供应全球军服的英格兰公司(上)

From the heart of Yorkshire, England, a tiny, family firm is running a global empire – not in steel or machinery, but in military uniforms and ceremonial clothing. More surprising still, their customers have included everyone from great leaders to notorious dictators, royalty to pop stars.

在英格兰约克郡的中心地段，一家规模不大的家族企业却经营着一个全球帝国——他们的产品不是钢铁，也不是机械，而是军装和礼服。但更令人惊奇的在于，他们的客户多种多样，从伟大领导人到著名独裁者，从王室成员到娱乐明星。

When Wyedean was founded in 1852, it offered just 12 items. Today, the firm can produce any of 10,000 products or patterns from a catalogue that dates back decades – with some designs unchanged since the 19th Century. The company’s clients include militaries in Saudi Arabia, Fiji, New Zealand, Nigeria, Sri Lanka as well as the United Kingdom.

1852年威迪恩（Wyedean）创办之时，它只提供12种商品。但如今，该公司总共提供10,000多种商品和花色，其中最早的样式可以追溯到几十年前——有些设计自19世纪以来就再也没有发生过任何变化。沙特阿拉伯、斐济、新西兰、尼日利亚、斯里兰卡和英国的军队都是该公司的客户。

Why Wyedean?

为什么是威迪恩？

Despite its niche product line, Wyedean still competes with manufacturers from the UK and overseas – including several factories in Asia which have lower labour costs.

尽管只局限在一个小众领域，但威迪恩仍然要与来自英国本土和海外的厂商展开竞争——包括多家拥有较低劳动力成本的亚洲工厂。

The firm says it has survived by adhering to a basic business tenet: reputation is key. Wyedean’s longstanding relationship with the British Ministry of Defence in particular has helped it win confidence from buyers abroad. Their client list now includes the United Nations as well as the military and security services of 60 other countries.

该公司表示，他们之所以能够生存至今，是因为始终坚持基本的商业宗旨：声誉胜于一切。威迪恩与英国国防部建立的长期关系帮助他们赢得了海外买家。他们的客户包括联合国，以及60多个国家的军事和安保服务。

Robin Wright, the company’s managing director, said that Wyedean sells just under $3m worth of products to the MoD per year. That makes up nearly half of Wyedean’s turnover, which last year hit a company record of $6.1 million.

该公司总经理罗宾•怀特（Robin Wright）表示，威迪恩每年向英国国防部出售的产品不足300万美元。这大约占到该公司全年营收的一半——其去年营收总额达到610万美元。

Colonial connections also still play a role in Wyedean’s businesss and some of the firms production has been done from Pakistan since 2000. Many former colonies’ military uniforms, for example, still mimic those of the UK even decades after independence. “What Commonwealth countries wear in uniform accoutrement is traditionally British (in style), and the main driving force for overseas client sourcing from UK manufacturers such as ourselves,” Wright said.

与英国殖民地的关系仍然在威迪恩的业务中发挥了一定作用。自2000年以来，该公司一直在巴基斯坦生产服装。例如，很多英国前殖民地在独立后仍然模仿了英国的军装。“英联邦国家的军装制服都是传统的英国风格，这也是海外客户向我们这样的英国厂商采购的主要动力。”怀特说。

Given Wyedean’s far-flung networks and commonwealth contacts, it perhaps not that surprising that some of its clothing has wound up being worn by infamous despots. Among the roster: Idi Amin, Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein.

由于威迪恩的网络分布广泛，而且与许多英联邦国家签订了协议，所以臭名昭著的独裁者也成为该公司的客户也就不足为奇。其中包括伊迪•阿明（Idi Amin）、穆阿迈尔•卡扎菲（Muammar Gaddafi）和萨达姆•侯赛因（Saddam Hussein）。

But, says Wright, it is rare that Wyedean has direct contact with any recipients; most trade is conducted through third-party representatives.

但怀特表示，威迪恩很少与客户直接签订协议，多数交易都是通过第三方代表完成的。

In another example of how unpalatable events can be good for business, wars – or more accurately the victors of them – can also be lucrative clients. Although they also provide regular military uniforms, most of Wyedean’s business is for ceremonial dress – and with military power comes ceremony, commemorative parades and a rise in product demand. At the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War, for example, the new government “wanted to buy ceremonial dress,” Wright said.

另外，一些令人不快的事件可能反而对该公司的业务有利，例如战争——或者更精确地说，是战争的胜利者——就可以为该公司带来有利可图的客户。尽管威迪恩也会供应常规军装，但他们的多数业务都来自军礼服——包括军队的庆祝活动、纪念游行和产品需求增长。例如，怀特表示，在斯里兰卡内战结束后，该国新政府“希望购买礼服”。

Dealing with foreign clients, including those in countries enduring political upheaval, can be a roller-coaster. One such example came in 1979 after a coup in Ghana saw the company lose out on an order of 5,000 duty armlets for the national police. The money lost from the sale falling through “was a big hit and a learning curve for the company.”

与外国客户（包括那些遭遇政治动荡的国家）进行交易可能会像坐过山车一样大起大落。1979年就发生过这样的情况，当时的加纳政变导致该公司失去了来自加纳国家警察的5,000个臂环订单。这种订单落空引发的资金损失“对该公司构成了沉重打击，也使之从中吸取了经验教训。”

But this has not stopped Wyedean from pursuing international deals.

但威迪恩并未因此而停止探索国际贸易。