 Hollins had started business in 1784 in Pleasley, about 20 miles away on the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border.Later their offices were at Viyella House in Nottingham.After a merger in 1961, Hollins became Viyella International, led by Joe Hyman, who in the next few years acquired a series of related companies, with Viyella growing to be one of the biggest textile businesses in the UK, owning 40 factories across the country.