Openhouse celebrates 30th birthday success

Throughout our 30 years our passion for bespoke solutions and innovative designs has continued to grow, ensuring that we are still market leaders in the textile manufacturing industry.

Over the years we have created products that continue to help so many different industries and we enjoy nothing more than hearing about how you use them, pack them, style them and love them! We hope over the next 30 years our products continue to benefit so many of you and we promise to continue our commitment and dedication to you.

We are delighted you made the most of our countdown to our 30^th birthday with 30% discounts on top of the range products. It served as an ideal grab and go option for paramedics, sports teams, firefighters, first aiders, customers using vehicle safety kits and anyone conducting home care visits.

We’ve certainly had an October month to remember and a birthday we won’t forget! October has been one of our busiest months to date, and we can’t thank you enough for all your orders.

How it all began  

Openhouse was launched in 1992 by our Chairman Brian Jones, who at the time was a Singer sewing machine repair man. Today, the company is still a family run business at heart with Brian’s three children Andrew, Laura and Samantha taking over the reins as directors.

Where did the idea of medical bags come from?

It’s no secret that our Openhouse medical bags are one of our leading products and we love hearing how they have helped you, but where did the idea of our bags come from?

Chairman and founder, Brian Jones, recalls how the idea for our leading product came about. He said: “We were burning the midnight oil, working through the night to finish one of our first really big orders – laptop carriers as it happened – when the husband of one of our seamstresses turned up to collect her. He was a firefighter. He took one look at the laptop bag I was in the middle of making and said, ‘that would make a superb kit bag for paramedics.’”

Surprised by his response, Brian asked him; “Didn’t paramedics have professional bags already?” The firefighter replied that paramedics had been making do with sports bags and he even knew someone who used a cardboard box to carry his kit round with him!

Brian was astonished, he said: “It was a real Eureka! moment. The very next day I had him take me over to meet his mates at the local ambulance station where I spoke to the crews about their kit and quickly learned how difficult it could be to keep track of it all, not to mention getting hold of exactly what they needed in an emergency situation. I went straight home and started sketching ideas. Two days later I took my prototype back into the ambulance station to get their feedback and was bowled over by it – the rest, as they say, is history!”

From the UK to Australia – what does Openhouse look like today?

Openhouse now boasts a team of 42 staff who work to ensure that high quality and standards filter down to every department we work in. Our highly dedicated UK based Design and Production Teams are experienced in working with a large range of materials. From automated cutting to computerised sewing and welding, Openhouse can tailor your product exactly to your requirements, right down to the finer details like fixtures and graphics.

Over the last 30 years, Openhouse has expanded to supply some of the largest and most hard-working public and private sector companies across eight different countries around the world. In 2019, having successfully supplied bags and equipment to Australasia for several years, we proudly opened the doors to Openhouse Products Australia.

In the UK and overseas, Openhouse is determined to provide the highest quality, safest and best value bags and textiles on the market. Sales and Marketing Director, Samantha Proctor said: “We are using all the experience and knowledge built up over the last 30 years to ensure our customers at home and overseas receive the best possible service. We are proud to be serving Australia and would be delighted to exceed your expectations.”

We protect your kit bags from harmful bacteria using our trailblazing MicrAgard fabrics

Openhouse uses micrAgard fabrics for its products. We came up with the idea for micrAgard at the Ambex conference when a number of paramedics visiting our stand spoke about infection control being one of their main concerns. It came to light the many different situations in which the average paramedic’s bag would be exposed to harmful bacteria.

As a result of this, Openhouse made infection control its top priority. We began to consult with material chemists and experts in microbiology both in the UK and overseas. The great challenge was to ensure that it would also be flame retardant to aircraft standards, to ensure it would be suitable for as many industries as possible. The final result which we use today is a physical manifestation of our desire to always push the boundaries on innovation and design.

Our birthday give-aways on top of the range products

Through our birthday give-aways, Openhouse demonstrated that although the machines we once used may have changed, and our work area might have got a lot brighter, our amazing team behind the sewing process has always maintained the highest standards. Not only did we celebrate our 30^th anniversary with 30% discounts on top of the range products, but we also launched our exclusive one-off goody bags on the first five orders. Hi-vis products were among our discounted items. With the darker nights drawing in, it’s important to ‘be safe be seen.’ We have a variety of different products at Openhouse designed to ensure that you are easily visible and better protected in the dark.

Some of our discounts included the following products;

• Thigh Drop Pouch; This product is hands-free storage on the go, ideal for motorsport, air ambulance and rescue staff. Stand out from the crowd with our striking flo orange micrAgard signature reflective print.
• Hip/Cross Body Bag; We love this lightweight design for simply slipping on to pop to the shops, go out for a walk or any time you need that little bit more storage than just your pockets!
• OH Satchel Bag; This is a super functional and fuss-free bag! The lightweight design is perfect as a day pack, first aid bag, rapid response module or for any time you need that little bit more storage than just your pockets!

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Once again, we’d like to thank our customers for making our 30^th anniversary celebrations so special. Sign up to our mailing list and follow us on social media to keep up to date with all our latest news, updates and offers.