Founder of bespoke manufacturing company Equus Leather, Charlie Trevor, along with his wife Dawn, who co-founded the business with him in 2008, were last week announced as a finalist for the Heritage Crafts Association’s (HCA) Maker of the Year award.
The couple have won an HCA award once before, in 2015, when they were named as winners in the Made in Britain section. That award was created to recognise companies which make quality British work “against all odds” and choose not to outsource production or to relocate outside the country.
All of the Equus’ leather products are hand-crafted at the company workshop near Little Newsham, County Durham.
Charlie said winning the award in 2015 had helped boost the business’s reputation. He said: “It was really good because the argument for off-shoring is financially compelling. It is what most fashion houses do – they are a brand, not a manufacturer.
Dawn added: “It recognised what we make here is sold across the world. It is very satisfying to sell your product in China or India, instead of the other way around.”
The award winners will be announced during the HCA’s annual conference at Cecil Sharp House, in London, on Saturday 9 March. HCA chairwoman Patricia Lovett said: “The heritage crafts sector in England alone contributes £4.4 billion GVA to the UK economy each year, as much as the petrochemical industry. But for many years heritage crafts have been completely ignored and are still not supported by the government.”
