This year, Premier Textiles launched its high-quality fabrics brand PrepRITE. It was a significant moment for two interconnected entities of the Premier group. Premier Digital Textiles (PDT) is based in Bury, UK and Premex Solutions (Premex) in Atlanta, USA.
To maximise trade in various markets across the world, Premex officially formed and began operating from Atlanta, US in late 2022. In mid-2023, Premier Digital Textiles (PDT) was created to do the same in the UK.
PrepRITE enhances print performance across a wide range of ink types – including sublimation, pigment and latex. It is the latest example of how Premier Textiles utilises Premex and PDT to create interest and drive product demand all over the world.
In essence, the PrepRITE fabrics brand has been designed specifically to meet the demands of digital printing on textiles. It offers an extensive range of high-quality fabrics that help transform creative ideas into stunning prints. Each fabric is meticulously engineered to meet specific printing needs and the highest quality standards.
The independent, family-owned Premier group was founded in 1981 in Manchester, UK by Mathew Kallumpram. The company is now owned and operated by second and third generations of the Kallumpram family. Today, Mathew’s son Ashok Kallumpram is Managing Director.
Along with PDT and Premex, Premier Textiles and Bancroft Soft Furnishings (acquired in 1994), make up the Premier group’s core set of companies. At any given time, the Premier group stocks several million linear metres of fabric. The group’s growth over four decades has enabled it to invest in more than 15,250m2 of modern warehousing across two sites based in the northwest of England.
As the US’s leading supplier of truly print-ready fabrics, Premex significantly expanded its stock holding in June this year, with the opening of a new 10,000ft2 warehouse in Atlanta, US. In the UK, PDT boasts a 20,000ft2 distribution and innovation centre. It is a purposeful presence, serving customers across major markets.
Both entities hold several millions of metres of fabric and deliver high or boutique volumes with speed and efficiency. They cater for the home furnishings, interior décor and fashion industries.
With PDT and Premex now firmly established, there is a huge opportunity to work with more customers in different regions across the world.
“PrepRITE enhances print performance across a wide range of ink types”
In the first year of trading across the UK and US divisions, revenues of €6 million ($7 million) were achieved. Nick Smith, of PDT and Premex, comments, “Premier Digital Textiles is Europe’s leader in delivering high-quality fabric truly prepared for digital print. Premex Solutions is the US’s foremost supplier of genuinely print-ready fabrics, trusted by brands across America.” Smith continues, “Having historically built relationships throughout our supply chains and with major mill partners, we are now constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in digital printing.”
PrepRITE is also a result of the group’s history, dating back to 1981. The group’s mission was to always remain at the forefront of innovation, drive investment in employees and to develop real-value partnerships with customers and suppliers.
“The PrepRITE fabrics brand has been designed specifically to meet the demands of digital printing on textiles”
Smith ends by saying, “We get excited about creating sustainable textile solutions, innovating, collaborating and introducing new textiles that create industry trends. PrepRITE, we believe, covers all this and more.”
The Premier group looks forward to collaborating with the North America-based original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) at Printing United in Orlando, Florida this October. It will be a perfect opportunity to further showcase PrepRITE, connect with partners old and new, and continue shaping the future of digital printing on textiles.