Project Manager Cara Coburn reached new heights when she took part in a half-marathon and then a trek to Everest Base Camp.
Swapping Ulster’s London office for the most famous mountain in the world, the trip was an adventure every step of the way, including landing at the Lukla Airport – rated as the most dangerous airport in the world due to its short landing strip and mountainous surroundings.
The half marathon took Cara on a ‘Savage Summit’ through the stunning scenery of the Himalayas for one of the most unique races in the world.
Running through the beautiful Shivapuri National Park at altitudes of up to 2,300m, the race saw Cara take on over 1,000m of climbing, some technical descents and a thrilling waterfall crossing as part of a gruelling trial challenge.
But the race was just one aspect of the trip. Cara also took part in vital charity work in Kakani, working alongside villagers on a number of projects connected to the Nepal Impact charity. This work allowed her to see first-hand where the money she raised was being spent and how it was making a difference in the local community.
If all that wasn’t enough, Cara rounded off the trip with an epic 14-day trek to Everest Base Camp.
Ulster Carpets has renewed its commitment to support Youth Rugby in the Province, with a new deal that will run until 2021.
The deal will see Ulster Carpets continue as the named sponsor of Youth Rugby competitions in Ulster, with club games at U14, U16 and U18 level taking place throughout the Province all season and culminate in the Youth Cup Finals day at Kingspan Stadium in May.
As part of their sponsorship activation, Ulster Carpets will continue to run the popular ‘Club of the Month’ award, which rewards local clubs in areas such as good governance and structures, as well as on-field success.
City of Armagh RFC have collected the first award of the new season, in recognition for having the highest player representation on the Ulster U18 Clubs squad (4).
Pictured presenting City of Armagh RFC with the first Club of the Month award of the 2019/20 season are (L-R): Chris Colvin, Ulster Carpets, James Scott, City of Armagh RFC President, and Jim Crummie, City of Armagh RFC Youth Convenor, along with youth players from the club.
The club have received a bag of Ulster Carpets branded rugby balls for their youth teams and they will also have the opportunity to bring 30 youth players to an Ulster Rugby game at Kingspan Stadium.
Commenting on the renewal of the partnership, Chris Webster, Head of Rugby Development at Ulster Rugby, said: “A flourishing youth rugby environment is absolutely central to our core objectives of growing the game right across the Province, so we are delighted that Ulster Carpets has committed their support for another two years. With their support, we can continue to apply considerable resource into this area to ensure we are providing opportunities for all.
“City of Armagh RFC are a great example of a club who are reaping the rewards of an investment in their youth structures over recent years, which has resulted in success at all levels within the club.
“We are also seeing a growing number of players progressing into the Ulster Academy and senior squad via the youth game, such as Adam McBurney, Joe Dunleavy and Aaron Hall, which is just recognition of the high standard of players in the youth game and is also important in inspiring the next generation of Ulster’s youth players.”
Nick Coburn, Ulster Carpets Group Managing Director and Deputy Chairman, said: “We are delighted to once again renew our successful partnership with Ulster Youth Rugby.
“Both Ulster Carpets and Ulster Rugby believe in having a long-term plan that values the importance of investing and developing talented individuals to be part of a successful team. This partnership reflects Ulster Carpets’ well established tradition of striving to help the local community and it will encourage more young people to participate in active sport.”
Ulster Carpets has formed a joint venture with Mourne Textiles, a hand loom weaving workshop in Rostrevor, to create a new company known as Mourne Weavers.
This collaborative partnership will create a number of new jobs and will also allow both companies to share knowledge and expertise to explore global opportunities. Both Ulster Carpets and Mourne Textiles will continue to trade as normal, with Mourne Weavers operating separately from new premises in Warrenpoint.
Both Ulster Carpets and Mourne Textiles are third-generation, family-owned companies that have helped retain the rich heritage of Northern Ireland’s textile industry on the global stage.
Mourne Textiles creates a range of artisan goods that are sold in regions as diverse as Japan, Australia, North America and Europe. The new joint venture, Mourne Weavers, will combine the key strengths of both companies to produce luxury woven furnishing fabrics, curtain fabrics, cushions and blankets for the commercial interior design sector.
“In terms of quality craftsmanship, bespoke designs and local heritage, both Mourne Textiles and Ulster Carpets have a shared philosophy and a strong passion for our industry. That is why the creation of Mourne Weavers is the perfect partnership,” explained Mario Sierra, Creative Director, Mourne Textiles. “We are delighted to have secured this substantial investment from Ulster Carpets that will allow us to retain the core strengths of Mourne Textiles while growing into new sectors with Mourne Weavers.”
Ulster Carpets is aiming to build on the company’s success within the artisan sector, following the 2016 acquisition of Herefordshire-based Roger Oates Design, which designs and hand produces unique stripe runners and rugs.
David Acheson, Head of Strategic Operations at Ulster Carpets, explained, “The creation of Mourne Weavers and the product range that it will offer perfectly complements Roger Oates Design. We have no doubt that we will be able to combine this expertise with our knowledge of the global market to firmly establish Mourne Weavers within the commercial sector.”
Nick Coburn, Group Managing Director at Ulster Carpets, continued, “This investment in Mourne Weavers is indicative of the forward-thinking ethos of both companies and is in line with the core values of quality and design at Ulster Carpets.
“Despite the many challenges within the global market, we continue to show confidence in the marketplace and we are excited about the new opportunities that this new joint venture will bring.
“It also underpins our ongoing growth and diversification strategy to invest in the development of similar businesses and allows us to widen our portfolio into this exciting niche sector in Ireland.”
