A Q&A with Skye From Humphrey Law

Hey Skye, please tell us a bit about yourself!

Although Humphrey Law is in Heathmont, I’m based in Ballarat. My role in sales involves some travel so I can be flexible in location. But I do split my time evenly between Ballarat and Heathmont. I’m fortunate to work with siblings and parents. Don’t worry, we all get along great!

Humphrey Law are synonymous with socks, can you tell us more about the business?

Humphrey Law have been manufacturing socks  in Heathmont since 1947 – 78 years this year! We focus on producing high quality, value for money socks. Over the years, Humphrey Law have perfected the ‘perfect sock’ you could say.  I mean they’ve been doing it for 78 years and only making socks means we can achieve this and do it well.  

We have a team of 22 employees, and everything happens under one roof – twisting, knitting, dyeing, pressing, labelling, picking/pacing, and dispatch. As everything is done locally here in-house, we have full control over the production process and can quickly sort out any issues,  ensuring quality standards remain high. It also means we’re not relying on any offshore manufacturing which is important to us for ethical and sustainability reasons. 

We’re lucky to have an amazing team too.  Rio, our Production Manager, does an amazing and dedicated job. He keeps the flow of the production running efficiently and he could fix just about anything in the whole factory. To keep him in line, we have our amazing Operations and Sales Manager, Nimmi.  She does a great job to keep things ticking along behind the scenes.  She knows the ins and outs of what needs to be done each day, and helped develop our internal operating systems and software. 

Sustainability is also an important aspect of our day-to-day operations. By keeping manufacturing local, we’re reducing transport emissions and minimising waste, which gives us visibility and knowledge of our environmental impact. A few years ago, we installed 357 solar panels on our roof to do our bit to reduce where we can. Our focus on quality over quantity means our socks last longer, which in turn reduces textile waste over time.

Why is it important for you to manufacture locally and ethically?

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced at Humphrey Law?

The biggest challenge to date would have to have been the COVID period.  We were lucky to stay manufacturing as we produce socks for the Australian Defence Force. For us, it was about adapting and managing time and employees effectively.  We also wanted to do what we could to assist our retailers in transitioning to online retail so they could still trade as well.

Like most businesses, we still face challenges. Some months are busier than others and manufacturing can become intense, but Nimmi does a great job at managing what needs to be done and what needs to go where.

What’s been your proudest moment at Humphrey Law?

It has to be reaching 78 years of making socks in Australia.  Still at the same factory, still producing here in Heathmont. That’s pretty special.

Humphrey Law has been accredited since 2012, congratulations! What does being accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia mean to you?

It shows our commitment to doing the right thing, not just for our retailers and customers but for our workers.  We know the people behind every sock we make. By manufacturing here in Australia, we can ensure transparency, accountability, and high standards.   

In a world of fast fashion, poor labour practices are often hidden or unfortunately ignored. An Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation allows us to hopefully lead by example and show that ethical manufacturing is possible and sustainable here in Australia. Ethical and sustainable practices go hand-in-hand, so to be accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia and by doing our bit to be as sustainable as possible, we can confidently promote our products to our consumers. 

To learn more about Humphrey Law, visit their directory listing page.