One of Northern Ireland’s largest supporters of people with disabilities into open employment has unveiled its new‘Vintage Satchel’ brand.
Ulster Supported Employment Limited (USEL) manufactures a quality range of mattresses and specialist industrial sewing products from its Belfast factory and has developed its range to produce satchels, culminating in the launch of its Vintage Satchel Company (VSC). The new brand identity reinforces USEL’s track record of producing quality leather satchels and is reflected in its tagline‘Made in Belfast since 1962’.
USEL chief executive Sam Humphries commented: “Over the past few years we have sought to develop and strengthen our skills in a number of areas including our marketing, management and sales processes to enable us to compete on a global scale. This was necessary to ensure the ongoing commercial growth of our factory operations and secure the employability of our workforce in the long term.
“The majority of our workforce lives with a disability or health-related condition. As we look to move into new markets, it was therefore imperative to develop a strong brand identity that represents the quality and legacy of our satchels.”
USEL hopes the combination of the new product and branding will enhance the value and desirability of the item, and open up new sales avenues for the organisation, at home and further afield, with a particular interest in an expanding international market.
Speaking from the factory on Cambrai Street, Stephen Farry, the Minister for Employment and Learning , said: “The Vintage Satchel brand demonstrates the contribution that people with disabilities, working alongside their fellow employees, can make to the production of quality goods and services that will make a difference to the commercial performance and bottom line of any organisation. I commend both USEL and its workforce for their ongoing commitment to quality, innovation and sustainability, and will be watching the brand with interest.
“My department fully supports the role that USEL plays in this local community, and especially its contribution to the employment and employability of people with disabilities. Through its own diverse workforce, USEL is helping to demonstrate the role that disabled people have to play in growing the local economy, and giving inspiration to others that they can achieve their own employment ambitions.”