Raymakers Acquires UK-based Pile Fabric Dyers
July 2, 2008
HELMOND, The Netherlands – The more than 200-year-old mill, J.A. Raymakers & Co., has reached an agreement to acquire the business and select assets of Pile Fabric Dyers Ltd., from Rochdale, UK and will relocate its activity to the Raymaker base production site by the spring of 2009.
"This transaction is our ideal scenario to extend and improve the velvet expert centres that we have at Raymakers, Helmond and at British Velvets, Padiham," said Richard Oussoren, owner and managing director of Raymakers. "The new dyeing and finishing methods combined with the expertise of our colleagues from the UK will give an important impulse to our product development. The increased output of our factory will provide the basis for on-going competitive prices and for continuous investments in our people, production facilities and market. That is the best news for all our customers."
Raymakers was established in 1773 as a specialist weaver, dyer and finisher of velvets for domestic and contract markets. Pile Fabric Dyers was formed in 1964 by Dennis Grundy and his brothers Herbert and Roy and has established itself as the only remaining specialists in dyeing and finishing pile fabrics in the UK.
At Proposte in May, Oussoren continued the company's introduction of its organic velvets line which include yarns produced with organic cotton, free of pesticides. Oussoren cited that customers have been looking for more "richness" in fabrics and the introduction of three new organic velvets, including a mohair line, is catering to that request. Oussoren said, "We think for the future there will be a bigger market for this. It's still a small market in the U.S., but compared to other countries, [the U.S.] is much bigger."
In addition, Raymakers launched its outdoor velvet with outdoor dyeing recipes for Trevira CS yar to reach a high color and weather fastness. It is also available in water repellent finishes and various colors.
The company also introduced its green policy which has been integrated into its marketing materials and outlines the various environmental policies the company enforces from pre-production to final product. Included in the green highlights is the fact that the company's organic velvets can be broken down and made into fertilizer as well as the organic foods that are offered in the food outlets of the Raymakers factory.
"This transaction is our ideal scenario to extend and improve the velvet expert centres that we have at Raymakers, Helmond and at British Velvets, Padiham," said Richard Oussoren, owner and managing director of Raymakers. "The new dyeing and finishing methods combined with the expertise of our colleagues from the UK will give an important impulse to our product development. The increased output of our factory will provide the basis for on-going competitive prices and for continuous investments in our people, production facilities and market. That is the best news for all our customers."
Raymakers was established in 1773 as a specialist weaver, dyer and finisher of velvets for domestic and contract markets. Pile Fabric Dyers was formed in 1964 by Dennis Grundy and his brothers Herbert and Roy and has established itself as the only remaining specialists in dyeing and finishing pile fabrics in the UK.
At Proposte in May, Oussoren continued the company's introduction of its organic velvets line which include yarns produced with organic cotton, free of pesticides. Oussoren cited that customers have been looking for more "richness" in fabrics and the introduction of three new organic velvets, including a mohair line, is catering to that request. Oussoren said, "We think for the future there will be a bigger market for this. It's still a small market in the U.S., but compared to other countries, [the U.S.] is much bigger."
In addition, Raymakers launched its outdoor velvet with outdoor dyeing recipes for Trevira CS yar to reach a high color and weather fastness. It is also available in water repellent finishes and various colors.
The company also introduced its green policy which has been integrated into its marketing materials and outlines the various environmental policies the company enforces from pre-production to final product. Included in the green highlights is the fact that the company's organic velvets can be broken down and made into fertilizer as well as the organic foods that are offered in the food outlets of the Raymakers factory.
