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Charles Owen has made the “heart-breaking decision” to stop the production of a number of its hat models, following news it will cease manufacturing in the UK.
On Wednesday (12 November) Charles Owen announced to retailers that UK production was to cease – a result of the lease expiring on its Wrexham premises. Yesterday (13 November) a company spokesperson confirmed to H&H that although UK production will cease, the business still has “every intention to continue to sell our products to the UK and beyond”
In an update today (14 November) the company has shared further news on its products.
“While we have a number of alternative properties we are looking to move to, unfortunately none of them are suitable to maintain the production of our UK made helmets. We have therefore made the heart-breaking decision to stop making those models,” it read.
“However, we will continue with the products we have been making outside of the UK for some time now, such as the Kylo, Phoenix, Kontor, Eclipse, Shadow and our range of accessories. We are also pushing forward with at least two exciting new products in 2026”.
The statement to retailers on Wednesday said that “despite strong commitments” earlier this year that the company would be able to remain at its premises, “those assurances have sadly not materialised”.
“Although we have secured a short extension, it only allows us to continue operations until 19 December, less than six weeks from now,” the statement read.
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“Those who have visited our facility will understand the complexity involved in producing our helmets – the volume of equipment and machinery is significant. Decommissioning, dismantling, relocating and recommissioning this operation is a major logistical challenge. While we do have several potential new locations under consideration it will not be possible to maintain production.”
Yesterday a Charles Owen spokesperson told H&H the decision to stop production at its Wrexham location “has been incredibly difficult, and comes only after exhausting every possible option to secure a long-term lease for our current facility”.
“While this change affects our UK manufacturing, our commitment to rider safety remains paramount. We are fully dedicated to our future plans, including the continued development of our upcoming products mentioned in the announcement, along with all current outsourced product lines, which are completely unaffected,” she said.
The spokesperson confirmed equestrians will still be able to buy Charles Owen products.
“Although UK production will cease, we still have every intention to continue to sell our products to the UK and beyond,” she said.
“There are a lot of the UK-produced Charles Owen products already with our retailers, so I’m sure our consumers will have no problems sourcing our UK made products for some time yet and we remain dedicated to safety for all riders with our unaffected products.”
The cut-off for retailers to place new orders from the UK facility was today.
“We will continue to draw from our existing stock of raw materials and sub-assemblies to fulfil as many orders as possible before 19 December. While we will make every effort to meet all commitments, some shortfalls may occur, but we will work hard to minimise any shortages,” retailers have been told.
Mr Derby “sincerely apologised” for the short notice and said securing a new long-term lease had been Charles Owens’ “top priority for some time”.
“However, we have exhausted every option to avoid this outcome, unfortunately we have reached a point where this decision has had to be made,” he said, adding that the company has stock of key lines ready for dispatch, allocated to retailers on a first come, first served basis.
The news does not affect “outsourced product lines”.
“Kylo, Phoenix, Kontor, Shadow, Eclipse, as well as all accessories are not affected. We also remain on track with our exciting new products – the Hyda helmet and Hexa body protection, both due to launch in 2026 – supported by a strong forward order book,” said Mr Derby, who asked for “patience and understanding”, and thanked retailers for their support during this “challenging transition”.
* The original version of this news story, published on Thursday 13 November, has been updated to include new information released by Charles Owen on Friday 14 November.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
