Company History
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill was founded by Drew Stevenson in 1946 as the Langholm Dyeing and Finishing Company, undertaking the dyeing of yarn on a contract basis. The development into retailing began in 1970, when David Stevenson, eldest son of the founder and until 2000 the Group's Chairman, opened the Group's first shop in Randolph Place, Edinburgh. In 1972 the decision was taken to retail the range of tartan and woollen garments in England in addition to the domestic market within Scotland. The first branch south of the Border opened that year, appropriately enough at 81 English Street, Carlisle.
'Producing quality since 1946'The rapid and successful growth of the Group since 1970 has come from two sources; firstly the expansion of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill's own retail activities, and secondly the acquisition of other businesses to extend and compliment the Group's internal development. Companies which joined the Group in the 1980's included the old established Edinburgh tartan and knitwear business of Romanes & Paterson formed in 1808, which first traded from its Princes Street premises in 1880; Antartex, specialising in sheepskin and leather goods, and the Clan Royal of Scotland chain of retail shops then based at Walkerburn. In March 1992, the Group acquired Craftcentre Cymru, the largest and most successful group of retail shops in the tourist areas of Wales. All of these consolidated the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group's position in the retail market.
'200 stores mark reached in March 1993'EWM's chain of retail shops, from the North of Scotland to the South coast of England, reached the two hundred mark in March 1993, when the EWM Group acquired Grampian Woollen Mills (comprising Pitlochry Knitwear, Moffat Woollens and James Pringle Weavers), whose strong tourist-orientated operations were a logical complement to EWM's own leading role in the domestic sector. Today's Group, still based in the Scottish Borders town of Langholm, now employs over 3,500 people and has an annual turnover in excess of £170 million.
The purchase of Grampian Woollen Mills by EWM in 1993 included the acquisition by Grampian Holdings of a 25% stake in the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Limited; in October 1996 the Board of Directors of The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Limited recommended to shareholders the acceptance of an offer by Grampian Holdings PLC for the remaining 75% of the companies equity. At the same time, Grampian Holdings PLC also made a successful offer for the Scottish Woollens Group, the manufacturing interests emerged from The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group in 1993.
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group was owned by Grampian Holdings from October 1996 until July 2001. On 25th July 2001 the group was sold to a newly formed group called EWM Group Ltd.
'EWM is proud to be an independent privately owned Scottish group'On 15th November 2002 the Group was subject to a secondary buyout by the management led by Chief Executive, Philip Day. The Edinburgh Woollen Mill (Group) Ltd is once again an independent privately owned Scottish group.
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group continues to be fully managed, controlled and administered from Langholm, Dumfriesshire, Scotland.
The enhancement of the "EWM" brand continues with the development of stylish ranges catering for the 45+ customer.
