Couple putting their shirts on a new firm

From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Wednesday 29th Jun 2005.

An innovative Farsley company is offering busy businessmen the chance to constantly dress to impress.

The Shirt Press Co offers a unique door-to-door service to companies in the Bradford and Leeds area.

Although the service is common in America, The Shirt Press Co is the first of its kind in the UK. Only set up in May, the firm is already increasing its workforce and expanding throughout West Yorkshire.

The company is the brainchild of local husband and wife Jonathan and Georgie Rigby. They set it up after using a similar service while working in Princeton, New Jersey.

The couple have now expanded the staff to four and are settled into their new 2,000 square foot premises.

Mr Rigby, who previously worked as an engineer in Bradford, said: "Similar business are commonplace and very successful in the states. There is a huge opportunity in the Leeds-Bradford area.

"In today's business climate, people are working harder and putting in longer hours. Many business men and woman will change their shirt once or twice a day if they have important meetings, to make sure that they look their best.

"For a lot of these people, it is simply not convenient to be ironing and laundering shirts constantly and they feel they cannot take time out to do this.

"We deliberately placed ourselves in Farsley as it is ideally placed within the two cities. From our warehouse we can be in central Bradford within just ten minutes.

"The equipment we use is absolutely first-rate. When we return the shirts it is like putting on a brand new one. The quality is far better then you can expect anywhere else."

The couple spent 16 months researching and preparing their business, receiving help along the way from Yorkshire legal firm, Barber Titley's.

The business revolves around several giant shirt presses imported especially from America to give the work a professional finish.

Although the service is chiefly targeted at financial and legal service firms, the company is now targeting smaller business as well as continuing to expand into the retail market. Mr Rigby hopes that the firm will be servicing 3,000 shirts a week when it reaches its full capacity.

"We had always liked the idea of setting up our own business in the area," said Mr Rigby.

"Obviously, it has been a huge step for us but we have researched practically everything there is to research for this and are confident of our success."

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