Founded in 1976, Price Western Leather Co. Ltd. (PWL) is one of Europe's major manufacturers of leather and synthetic security equipment. PWL is clearly focussed on innovation and customisation to provide the very best quality goods at competitive prices.

Our service runs from consultation through design to production. Flexibility is key to our success - we continually customise our designs to meet customers' specific needs and are able to provide low quantities as well as mass-production. PWL products are manufactured in our factory in Somerset and sold both throughout the UK and worldwide, through a network of distributors and agents in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

Quality
Our commitment to quality is, in part, demonstrated by our ISO 9001:2008 QA certification, assuring that our internal processes are streamlined and efficient. One result of this drive is the high level of customer satisfaction and client retention.

We have a range of design and manufacturing procedures in place to ensure that quality is maintained at every stage. Equally, we are committed to improving the skills of our workforce through on-the-job training and in February 2009, signed up to the "Skills Pledge" (an initiative of the Learning Skills Council). In addition to this, we have always had and continue to encourage, the input from all staff members regarding the improvement of production methods as well as more general working practices.

You can read our Quality Policy here.

Experience
The experience of individual staff members is a key element of our business, many of our staff have been with us for over 15 and even 20 years; the average length of service is currently 12 years. Such highly skilled individuals exemplify the company values in the drive for quality and sense of responsibility.

We are proud of our 30 year heritage and the craftsmanship that we retain. Our experience in both design and production assures every client that our designs become cost-effective, fit for purpose and practical items.

Innovation
If there is one key element of our business that we have learnt from our experience it is the importance of innovation: innovation lies at the heart of our operation with product requirements and production methods continually evolving. PWL innovations include the Ergonomic Belt, a range of holsters and accessories for the Taser X26 as well as Sentinex - a bespoke material which combines the finish and durability of leather with the flexibility and cost effectiveness of 1000 Denier nylon.

All our innovations answer a client need, or sometimes predict them. We also look to innovate in our design and production, continually looking for 'a better way' to operate.

How we work
Our day-to-day operations are managed using order and production management software. We monitor the performance of our teams on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis and staff are involved in the setting of their own targets to ensure that each member of every team understands the significance of their role.

Good teamwork is essential to our continued success and we aim to be as flexible as possible as an employer to maintain this. We take our role as an open, flexible employer seriously and our team of home-workers, working to their own requirements, provides an essential backup to factory production.

A Responsible Member of the Community
In a broader perspective, PWL strives to be a responsible member of the community, both in terms of local organisations (supporting charities and local school events, for example) and our impact on the environment. We have market-leading ISO14001 certification and we are continually looking to reduce the use of the more harmful chemicals and solvents in our production. We have brought together our innovation and experience in this context to produce our Principles of Green Design (see over) which we use as guidelines for all our operations.