FOUNDED IN 1880

Dewhirst Group plc originates from a clothing manufacturing and wholesale drapery business founded in Kirkgate, Leeds by Mr. Isaac Jowitt Dewhirst.

A LOAN THAT SPARKS A RELATIONSHIP

Isaac Dewhirst lent Polish refugee Michael Marks £5 to buy goods from the Dewhirst warehouse to start a peddling business.

FIRST SUPPLIER

Tom Spencer (Isaac’s cashier) goes into partnership with Michael Marks, and so one of the most renowned institutions in Britain, Marks and Spencer, was formed.

1ST CLOTHING FACTORY

First small clothing factory opens in Exchange street, Driffield, Yorkshire. Manufacturing ‘St Michael’ domestic overalls for Marks & Spencer Ltd., hence the name ‘the Pinny Factory'.

ADDITIONAL FACTORY

Additional factory opens in Westgate, Driffield where boys’ shirts and girls’ blouses are introduced.

BEST POSSIBLE QUALITY - BEST QUALITY PRICES

Dewhirst’s reputation for quality and value for money fitted perfectly with the Marks and Spencer strategy of “best possible quality – best possible prices”.

INCREASING DEMAND

Since 1964, with increasing demand for the groups products has led to regular expansion of the production capacity in new factories.

GROWING RANGES

The product ranges grew significantly for men’s, womenswear and childenswear including corporate wear and uniforms.

Following sales reports, the Chairman of M&S Lord Sieff asked to see a boys’ shirt which was selling very well. After review, he said “I’m not surprised that it is selling…, I think that it must be 'The best boys’ shirt in the world”.

FIRST OWNED OVERSEAS SITE

Owned manufacturing site opened in Malacca Malaysia

FACTORY EXPANSION

In 1991, Dewhirst bought Slimma (Wales) limited, which consisted of five factory sites and two central distribution centres in south/west Wales, two in the northwest in England.

FURTHER ACQUISITIONS

Further growth took place with the acquisition of a factory in Ashington (Northumberland).

EXPANDED PRODUCTION OVERSEAS

In 1997 Dewhirst expanded its owned offshore manufacturing due to the ever-changing industry requirements, employing over 6500 employees across Morocco and Indonesian factories.

SPORTSWEAR DIVISION

Dewhirst launch the Sportswear division.

BUZZBRANDS

Dewhirst launch Buzzbrands division.

SHANTA DENIMS

Shanta Denims built in 2006 producing Soccer, Sports and performance wear with washworks facilities capable of state of the art wet & dry processing.

DEWHIRST CAMBODIA

DCC Cambodia purpose built in 2011 manufacturing Mens Tailoring.

SHANTA DENIMS ADDITIONAL SITE BUILT

New Shanta Denim Limited factory opened in 2024.

TODAY

Global and diversified business with World Class Manufacturing.

We have continued to develop and grow our company strategy to align ourselves in the best position, whether it be people, countries of manufacturing, product offer, innovation and customer base.

We currently have a combination of world class owned factories in Bangladesh and Cambodia, and long-term partnerships with partner factories in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and India.