Royal visit for textile house to mark £1.2m investment
A textile house which produces fabric for some of the world’s leading fashion labels welcomed a royal visitor as it marked a £1.2m investment in new weaving machinery.
HRH The Princess Royal unveiled a plaque during a visit to Stanley Mills Weavers in Bradford and its sister company Luxury Fabrics, which supplies the likes of Louis Vuitton, Prada and Christian Dior, commemorating their export achievement and investment.
The companies, which are part of SIL Holdings, export 92% of their textile manufacturing output, employ 75 people and have reported 30% growth since 2015.
The business produce luxurious pure wool, cashmere and mohair apparel fabric for key markets of Europe, Japan , Middle East and the United States.
David Gallimore, managing director of Luxury Fabrics said: “We were honoured to welcome HRH The Princess Royal, President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, and show her our latest investment in weaving technology.
“The innovation allows us to keep pace with developments in quality and design whilst retaining the knowledge and skills that have built up within our business over many generations.”
“As a growing business with global sales it is essential that we maintain a strong focus on innovation and quality to ensure that the business remains competitive around the world, this is particularly important with changes expected in how we trade with Europe.” he added.
Meryl Birch, managing director of Stanley Mills Weavers, said this latest investment would help secure the future of the historic mill and its export trade as well as safeguarding and creating new jobs in the area.
“We were pleased to be able to demonstrate to HRH The Princess Royal that we are reinforcing our strong reputation in international markets and keeping Yorkshire and its regional textile heritage on the global fashion map,” she said.
