About Us
We are a UK based multinational ribbon wholesale manufacturer, supplying luxurious ribbons, bows, elastics. sustainable ribbons and packaging solutions to customers around the world. Cole Fabrics Plc has clients ranging from specialist cake producers through to national and multinational fashion and retail clients from all over the world. By working with such a varied customer base we have developed skills and experience which allow us to take on and manage complex projects and help develop a product to suit the needs of your business.
The name Cole has been linked with the textile industry since the early 1900's when H. E. Cole & Co. Ltd operated two fabric mills in Leicester and Whetstone and employed over one hundred people in its heyday. H. E. Cole & Co Ltd, also known as "King Cole", specialised in the manufacture of knitted hosiery garments and were widely known for producing their "unshrinkable" underwear until the business ceased trading in the 1930's. In 1974, the Cole family set up a new company to purchase a new roll fabric slitting machine and produce and sell slit acetate satin ribbon to the garment labelling industry. Based on Newdigate Street in Nottingham, this company was the beginning of the Cole Fabrics Plc you know today. In 1983, the business moved to its current location on Ludlow Hill Road in West Bridgford, Nottingham, having expanded it's operation with the purchase of a further five slitting machines and taken on more staff to cope with the demand for its products.
Cole Fabrics diversified its product lines in to decorative ribbon products and packaging accessories when they merged with Romandus Ribbons in 1998, who were based in Croydon at the time. Romandus relocated to Nottingham bringing a wealth of experience with it as well as more machinery requiring a further expansion of Cole's manufacturing operation in to surrounding buildings. 1999 saw Cole Fabrics Plc expanding even further with the acquisition of TayTec, a specialist woven edge ribbon manufacturing operation in Red Scar Business Park, Preston, Lancashire which allowed Cole Fabrics Plc to produce and dye its own high quality woven edge ribbon product lines. The expansion continued in 2005 with the creation of Cole Fabrics Far East Ltd. Cole Fabrics Far East Ltd and Cole Fabrics Plc work together on shared projects and also work independently for a variety of customers across the world. Most recently Cole Fabrics Plc established a joint venture in 2008 in Italy called Global Ribbons Italia Srl with an associate business from France, in order to offer products from both businesses through a single outlet directly in to the Italian market.