100 year-old textiles business relocates HQ

A 100-YEAR-OLD family-owned yarn business is doubling its manufacturing space with a move to a Baildon business park and a major investment in a new HQ.

Laxtons, which celebrated its 109th birthday this year, is moving in early 2017 to the Sapper Jordan Rossi Park, formerly Baildon Business Park.

The company makes yarns for handknitting, upholstery and clothing. It includes brands like Debbie Bliss, Erika Knight and John Lewis and clothing brands Chanel Jaeger and Jack Willis.

The firm brought its production back to the UK in 2010 and now says they have outgrown their premises.

The purpose-built 16,000 sq ft facility will be completed by 2017. Russells Construction has started construction at the 15-acre site off the Otley Road near Shipley. Laxtons will relocate 24 staff from the existing premises at Gordon Mills in Guiseley.

Owner James Laxton said: “We are already in the process of extending our product range and increasing our customer base, and require additional space as soon as possible to continue that expansion. The acquisition of this new facility represents a major investment for Laxtons and is clear demonstration of the upward trajectory we have been on since bringing our manufacturing operation back to the UK in 2010.

“We will be further investing in new equipment to allow us to grow the upholstery and clothing yarn ranges, and have already added an additional shift and a number of trainees to the rota to help cope with demand. We work very closely with our customers and we’re very much looking forward to showing them around our state-of-the-art spinning mill early next year.”

Mark Taylforth, director of developer Pendle Russells which is delivering the business park, said: “Laxtons is a huge success story for UK manufacturing, a business which is going from strength to strength, where investment in quality production is really paying off.

“We’re delighted to be building the UK’s newest spinning factory and helping a business which has so much history in this area, stay close to home without having to compromise on location or facilities.”

 

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