The Colchester-based company says it was the first firm within the printwear industry to stockpile jackets and to launch the revolutionary soft shell jacket. And 15 years on, its trail blazing reputation continues.

Today, Result employs 44 people, has a garment turnover of more than £3 million a year and is still pushing the boundaries in jacket technology.

Result's desire to innovate is as keen now as it was on day one and the New Year will see the range enhanced still further.

The company's huge stock holding puts it in pole position to respond to orders quickly. Its 72,000sq ft state of the art warehouse in Essex, has space for 8,000 pallets, accommodating the entire range in a single building.

Bar coding, wireless handsets and computerised despatch have halved order picking time and enhanced accuracy.

Result has never been a company to stand still and it intends to celebrate its 15th anniversary with the launch of two new, technically advanced styles.

Ahead of the launch, director, Sara Sanders-Smith won't be drawn on the specifics. She told us, however: "They are completely new to the market. We will have the products available and with the distributors in the autumn for an early 2010 launch."

And as with soft shell, Sara believes they are on to more winners. "Everybody will be intrigued by them," she says.

"Our strength has always been being first - that's what people remember. This together with the massive stock that we are able to hold for immediate call-off," adds Sara, "has always made us the first and it's a pressure we relish to maintain."

With just an initial handful of a dozen products, the company was launched by Sara's father, managing director David Sanders-Smith. Today, more than 180 combined jacket and headwear styles are available, from lightweight windcheaters though to highly advanced technical jackets, from printers caps to high viz woolly ski hats.

It was Result that pioneered the launch of soft shell as a promotional garment.

"Result brought soft shell into the promotions market two years ago pretty much ahead of everyone else," says Sara. "We have done two soft shell ranges now including a really technical range, TECH Performance.

"We were able to use a fabric that was extremely warm - almost Neoprene-like to feel, but its condensed layers mean it's a complete membrane around the body.  It's very light and as a jacket, it's crease free, it's very smart. It can be worn in any environment, from attending a meeting to walking the dog. It's wipe down, brush down and very easy to clean."

As a textile, soft shell had been around for a while, but Result was quick to spot its potential by observing retail trends.

"Years ago, promotions used to follow retail - really about a year or two behind what was happening on the catwalk and in retail. Now it's virtually concurrent," says Sara.

"It was fleece that really started the whole ball rolling for us," says Sara.

After 20-25 years of manufacturing bespoke jacket ranges, David Sanders-Smith noticed that certain jackets were being requested on a repetitive basis.

"People either wanted the same jackets or the same versions in different colours and different styles," recalls Sara.

With T shirts and sweatshirts available from distributors in bulk, off the shelf, David adopted the same approach for jackets and fleece took off "in a massive way".

Advances in spinning really brought about the change, adds Sara. "DuPont were able to spin the yarn in such a way that you had a fibre that was lightweight but very warm and it had great appeal for people who were walkers, hikers, outdoor enthusiasts.

"Result took that on board and developed a basic range in five styles and six sizes in five colourways and that was the beginning of Result's core following."

These days, soft shell is as popular as fleece, with sales standing at around 50/50.

"I genuinely thought that soft shell would have an adverse effect on fleece," says Sara, "but fleece has got such an entrenched market, and is so versatile, that I have happily been proved wrong." Sara predicts, however, that fleece garments will need to become much more tailored to compete with soft shell.

"Customers know what they want now," says Sara. "It's a very price driven market and because there is so much choice with regards to outerwear, people can be specific about what they want."

The watchword, however, is "longevity", adds Sara.

"We try to have a style that is not over indulgent but more classic; something that will last the course. We are conscious that people adopt our garments for uniforms and as part of their workwear - they don't want to change their look every season so we ensure longevity exists in our designs, colourways, stockholding and price.

This year, more than ever, Result have been really strict about the number of extra SKUs (single karton units) that have been introduced into the range.

"Rather than go for variations on a theme, we have gone for two brand new identities - two brand new ranges."

When Result was launched, Sara was responsible for sales, dealing with all the distributors. "At the time, we only had three or four distributors," she recalls. "Now we have 35 worldwide and the level of customer enquiries, particularly regarding the technical aspects of the range, is quite phenomenal, so that's what I am dealing with more and more."

Among the distributors is I.S.Enterprises, the family firm launched by David Sanders-Smith in 1971 and named after Sara's mother Ineke. Other well-known brands available from I.S.Enterprises, include Bagbase, Big Hits, Front Row, Fruit of the Loom, Jerzees Colours, Kustom Kit, Mantis and Quadra.

Sara's role now at Result involves working closely with marketing manager Tim Jervis. "The whole range has grown to such an extent that we need to sell it on a much broader scale," says Sara.

As a result, the company's brochure has evolved to include information specifically aimed at decorators.

"Decorators want to know where they can embroider the jacket, where the secret panels are, where the hidden zips are. And while we have always listed it in the technical details, we had never pinpointed it, so that information needed to be included," says Sara.

"It's made the life of anyone trying to sell Result much easier. We've tried to anticipate every question that could be asked by a customer and the result is this fantastic brochure. It's marketing tool that almost sells the jacket for you."

Result also has a website showcasing all of its products, along with distributor details.

"We have several design teams working within the factories that we use," says Sara. "A lot of the style changes that come in are a result of just keeping our eyes and ears open and seeing how we can adapt things. There's a lot feedback from everyone in the company, it's a real team effort. We have spotted trends that we are responding to which is why we are launching new products.

"Workwear and corporate wear is still our biggest market and it's in that genre that we lead.

"All our factories have to adhere to our ethical code and environmental policy.

"We get more and more inquiries about this. It's a growing part of our code of practice, and quite rightly so. If something is being made on the other side of the world your responsibility becomes global not local. We are as conscientious as we can be."

So how does Sara see the next 15 years?

"Result will continue to increase its responsibility to the environment through good practice and its responsibility to customers by maintaining their loyalty, by responding to their needs, by staying first choice for jackets; it will remain the pioneering company customers have come to expect."

For more information about Result Clothing visit www.resultclothing.com

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