Member Article

World leading company looking for ways to progress

The head of one of the world’s leading wool suppliers believes a fresh pair of eyes can help push his business forward in leaps and bounds.

Jo Dawson, the chief executive of H Dawson Wool has recently connected with Rising Stars, which is jointly delivered by Bradford Council and the Bradford Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Dawson, who is the fourth generation to run the Bradford-based family business, became involved with the scheme through his links with the Bradford Chamber.

He believes that joining forces with a Rising Stars adviser can help the 125-year-old firm - which handles more than £100m worth of wool each year and has a UK business turnover of £30m - explore fresh ideas and avenues which will help it continue to be a world leader.

“I’m involved with Bradford Chamber and have had some great discussions with chief executive Sandy Needham who recognises what we’re trying to do as a business and sees the potential for growth,” he said.

“H Dawson Wool is a traditional but dynamic business, always looking for new opportunities and to embrace innovation and creativity.

“We had a meeting with the Rising Stars adviser Peter Briggs, who is very commercially-minded and has a significant amount of experience to share with us.

“He proposed some very specific activities, which we believe will eventually add value to the business.

“We’ve been operating for 125 years and we strongly believe in ensuring that the company continually evolves by embracing new opportunities.”

H Dawson Wool has offices in China, India, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and South Africa as well as the Bradford headquarters and employs more than 100 people worldwide.

It recently launched its sister company, ‘The Wool Room’, an exciting new retail business with stores in Harrogate an in Yorkshire, Stamford in Lincolnshire and Morpeth in Northumberland, as well as an online store, selling environmentally friendly, sustainable woollen bedding and interior furnishings and accessories.

Mr Dawson says linking up with Rising Stars has been helpful in finding someone unconnected with the wool industry to offer a fresh perspective and suggest ways of making improvements and facilitating growth for the firm, which deals with about five per cent of the world’s wool supply.

“We are very focused on finding new opportunities which reflect and promote our core values of integrity, honesty and delivering and doing exactly what we say we’re going to do, with consistency and reliability,” he said.

Rising Stars business services manager, Carolyn Coleman, said: “H Dawson Wool is a world leader in its field and proves how even long established and successful companies will benefit from a fresh look at things.

“Rising Stars will be able to offer H Dawson Wool some new ideas and guides to getting the most out of its operations as it continues to make great strides.”

Councillor David Green, Leader of Bradford Council, said: “It is not just new and upcoming companies which need assistance from Rising Stars but some of our biggest firms can benefit from assistance to realise their potential.

“Helping a company like H Dawson Wool proves how valuable the Rising Stars scheme is to organisations of all shapes and sizes across Bradford, and I hope more firms will follow their lead.”

For further information about Rising Stars and the Council’s Business and Enterprise Programme visit www.rising-stars.biz.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jonathan Redhead .