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Brandcorp is a Business founded on a heritage of innovation, design and a passion for creation supplying the Australian and New Zealand marketed for over 100 years.
Samuel E. Mullins founded the Semco Company in 1907, specializing in Embroidery products. Semco was the 3rd company incorporated in Victoria so even 100 years ago the Semco brand was a leader in its market segment. Semco had uninterrupted business through two world wars and the Great Depression, providing Australia and New Zealand with beautiful Needlework, Haberdashery and Craft products. Semco still manufactures many of its needlecraft products in its facilities in Sydney.
To strengthen the needlecraft offer in late 2007 Semco purchased a small business called Ireland Needlecraft and took on the distribution of the Dimensions, Mill Hill and Appletons brands in Australia.
In December 2007 Semco incorporated Francheville products, good quality on trend paper craft items and artist paint products and the Art and Conservation businesses into the divisional portfolio and renamed the business Brandcorp in 2008.
In October of 2008 Brandcorp purchased the well know Maria George brand. Maria George moved to Australia as an immigrant in the 40`s and started importing beads, sequins, crystals and trims from Europe in the 1950`s. Having first established her business in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, by the 1960s Maria had moved her business to Flinders Lane, in the very heart of Melbourne`s fashion district and the CBD. In Feb 2009 the shop moved about 150 meters down the road to take up premises in the busy fashion plaza of the historical Nicholson building.
Maria George was a remarkable person, and a woman alone in business at a time when very few others were; Maria`s determination and intuition assisted her to build a business that was to become a household name known throughout Australia, Known for Quality products in Beading and Habby. Sadly Maria passed away in 2007 at the age of 94 but she leaves a legacy in a strong brand with a great following.
The Business has been through very exiting changes evolving with the market demands of manufacturing and technology and will continue to strive offer innovation, service and value to our customers. |
