A third-generation Ayrshire family business has partnered with the UK Parliament’s official gift shop to provide a range of recycled leather gifts.
Crawford Henderson Ltd, based in Maybole, is one of the leading suppliers of leather giftware for cultural retailers in the UK.
Run by Crawford Henderson and his son Ian, the firm – in the town's Welltrees Street – dates back to 1946 and embodies what Maybole was historically known for.
The Crawford Henderson Ltd range includes a hip flask, whisky tasting notebooks, travel card holders and a golf score book. All of these gifts have been specially made with UK Parliament branding.
The business traces its roots back to the time when Crawford’s father, Donald, was demobbed from the RAF after the Second World War, where he had served as an engineer.
Donald worked with his father, who was a newsagent, stationer and photographer, offering a range of personally-taken postcards of local landmarks and country houses.
Taking over his father’s photography business after World War II, Donald began a small postcard and stationery operation from his shop on Maybole High Street.
Donald teamed up with friend and business partner Tom Dalling and together the pair purchased the vacant ‘New Carrick Cinema’ building in Maybole, which continues to be firm’s factory to this day.
In 1986, ownership of the business passed to Donald’s son Crawford, who modernised the factory; implementing new products and processes.
Blending their traditional values with modern methods, the company now also prints digitally – a process that has transformed its capabilities and opened up a world of possibilities for its customers.
In 2017, Crawford’s son Ian joined to become sales director, ensuring that the process of handing the business over to the next generation is well underway.
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