Published at 16:15, Wednesday, 20 February 2013

CREW members of one of Britain’s best known soaps are set to be decked out in clothing produced in the Lake District.

Coniston Corporate, which produces bespoke uniforms, has secured an order to make 300 jackets and fleeces for the crew of ITV’s Coronation Street.

The branded goods will be worn by film and camera crews of the Weatherfield soap opera to protect them against the elements during filming.

Business at the clothing company is booming and in the past three months the firm has reported a 23 per cent increase in productivity on the same period last year, securing big deals with Saga Cruises and the prestigious Hotel Courcheneige in the French Alps.

The firm has built a steady reputation for the quality of its products and has a minimum order of one item, making them more accessible than other rivals.

Paul Reilly, a director at the company, said: “This is the first order we’ve done for ITV.

“We’ve actually been really busy.

“For the first quarter of the year, we’re up 23 per cent – it’s fantastic.

“The last two years have been difficult but we have grown.”

Mr Reilly, who started the business 11 years ago, has 15 full-time members of staff, and has provided clothing for electrical contractors to hotel staff, and from TV crews to cruise passengers.

He puts the company’s strong performance down to a low staff turnover and a lot of hard work, stretching from the machine rooms to the sales team and administrative staff.

He added: “We have a really low staff turnover and the benefit of that is our customers are talking to people who they know.

“The staff are hard-working and even in the difficult years we have managed to grow.”

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