Derbyshire businessman David Nieper has died

He founded his Alfreton-based company – David Nieper, which designs and manufactures clothing and knitwear for women – in 1961.

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In a statement released on Friday afternoon, the business said: “It is with great sadness we share the news that David Nieper has died.

“He passed away on Wednesday, August 11, having recently celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by his family.

“Further announcements will be made in due course.”

According to the firm’s website, Mr Nieper was creative director at the company. His son, Christopher Nieper, has been managing director for the last 15 years.

The website adds: “David Nieper sells to customers throughout the UK and worldwide.

“We employ 230 skilled people at our Derbyshire factory, the UK’s manufacturing heartland.

“Our skilled staff include designers, garment cutters, dressmakers and seamstresses with decades of manufacturing experience.

“We are totally committed to UK manufacturing. All of our collections are proudly Made in Britain, designed, manufactured and hand-finished right here in Derbyshire.

“All sales are direct to customer via mail order and the Internet. One third of our customers are based overseas.

“We remain very much a family business and carry out most functions in-house, including printing, marketing design and customer service.

“We work closely with schools, colleges and universities to encourage more young people into the industry and ensure sewing skills are passed on to the next generation.

“From solar panel roofs to using auto-stop sewing machines we work hard to reduce our environmental footprint.”

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