From a family business collating school uniform orders by hand to supplying embroidery for global brands like Ralph Lauren and Barbour, Ross and William Smillie’s story is one of graft, adaptability and vision. Today, as joint managing directors of BE Uniforms, they run one of the UK’s largest school uniform and workwear suppliers, but the journey has been anything but straightforward.

In this conversation, we hear how the brothers balanced tradition with change, from the days of fax machines and handwritten order forms to a rapid pivot online during Covid, and even opening their own coffee shop as part of their retail spaces. Along the way, they reflect on what it means to run a business rooted in family, community, and identity.

This is a story about resilience, reinvention, and recognising that sometimes a uniform is about far more than just clothes.