Textiles industry still woven into national fabric

Sheryl Moore on the new momentum in one the UK's oldest industries

Hello Rainmakers,

We know a lot of you spend a huge amount of time thinking about new sectors, investment hot spots and as one investment director told us - meeting businesses doing things we never knew existed.

Yet sometimes there are investable propositions everywhere. None more so than the clothes on our backs, and so earlier this week that thought stuck. Dormeuil Manufacturing had just secured the acquisition of Alfred Brown (Worsted Mills) in a deal that brought together two Yorkshire heritage cloth makers. The acquisition is emblematic of a broader pattern unfolding across the sector.

Sheryl Moore examines how mergers, refinancing deals, and sustainability-driven investments are threading new momentum into one of the region’s oldest industries.

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Yorkshire’s textile industry is woven into the very fabric of Britain’s industrial story. From the roaring looms in the 18th and 19th centuries to today’s globally recognised worsted and woollen cloths, the county has long been a hub of innovation, craftsmanship, and export ambition.

At its peak, Yorkshire’s mills powered the Industrial Revolution, supplying uniforms, furnishings, and fashion worldwide. Towns grew around weaving sheds; trade halls buzzed with orders, and ‘Made in Yorkshire’ became synonymous with quality.

Fast forward to 2025, and the picture is more nuanced. Mills may be smaller, and some family businesses have been merged or acquired, yet the industry remains resilient. Heritage names like AW Hainsworth, SIL Group, Think Group, and Camira Fabrics continue to export premium fabrics while focusing on sustainability, fibre recycling, and non-woven innovations.

Yorkshire companies now blend artisanal skill with cutting-edge R&D, producing high-value goods alongside global low-cost imports. Investment, acquisitions, and sustainability initiatives are revitalising Yorkshire textiles - fuelling its enduring strength as a world-class textile hub.

French-owned Dormeuil first opened a branch in Yorkshire back in 1871, and 100 years later, Dormeuil Manufacturing was incorporated in Dewsbury. Victor Dormeuil, head of strategy and development at Dormeuil, said the acquisition was a ‘natural step’, reinforcing its deep commitment to British textile manufacturing, and building on the Alfred Brown brand, helping the company reach new heights while ‘staying true to its origins’.

He said: “Our ambition is clear: Preserve and celebrate Alfred Brown’s heritage and values; bring Dormeuil’s expertise and international reach to develop the Alfred Brown brand worldwide and strengthen our long-term commitment to made-in-UK textile manufacturing, with Dormeuil and Alfred Brown together positioning us among the largest UK fabric producers.”

The business’s latest accounts filed at Companies House show that in the year to 30 November 2024, Alfred Brown (Worsted Mills) generated a pre-tax profit of £273,346. The group had net assets of £6.61m with no net borrowings or debt. Net cash funds at the year-end remain healthy at £1.82m. Turnover for the period was £7.9m.

Across the county, similar stories of change are unfolding. Last month, SIL Group, the Bradford-based collective of around 20 textile businesses, secured a multi-million-pound asset-based lending facility with Shawbrook Bank to fund expansion and sustainability initiatives.

The group, which supplies fabric to luxury and designer brands worldwide, said the funding will support its ability to trade worldwide, including across the Middle East and Europe, and particularly in Italy, where it maintains strong commercial ties with a multitude of iconic fashion brands.

Andrew Seal, CEO of SIL Group, said: “It gives us the flexibility we need to continue investing in our operations, serving our prestigious customer base both in the UK and internationally, while staying true to our values of quality, craftsmanship, and sustainability. This is a vote of confidence in British textiles and in our skilled workforce, both here in Yorkshire and in Scotland.”

Elsewhere, while firms are refinancing, acquiring, and investing in new machinery, Yorkshire’s textile sector is busy reinventing itself and using heritage as a differentiator rather than a crutch.