we’d have had to let a lot of people go.”