Cash's facts for kids
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| Founded | 1846 |
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| Founder | John and Joseph Cash |
| Headquarters | Seven Stars Industrial Estate, Wheler Road 52°23′41″N 1°29′02″W / 52.394747°N 1.483927°W, , |
| Products | Ribbons, silk pictures, woven name tapes |
Cash's, also known as J. & J. Cash Ltd., is a company from Coventry, England. It was started in 1846. Today, Cash's makes special woven name tapes and other woven items. The company was once very famous for making beautiful ribbons.
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How Cash's Started
The company was created by two brothers, John and Joseph Cash. Their father, also named Joseph, was a rich textile merchant. Even before starting the factory, the family had offices in Coventry. They sold ribbons that other people made for them at home.
In 1846, the Cash brothers opened their own ribbon factory. It had 100 looms, which are machines used for weaving. This factory was located in an area called West Orchard.
The Cash Family's Good Deeds
The Cash brothers were Quakers, a religious group known for helping others. They were very kind employers. Joseph Cash, for example, helped start the Coventry Labourers' and Artisans' Friendly Society in 1843.
This society helped working people by providing 400 allotment gardens. These were small plots of land where people could grow their own food. The society also had a store that sold groceries.
Joseph also built a school for young children in his garden in 1853. He even let local religious groups use it as a place to worship.
Cash's Topshops: Homes and Workplaces
In 1857, Cash's built special three-story cottages for their weavers. These homes were located next to the Coventry Canal on a road now called Cash's Lane. They originally planned to build 100 cottages, but only 48 were made.
These cottages were made of brick with tiled roofs. Each one had a garden. The top floor of each cottage was a bright work area called a "topshop." These topshops had Jacquard looms, which were powered by a central steam engine.
The topshops opened on October 12, 1857. A few years later, in 1862, the individual workshops were joined together to create larger workspaces. These historic houses are still standing today.
A park called Cash's Park is also located nearby.
The Rise of Name Tapes
The Cash brothers were always willing to try new things. In the 1870s, their company started making colorful embroidered items. This led them to create embroidered name tapes for clothing.
By the early 1900s, making these name tapes became the most important part of their business. Because of their success, J. & J. Cash, Ltd. decided to open a factory in the United States.
Cash's in the United States
In 1905, Cash's chose a location in South Norwalk, Connecticut, for their new factory. The factory was finished in October 1906. The company thought this new building would be big enough for at least 20 years of growth.
However, they needed to add a large extension by 1912! Around this time, they also started making woven clothing labels. This new product made them need even more additions to the factory in the 1920s.
A man named Frank Goodchild worked for Cash's from 1886 to 1946. He worked in Coventry and then became the President of the U.S. company.
After the War
During the Second World War, the Cash's factory was damaged by bombs. Parts of it had to be torn down. It was very hard for Cash's to rebuild and get back to how they were before the war. Most of the rebuilding was finished by 1952.
In the 1960s, Cash's bought other weaving companies in Coventry. This made Cash's the only company of its kind left in the city. In 1964, Cash's was given a special honor: they were named 'Manufacturers of Woven Name Tapes to Her Majesty the Queen.' This is called a Royal Warrant.
The Cash family sold the company in 1976. In 1984, the company moved to a more modern building. In 2014, the company faced some financial problems. However, a company from Hong Kong called The Jointak Group invested in Cash's. The company reopened as "Cash's Apparel Solutions."
Cash's moved to a new location in Coventry in late 2014, and then to another new address in 2019.
Today, Cash's no longer makes ribbons. But they still make identity name tapes, woven pictures, cards, and bookmarks. A big part of their business now is making special security labels to prevent fake products from high-end brands. This department is called CertiEye.
Cash's Legacy
Many old Cash's products are popular with collectors. You can also find them in museum collections.
Sadly, Cash's original records from their Kingfield Road factory were destroyed by a bomb during the war. However, many of the company's later records are kept at the Coventry local history center.
In 1996, an exhibition called 'A Woven Image' celebrated the company's 150th anniversary. There is also a school in Coventry named Joseph Cash Primary School.
