Company History
1970-1979Towards the end of the 1960s, Luigi Brucciani, Father of Pal Managing Director Richard Brucciani, began importing forage hats from the USA, for his Leicester coffee shop 'Bruccianis'. This was the beginning of the Fast Food era and a market need was identified in the UK for catering headwear, which the entrepreneurial family decided to pursue. By 1970 Richard Brucciani had acquired leasehold premises of 5,500 sq. ft. on the Oadby Industrial Estate, south of Leicester. The Paperlynen Company Ltd. Was established, trading as Pal Wear Disposables, and importing and distribution began for a limited range of disposable headwear. Just three years after the firm's inception, manufacturing had commenced for the Pal range of headwear, and the Company began to export. An additional 5,600 sq.ft.of factory premises was purchased in 1975, enabling extension of the product range into protective clothing products. By 1977, the Company saw its first sales to the Middle East. 1978 saw acquisition of the third factory unit of 5,800 sq. ft. for warehousing, to allow expansion of production areas. 1980-1989Ten years into its life, the Company undertook development of the Pleated Chef's Toque and invested in automated machinery for production. 1981 saw a major move for the firm, to its current premises in Sandhurst Street, Oadby, which then was a 45,000 sq. ft. site, with production, warehousing and administration facilities. 
Above: Pal's Head Office in Oadby, Leicester, UK By 1982, the Export department opened, with sales extending to Asia and Australia. Major development and growth plans for the future were announced, including IT investment, strategic sales operations and dramatic re-organisation of production facilities. 1984 saw the "Easycare" range of long-life headwear introduced, along with the "Master Chef" pleated hat and further forage hat investment. The Company diversified into several new market sectors – industrial, veterinary, food production and packaging. By the mid-1980s, the Ultrasonic bonding method of converting nonwovens was introduced. Interpal Ltd. Became the Holding Company of Pal Wear Ltd. Turnover was exceeding £3 million by 1985. 1988 saw Pal Wear become a dormant company and its trade was incorporated into Pal International Ltd, the name the Company has traded under ever since. A manufacturing operation in Malta was opened to meet increased demands for sewn products. 1990-19991990 was a year of acquisitions for Pal, as the Company acquired "La Toque Blanche de Paris", a leading French manufacturer of chefs' headwear, which is still a prestigious Pal sub-brand 16 years later. Fibre Treatments of Burnley was also acquired, Pal's first move into Disinfectant Wipes, which was to prove to be a definitive move for Pal's product focus going forward. 
Above: The Pal Hygiene Ltd. Site in Burnley, in the early 1990s By the mid '90s, Pal achieves the quality standard BS 5750 plus the Investors In People accreditation . Pal exports pass the 50% of turnover mark and total Company turnover passes £10 million. An office was established in Singapore to service Asia-Pacific business. 1996 saw the EFSIS (European Food Safety Inspection Standard) approval obtained, by which time Exports were exceeding 60% of sales and turnover passes £12 million. 1997 saw a Company milestone with wipes production moving from Burnley to Leicester, followed by renovation of the Company's Oadby Headquarters at the end of the decade. 
Above: 20+ years of Pal exhibition stands – styles have changed somewhat between 1985 and 2005… 2000 and beyond…2002 saw Pal as a finalist for the Export Award at the Leicester Business Awards and the launch of 'Pal Direct' direct trading arm for the HORECA sector. 2003 brought the opening of a warehouse in Shanghai, plus the export of 1 million face masks and thousands of anti-viral wipes to Hong Kong, to help to combat the SARS epidemic. A dedicated Purchasing Manager was appointed to oversee outsourced Pal-branded products. 2005 was an extremely busy year for Pal, with a warehouse move from Lutterworth, Leicestershire, to Lichfield in Staffordshire. As the Singapore office closed, a new office opened in Hong Kong as a base for the Asia-Pacific region. Further accreditations were obtained for several of the wipes products, after external efficacy testing. During 2006, further research and development work resulted in accreditations for Pal Disinfectant wipes against the threats of MRSA and Clostridium Difficile. Business investment of £300,000 was completed in the area of wipes. October 2006 saw a major strategic move for Pal with the acquisition of all machinery and equipment previously owned by Easiwipes, one of Pal's industrial wipes competitors. Pal's manufacturing capacity is therefore increased in both wet wipes and also in premium quality dry wipes products, as Pal becomes a distributor for DuPont Sontara dry wipers. February 2007 saw the new Pal website launched, combined with the re-launch of the Pal Direct name, with the advent of e-commerce and on-line trading established for UK-based end users of Pal wipes. 
Above: Evolving styles - examples of Pal literature, up to the current brochure After a long search for a suitable manufacturing site to move to in South Leicestershire, Pal secures a deal on premises based in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. July 2007 therefore sees a farewell to Sandhurst Street, Oadby, after 26 years' of manufacturing, and the consolidation of manufacturing, offices and warehousing on one 95,000 square feet site at Bilton Way, Lutterworth. The move reinforces Pal's position as the major player in hygiene workwear and disinfectant and cleaning wipes, with an even higher degree of customer commitment and product quality, plus increased manufacturing capability and capacity. |