A textile company has demonstrated confidence in the future with a multi-million investment in new equipment.
Wooltex UK invited its biggest customer to help open a new dye house and finishing plant at its mill in Dale Street, Longwood.
Managing director Peter Timmins, who launched Wooltex UK 20 years ago, welcomed Anders Byriel, chief executive of Danish textile design firm Kvadrat, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new facilities.
Wooltex makes fabrics for the upholstery market and exports most of its products to Europe – selling more than £20m of fabric last year for seating in offices, theatres and public buildings and doubling its workforce to 110 in recent years.
Mr Timmins said the firm had grown every year since its formation, adding: “Sales have gone up this year and look like growing again next year with the orders we have in the pipeline now.”
The two-year investment programme has included expanding into neighbouring premises.
“The dyeing plant is state-of-the-art,” said Mr Timmins. “And in UK terms, no one can remember when a textile finishing plant last opened for processing wool. Ours is the first one for many decades.
“We are very proud of that. It’s a good thing for Huddersfield and shows there’s a bit of confidence in the industry.”
