Ulster Carpets | A History Of Important Events & Developments

Our Story

Present Day

1938
The Beginning

Ulster Carpets was established in 1938 by George Walter Wilson in Portadown. Ulster's headquarters are still located on the same site.
1941
Castleisland Weaving

Castleisland Weaving was developed in 1941 following the outbreak of World War II. When the supply of cotton and jute to make carpets became impossible, Castleisland Weaving became a means of diversification and a way to provide much needed materials for the war effort. George Walter Wilson wanted to alleviate unemployment in the town as well as sustaining business throughout wartime and so decided to return to his roots in weaving cloth.
1987
Jacquard Loom

The first electronic Jacquard loom was installed, simplifying the process of manufacturing textiles with complex patterns.
1999
PSYLO™

We developed the innovative PSYLO™ weaving technology. PSYLO™ (Pre-Selected Yarn Loading Operation) revolutionised the carpet industry by having no pattern restriction, allowing a greater range of colours and greater design freedom.
2001
Package Dyeing

We introduced package dyeing into our manufacturing process, resulting in time efficiencies and a richer of coverage of dye on our yarn.
2006
Queen's Award
for Enterprise

In recognition of our innovative PSYLO™ weaving technology, we received the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2006.
2008
Carbon Standard Award

Ulster Carpets was the first company in Northern Ireland and the first textile manufacturer in the UK to be awarded the Carbon Standard Award.
2009
5m Wide

Keeping in tune with decades of market leading innovation, Ulster Carpets became the first carpet manufacturer to offer 5m wide, premium quality, woven wilton carpets.
2013
75th Anniversary

We marked our 75th anniversary in 2013 and celebrated by hosting a gala dinner with over 550 guests, including past and present employees, shareholders and members of the wider Ulster community.
2014
Global Expansion

We opened our Middle East office in Dubai to enhance our presence in the region.
2016
HRH The Prince of Wales &
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall

Ulster Carpets was delighted to welcome HRH The Prince of Wales & HRH The Duchess of Cornwall for a tour of our Portadown headquarters in May 2016. Our Royal visitors took time to speak with a number of employees during a walk around at Castleisland.
2016/17
The Queen Mary 2

2017 saw the iconic ship, The Queen Mary 2, undergo a £90 million refurbishment, taking over 8 million hours to complete. This huge project included 21,500 sqm of bespoke Ulster axminster carpet.
2017
Dye House and Energy Centre

Our state of the art dye house and energy centre became fully operational. This £10m investment has seen our efficiency and productivity increase while vastly decreasing our use of energy and production of waste.
2018
80th anniversary!

Ulster Carpets has been manufacturing carpet for 80 years in Portadown, Northern Ireland, and today 75% of our product is exported out of the United Kingdom.
2019
Nick Coburn receives his CBE at Buckingham Palace

Nick Coburn, Ulster Carpets Group Managing Director and Deputy Chairman received the award of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) at an investiture ceremony performed by the Duke of Cambridge in Buckingham Palace on 28th March 2019
2019
Edward Wilson CBE, Chairman of Ulster Carpets, has retired after over half a century

Known for his diplomacy, patience and people skills, Edward – who is the son of company founder George Walter Wilson – steps down after 58 years, having played a pivotal role in making Ulster Carpets one of the province’s leading exporters and the largest single site producer of axminster and wilton carpet in the world.