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Huddersfield textile company to create new jobs to meet soaring demand

A Huddersfield textile company is creating dozens of new jobs and plans to extend its premises to meet soaring demand.

Contract fabrics manufacturer Wooltex UK, based at Dale Street, Longwood, is part way through a recruitment drive to create 56 jobs and take its total workforce to more than 100 by the end of the year.

The firm, which supplies fabrics for uses including office seating, office dividers and seats in cinemas and theatres, has also tabled plans to extend its Woodland Mill premises onto a neighbouring site.

The move – which is awaiting planning approval – will add 40,000sq ft to its existing 65,000sq ft of space. That will create more space for additional machinery and increase manufacturing capacity in the areas of warping, weaving, fabric finishing and sample making.

The expansion drive represents a multi-million pound investment for the company, which was founded in 1996. and is recognised as a leader in its field.

Managing director Peter Timmins said the company had grown every year since its launch and sales had tripled since 2010. More than 90% of its products are exported, mainly to countries in the European Union, through a major customer in Europe with whom Wooltex has long-standing links.

Mr Timmins said: “Between us – with us concentrating on the manufacturing and them concentrating on the marketing – we have seen a significant increase in demand and that demand is likely to continue over the next few years.

“We have products that the end-users are crying out for but we have got to the point where our current facilities are not big enough to cope with the increasing demand. We have got to the stage where we cannot get one more weaving machine in this building. We are already having to outsource some weaving, which is logistically difficult.”

Mr Timmins said it was hoped to have the new facility up and running by July or August, adding: “Building the new extension and extending the existing manufacturing facility will also allow is to go into new areas of manufacture which we have previously sub-contracted out, such as fabric finishing.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .