New Ownership

 After their phenomenal success founding and building the “Bremont Watch Company” www.bremont.com - valued last year at upwards of  £100 m – Nick and Giles haven’t paused for breath in taking their next step into a new luxury sector. YARD-O-LED is one of the oldest pen manufactures in the world dating back to 1822. It sells hand made sterling silver writing instruments worldwide, all manufactured in its Birmingham workshop.

 Having completed the sale, Nick and Giles weren’t ready for retirement but instead for a new challenge. The writing instrument market is currently valued at 18.44 billion and forecast to rise 4.4% over the next 6 years. This CAGR mirrors that of the horological market in early 2000s when they founded Bremont.

Both brothers passion lies in British manufacturing, craft and engineering. The same key markers for both industries. Their biggest undertaking was to bring watchmaking back to Britain with their 35,000 sq ft facility in Henley. Their ambition today is to also to make Birmingham the centre of writing instruments once again.

Britain – indeed Birmingham where YARD-0-LED pen company is based - historically dominated the world’s production of pens and fountain pen nibs in the 19^th century. It has been estimated that the city produced three quarters if the world’s pens during the period and there where 300 nib makers manufacturing. Today, only YARD-O-LED manufactures in the city and there are only a small handful of British pen companies remaining on English soil. The workforce has shrunk from a few hundred-thousand to under fifty.

Revered as one of the most luxurious and sought after brands within the writing instrument world, YARD-O-LED only sells a small number writing instruments each year. Every one hand made using the same techniques and machinery that the company has worked on for over 100 years. With no template or guide, every writing instrument is made and decorated by eye making every one unique. A very personal talisman handed down from generation to generation repaired and restored under the brand’s lifetime guarantee.

The emotional properties of a writing instrument cannot be underestimated and in this digital age it has proven itself as a choice and art rather than necessity. Just as the horological watch is redundant with technology providing more accurate readings and the typed word more efficient, customers still choose pens and pencils. A hand written letter or post card continues to hold far more weight than an email. And the tools of that art are similarly treasured.

As they achieved in the watch world, Nick and Giles’s ambition within the writing instrument industry is ambitious; to grow this historic brand tenfold and create a space in the market for more customers to remember and enjoy the art of handwriting and to champion Britain’s prowess as the leaders of the written word celebrating our rich history from Chaucer through to Shakespeare, Dickins and J.K. Rowling.

Giles English “ YARD-O-LED is such a special and unique business.  It is the last manufacture of pens in Birmingham, once the home of pen manufacturing. Yard O Led has never compromised on its product and is still making pens and pencils on the same machines that it did in the 1930s. Our role as custodians to this business is to make sure it reasserts its rightful place on the global luxury stage.”

Nick English “ We have always loved all things mechanical and writing instruments have always been a love of ours, and in an age of everything being so digital, there is something so beautifully tangible and expressive about using an exquisitely made pen or pencil. The craftmanship in the business is incredibly special and through our love of British manufacturing we aim help realise its true potential. Working with Emma we will bring our skill sets of manufacturing, design and branding to support the company’s growth.”

 Emma Field “ I am genuinely excited about having Nick and Giles join the business to take YARD-O-LED on its next stage in its historical journey. Their individual skill sets and immense passion for manufacturing is exactly what the business needs. What they managed to achieve at Bremont was remarkable and I know that Yard O Led has a very exciting future with them.”

 “ We look forward to writing this story with you and you will be hearing a lot more from us very soon.” 

Giles, Nick and Emma