Back in 1965, in Batley, Yorkshire, when Craghoppers hit upon the idea of turning a passion for travel into a bona fide business, the team felt like they were embarking on an exciting and at times perilous trip into the unknown. Looking back, their perseverance paid off and Craghoppers is now recognised as a global technical outdoor and travel specialist.
The world may have moved on over the last 50 years but our mission remains the same today – we will protect you in every environment, keep bugs at bay, and keep your valuables secure, so you know you have the right gear to keep you protected, comfortable and looking the part.
We are committed to creating fantastic product, which has been thoughtfully engineered for our Great Outdoors and in doing so we will hopefully enhance the lives of those touched by our business. As part of our commitment, all our waterproofs are PFC free; we are saying no to Down for 2019; we have added to our product range which is partially made using recycled plastic bottles and we guarantee our products for life.
We are privileged to work with Ambassadors across the world who put our products to the test in all conditions, to make sure they meet our high standards. We also love to share our wanderlust with millions of fellow voyagers who are as keen as we are to explore the furthest reaches of our beautiful planet and to share their experiences with others.
We are a family business with a strongly believed set of values.
We deeply believe that honesty, courtesy and respect are critical in all the decisions we make wherever that may be – with customers, colleagues and the workers in our factories.
We set up the Honesty Project to focus on creating fantastic product, thoughtfully engineered for the great outdoors, and in doing so will hopefully enhance the lives of those touched by our business. We’re not perfect yet but we’re striving to be committed to honesty and transparency in everything we do, every step of the way.
We have been members of Ethical Trade Initiative since 2012. ETI brings together brands, retailers, suppliers, unions and NGO’s to improve conditions for workers worldwide. Since May 2017, we have maintained "Achiever" level by ETI standards, highlighting our progress on the ETI landscape. This reflects the amazing work we are doing in our factories. The ETI base code is the standard we aim to adhere to across all of our supply chain. We are really proud of our long term commitment to our suppliers. 50% of our suppliers within the Group have worked with us for over 5 years, and 35% for over 10 years. Across the Group we have inspected over 116 factories to ensure 40,000 workers are covered by the ETI base code across 9 countries.
Our RHEP project which teaches female health, hygiene and nutrition has reached over 10,000 workers in 6 factories, who in turn teach their neighbours, families and friends. We do this through a system of peer educators; teaching workers to be health educators who then cascade their learning.
For over 10 years, we have been funding a primary school in our garment factory area, with 262 disabled and disadvantaged children, aged from 4 to 14. Having conducted necessary refurbishment to the building and included a new sensory room and eye catching murals in the classrooms, our focus has turned to literacy and ensuring the school has a well stocked library with essential books for the children and their families. This is with a view of taking the library mobile to be able to cover more communities. We are also equipping the teachers with all the necessary training they need to deliver a first class experience to the children. We are proud of the positive impact we have made to over 3000 families to date.
Understanding the impact our activities have on our natural environment is important. It is imperative we reduce our harmful effects where possible. We have a detailed business plan, with key dates and targets. These include reducing CO2 emissions, reducing water usage, waste and chemical management, using more sustainable packaging and component parts. We are 100% compliant with all European legislation regarding banned substances and Craghoppers has introduced PFC free DWR treatments for 2019.
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Craghoppers is entering its second year of the Craghoppers Film Prize together with Discover Film. This initiative recognises emerging talent in short films across all genres and plays part of a longer term initiative for Craghoppers supporting filmmakers, who may have traditionally been overlooked. Shortlisted entries are celebrated at two Discover Film Awards which take place in London in April and October, and are also put forward for the coveted cash prize awards – two student awards at £2000 each and then first and second prizes of £20,000 and £10,000. The caliber of entries in 2018 was astounding and 2019 promises to be even better!
(Picture shows this year's 1st prize winner - Executive Producer Paul Benallick - Hush Little Baby)
To maintain our top talent and help people be the best they can be we have established a partnership with Instep UK Ltd - our main training provider. We have worked closely with Instep for a number of years to develop completely tailored programmes that suit the needs of the business.
The personal effectiveness programme compromises of a series of modules based around the theme of personal impact. This programme has gained great momentum within the business and has resulted in many internal successions and helping to build relationships and confidence of individuals.
Our management development programme is for new managers to the business, and newly appointed managers to improve their knowledge and skills to lead their teams and gives us the consistency that we require.
In-house bite size training is also available running workshops on topics such as feedback, time management, assertiveness and difficult situations.
The Regatta Group won the Judges Choice award in the 2017 MEN Business of the Year Awards.
Engage2Grow Gold award for employee engagement - 1 of only 5 companies to be awarded Gold level and currently the highest engagement level seen so far this year by the survey team.
ROSPA Gold Health & Safety Awards 2016, 2017 & 2018 for our distribution centre at pioneer point.
The International Safety Award with merit from the British Safety Council was won by Pioneer Point in recognition of its commitment to keeping its workers and workplaces healthy and safe during the 2014 calendar year.
"My journey has lasted almost 10 years and does not feel that long at all!" - Jeff
"The year that the Contact Centre achieved the highest score for the business in the Best Companies survey was one of my favourite moments" - Jason
"..it is like working as part of a family!" - Richard
"I backpacked around Europe after university and had about 50 adventures a day!" - Rach
"My Craghoppers journey started when I was 15 when I came to Craghoppers IT department for work experience." - Zac
"Being rewarded for the work you do is definitely a bonus" - Gill
"Craghoppers is a company that will always try to give back to its employees and I believe we have a good balance of work and fun here." - Lisa
"Variety - no day is the same, being able to help people and solve their puzzles." - Blaine
"The company walks - A day away where you can just enjoy yourself. It's a great way to interact with different people within the company, away from your desk." - Sally
