Custom Iron On Patches employs more than 60 staff at its Birmingham workshop. The team includes designers, digitisers, embroidery machine operators, weavers, PVC moulders, printers, quality controllers, dispatchers and customer account managers. Every order is handled by this UK-based team from artwork submission to dispatch.
This page introduces the people who run the workshop and serve customers across the UK.
Leadership
Jake Davey – Founder
Jake Davey founded Custom Iron On Patches in 2017. The business started in a small embroidery unit in Birmingham and has grown into a 60-strong manufacturing team. Jake oversees production standards, customer experience and the company’s UK manufacturing strategy from the Birmingham workshop.
Sarah Collins – Head of Production
Sarah Collins manages the production floor at the Birmingham workshop. Responsibilities include scheduling across the embroidery, weaving, PVC, print and chenille lines, equipment maintenance and production quality. Sarah has over 15 years of experience in textile manufacturing and embroidery production.
Daniel Ahmed – Head of Design and Digitising
Daniel Ahmed leads the in-house design studio. The studio prepares stitch files, weave files, mould files and print files for every order. Daniel has over 12 years of experience in embroidery digitising and textile design.
Emma Clarke – Head of Customer Service
Emma Clarke manages the customer support and B2B account team. Responsibilities include order intake, quote handling, B2B procurement accounts and customer query resolution. The customer service team operates from the Birmingham workshop.
Our Team Structure
The Custom Iron On Patches team is divided across five functions:
| Function | Headcount | Responsibility |
| Design and Digitising | 10 | Artwork preparation and production file creation |
| Production | 32 | Embroidery, weaving, PVC moulding, printing, chenille |
| Quality Control | 6 | Batch inspection before dispatch |
| Customer Service | 7 | Order management and account handling |
| Dispatch and Logistics | 5 | UK and international order shipping |
The full team works from a single Birmingham facility at 10 Newhall Street. No customer-facing function is outsourced overseas.
Our Designers and Digitisers
The in-house design team handles every customer artwork submission. Designers work directly with customers to clean up supplied files, recreate logos from sketches and prepare patches that print or stitch correctly at scale. Digitisers convert approved artwork into machine-readable production files.
Free design and digitising is included in every order. Customers do not pay extra for artwork preparation, file conversion or proof revisions.
Our Production Team
The production team operates the workshop’s commercial equipment. Each production zone is staffed by trained machine operators who specialise in one patch type:
- Embroidery operators run multi-head embroidery machines and monitor stitch tension, thread breaks and colour changes
- Weavers operate narrow-loom weaving machines for fine-detail woven patches
- PVC moulders prepare silicone moulds, mix PVC compound and finish 2D and 3D PVC patches by hand
- Printers run dye-sublimation equipment for printed and photo-realistic patches
- Chenille operators run chain-stitch machines for traditional chenille patches
Production staff hold internal certifications in their specialism. New operators train under experienced staff before running production unsupervised.
Our Quality Control Team
Every batch produced at the workshop passes through the QC bay before packing. QC inspectors check thread tension, colour accuracy against the approved proof, border consistency, backing adhesion and dimensional accuracy. Patches that fail inspection are reworked or replaced before the batch ships.
The QC team operates a zero-defect dispatch policy. No patch leaves the workshop until it matches the approved proof.
Our Customer Service Team
The customer service team handles three workstreams:
- Quote handling – incoming quotes from the website, email and phone
- Order management – proof approvals, production updates, dispatch notifications
- B2B accounts – dedicated account managers for businesses, schools, councils and uniformed services with regular ordering
Every customer is assigned a single point of contact for the duration of their order. Calls and emails are answered by the same person from quote to delivery.
Working at Custom Iron On Patches
The Birmingham workshop trains its own embroidery operators, digitisers and PVC moulders in-house. The company prioritises long-term skilled employment over agency or seasonal staffing. Several team members have been with the company for more than five years.
For career enquiries, contact the team via the contact page.
Get in Touch
To speak with the team about an order, request a free quote or arrange a workshop visit:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 07746 501247
- Address: 10 Newhall Street, Birmingham, B3 3AG
To start an order, see the ordering process or request a quote.