Join us through the history of JayJays® and see how our products are made today.
JayJays® as you know is well known for the products we produce and the level of detail, time and care that goes into each item. So let’s go back to the start and see where it all began leading up to how we make your kit now.
JayJays®, founded in 1993 and started off as a small shop on South Road in Sheffield with £300 worth of stock. Jon and Jean had all the family living in the shop, with the retail space dividing the living quarters, which meant a lot of ducking and diving through the shop in PJs and towels on the way to and from the shower.
This is also where Ness (Workshop Secretary) was born!
From South Road, they decided to move just 2.3 miles down the road to open a new shop on London Road. This shop mainly catered for students and workmen buying surplus products. However, the shop became busier as it was closer to the city center which gave us an increase in popularity.
One year later… we land in Brecon! First stop was our shop on Free Street.
This was a new beginning for all of the JayJays® family. We still mainly sold surplus gear, but we also started making our own branded kit on top of doing repairs.
Simon, one of our directors / head designer was still in the military at this point and was repairing his own kit whilst on leave, using Jean’s sewing machine. This is where some of our early designs were created.
In 2005 we moved to Chapel Street, Brecon for more sewing room space and a bigger shop.
Often referred to as ‘Aladdin’s Cave / The Tardis’ as the entrance was hidden but it was much bigger on the inside.
Jean and Jon’s grandchildren Nathan (Laser Operative) & Alicia (Marketing Manager) were born around the time we moved here.
Further down the line in 2009, whilst keeping the ‘Aladdin’s Cave’, we moved the retail shop into this two story building, giving us more space.
The extra space was much needed but having the workshop and retail space separate wasn’t working for us.
We started looking for a much larger premises to bring the team together again.
Then we come to the place where we still are today! Unit 1 Ffrwdgerech Industrial Estate, Brecon.
From an empty shell, the unit was completely transformed into the shop and workshop you all know today.
Keeping everything under one roof, this has benefitted the success of the business over the years.
Strategically placed between Daring Lines Barracks (Brecon), SENTA (Sennybridge) and just off the A470, we have great transport links and on site parking making the shop more accessible today than it has ever been.
So, you know the history now lets go inside and show you what goes on!
We’ll start from the bottom (which is actually on the top floor). Every item we make is designed on site by our very own Simon, who you may have seen in our YouTube videos explaining the kit and how to use them.
Simon prides himself on the products he’s designed from personal experience serving in the British Army. He’s put his knowledge of knowing what works and what doesn’t on the drawing board (and computer) and brought it to life after hours of hard work.
Once the design has been approved it’s turned into a sample where it’s examined and put through various tests. If that’s a success it gets signed off.
Then it’s over to the laser, or in some cases manual cutting of the fabrics.
After the laser has finished it’s last cut, we stack the fabrics in order of where they would be attached to the item. Making it easier for the team in the workshop to bring the item to life.
It’s time for sewing! A detail were so confident in that we offer a lifetime guarantee*.
Stitching can take hours of work for multiple reasons. One being there’s so much detail and work that goes into our products, but the other and main reason is each stitch is made with precision and perfection.
Once all parts have been assembled, it’s time for quality control. This is done in house at JayJays® and every stitch, line and inch of fabric is thoroughly checked before sent for imaging.
Every month products are photographed for the website, social media and our own records. We have a dedicated marketing team (Alun & Alicia) that turn our conference room into a photography studio. This is where we also make our YouTube videos.
So, the product has been made and tested. Now what?
It’s put on our website and displayed in store for people to purchase and enhance their kit.
One thing we absolutely love about our products and the people who support us is receiving feedback and images! If you own JayJays® products, we’d love to see them being used so send them across to us at marketing@jay-jays.com
* JayJays® Proudly Guarantees the quality and performance of all our products.
Items with defects in materials or workmanship will be repaired or replaced at the discretion of JayJays® for the practical lifetime of the product. Products damaged through wear and tear, misuse or neglect may be repaired at a nominal charge.
