A Fife clothing manufacturer said it was “blown away” when its products were worn by members of the royal family.
Keela, based at Southfield Industrial Estate in Glenrothes, makes performance gear which is also used by professionals, the military, and outdoor enthusiasts.
Emergency services including police and medical staff also use Keela clothing.
Prince William and his wife Catherine – who met while studying in St Andrews – wore Keela’s hydron jacket while on a visit to the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales.
Keela makes the jackets for the park’s mountain rescue team. They can also be bought through the Fife firm’s website for £149.95.
Sales director Sam Fernando said seeing the Prince and Princess of Wales wearing a Keela product was a proud moment for the Fife firm.
She said: “It blew us away. We were just so excited.
“You can’t get much better than that, and Kate is gorgeous.”
It was one of two royal involvements for the Glenrothes firm, which has played its own small role in the build-up to King Charles’ coronation in London on Saturday.
Sam added: “We supply Historic Environment Scotland and when they were transporting the Stone of Destiny for the coronation, their team was wearing Keela jackets as well.
“It’s great for the team here. Everyone has been buzzing.”
During the pandemic, the firm made 750,000 gowns for the NHS.
To meet demand, the firm doubled its workforce and moved into a new factory to allow for social distancing.
The move that would normally take up to six months was done in just 10 days.
Keela: Fife firm sees sales spike
Now the firm has added 20 more staff.
It has seen sales spike by 43% after investments in technology, sustainable product research and development, and new manufacturing equipment.
Sam said: “Doing the NHS gowns was great. We kept people in jobs and we were doing our bit during the pandemic.
“We knew that was going to come to an end, but we wanted to keep our own production going.
“We’ve been very blessed to have some really good customers and be able to work with them and increase our sales.
“Our products are becoming more well known and there’s a desire for good quality.
“We’ve got new projects on the go at the moment, and we had extra people in admin and sales to help support us.”
Conversation