Managing director Amanda McLaren and innovation director Neil Pryke, of James Heal, with the firm's Made in Britain accreditation. © James Heal

James Heal, a leading West Yorkshire, UK, based manufacturer of premium quality textile testing instruments and consumables, has joined the prestigious Made in Britain initiative.

With a 1000-strong membership including manufacturers of all sizes, making hundreds of different kinds of products, Made in Britain is the official collective mark for British manufacturers and is accredited to businesses that sell goods that have been manufactured or have undergone a final substantial change in Britain before sale.

Established in 1872, James Heal is an international engineering company renowned for delivering premium quality and innovative materials testing equipment. From its core manufacturing and commercial headquarters in West Yorkshire, the company specialises in the design and production of quality testing instruments and test materials supported by industry-leading servicing and support.

New launches

Several new James Heal testing instruments will be launched this year, which focus on the emerging theme of technical textiles for performance garments. The new products will enable much greater understanding of how garments will behave in different conditions, providing textile professionals with a whole new level of insight into their products, the company reports.

Uncommonly for a UK-based business, 80% of all components for James Heal testing instruments are made in-house by a highly skilled workforce. Externally sourced components which cannot be made in-house are acquired exclusively from UK suppliers. For test materials, James Heal often source even more locally with many components coming from Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Part of fast-growing community

“With nearly 150 years of manufacturing under its belt, James Heal is a name that is known around the globe for engineering excellence. International markets are a key target for us and as we export 95% of everything we produce, we know that customers overseas continue to value the craftsmanship and quality of British products,” commented Andrew Hemingway, Commercial Director at James Heal.

“Our production process is vertically integrated and manufacturing still takes place in the original Halifax mill where we have been located for over a century. One of the many benefits to this is quality control, as we can guarantee the highest standards in even the most modest components.”

“The Made in Britain collective mark unites the British manufacturing sector and helps consumers, buyers and specifiers identify products that are produced on British soil. In an increasingly competitive world, this is crucial to our future success. By becoming part of the recognised British manufacturing community this will help further strengthen our brand internationally and domestically, united with the use of the registered and recognised collective mark.”

“Becoming part of Made in Britain’s fast-growing community of like-minded manufacturers from all around the UK sends a clear signal to buyers and consumers that we're manufacturing here to the very highest standards.”

www.james-heal.co.uk