Mario Sierra, Creative Director, Mourne Textiles (left) and David Acheson, Head of Strategic Operations at Ulster Carpets, pictured in the new workshop of Mourne Weavers – a joint venture between the two companies.
Ulster Carpets has contributed to the forthcoming ‘Woven Forms: Breaking the Boundaries’ exhibition by weaving artist, Jan Bowman, which is being held at the Museum of Carpet in Kidderminster.
This summer exhibition of contemporary and traditional woven forms – which runs from 29 June to 18 September, 2019 – sees Jan break the boundaries of weaving by creating woven spatial divides, panels and sculptural pieces.
Her work – which also appeared at the Saatchi Gallery in spring – embraces a high level of craftsmanship and aims to challenge the conventional limits of the discipline by transforming traditional woven forms into contemporary installations.
These themes will be incorporated into a display during the exhibition by Ulster that showcases a past collaboration with artist, Seyed Alavi, to design and weave a bespoke carpet for Sacramento Airport.
This extraordinary carpet design will be on display, giving visitors a chance to see the stunning design for this ambitious project, without having to travel to California.
Seyed used aerial photographs of Sacramento as the basis for his design, recalling the experience of flying to create a luxurious welcome for visitors. By depicting the larger geographical area, the carpet reinforces a sense of belonging and creates a connection with the local landscape for the traveller.
Seyed provided aerial images and design concepts to Ulster’s design team, who translated them into a format suitable for woven Axminster carpet.
Weaving this large, complex design also demonstrates how Ulster continues to break boundaries. The Sacramento Airport carpet is completely unique and it would have been impossible to create this design without using Ulster’s patented PSYLO™ weaving technology.
PSYLO™ has revolutionised the carpet industry by offering total design freedom, without the need for a repeating pattern, and an unsurpassed range of colours.
This combination of Ulster’s design expertise and patented technology provided Seyed with the opportunity to turn his vision into a reality by creating a design that breaks the boundaries of traditional woven carpet.
The Woven Forms: Breaking the Boundaries exhibition will incorporate Jan’s vast expertise in the textile industry with Kidderminster’s heritage as a weaving town. Cloth has been woven in the town from the 13th Century and Kidderminster eventually became known as the ‘woven carpet capital of the world’.
Jan’s background as a commercial woven textile design consultant spans interior, fashion and automotive design and her research explores the heightening of people’s sense of ‘well-being’ through the integration of textile artwork within public spaces. During the exhibition, Jan will give two lectures and will also lead weaving workshops which will give participants the opportunity to learn how to weave using table-top looms.
The Museum of Carpet is based in Kidderminster, the ‘Woven Carpet Capital of the World’. A centre of heritage, art and industry, it celebrates the history of carpet weaving and Kidderminster’s global contribution. The residential design team of Ulster Carpets is based within the Museum of Carpets building and the company is proud to support this exhibition.
If you’d like to find out more about the Museum of Carpets or the Woven Forms: Breaking the Boundaries exhibition, visit museumofcarpet.org . You can also read more about the Sacramento Airport project here.
Ulster Carpets has jumped 24 places in this year’s prestigious Belfast Telegraph Top 100 Companies.
Listing Northern Ireland’s leading profit-makers, employers and business people, the Top 100 is compiled by top economist John Simpson and is based on pre-tax profit levels.
This year Ulster Carpets moved from 70th in the 2018 table and back into the top half of the list, being placed in 46th position thanks to pre-tax profits of £10.7m. The company is also one of the top five highest movers on the list.
Nick Coburn, Group Managing Director & Deputy Chairman of Ulster Carpets, commented, “We are delighted to once again feature on this list and to be named as one of Northern Ireland’s top 50 companies.
“We enjoyed a highly successful 2018 and we have already commenced our biggest ever investment capital and regeneration programme, so this is continuing good news for our staff and, of course, our customers.”
Ulster Carpets has made a significant donation to preserve the oldest publicly accessible library in Northern Ireland for future generations.
Armagh Robinson Library was established in 1771 by Archbishop Richard Robinson and, along with Trinity College Dublin and Marsh’s Library in Dublin, may be viewed as one of the three most important heritage libraries in Ireland.
Standing at the top of Abbey Street, with its museum nearby at No.5 Vicars’ Hill, it is open to the general public and for academic research. The collection currently consists of printed material, cast medals, sulphur gems, coins and musical collections – many of them rare. Among them is a first edition of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ that includes handwritten notes by author Dean Jonathan Swift, Sir Walter Raleigh’s ‘History of the World’, and the silver maces presented to Armagh when it became a city for the first time in 1656.
Nick Coburn, Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of Ulster Carpets, said: “We recognise that Armagh Robinson Library is an extremely valuable and attractive local facility that benefits the whole community and we are delighted to be able to offer our support.”
Speaking on behalf of the Library’s Trustees, Dean Gregory Dunstan, said that the donation will help to expand the Library’s work in the community and to preserve the Library’s collection.
He added: “Ulster Carpets’ gift is an immensely generous contribution to our 250th Anniversary Appeal. Over the next three years, the Library aims to raise £1 million, to be matched by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Ulster Carpets’ gift is a hugely significant donation from a major local employer and, on behalf of the trustees I want to express to Ulster Carpets my heartfelt thanks.”
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.
While he grew up around the business, Edward followed in the footsteps of his older brothers, Walter and John, and officially joined Ulster Carpets in 1961.
In the intervening years, he held many positons, including in sales and planning, before becoming Managing Director and then, eventually, Chairman.
Recognised as an astute leader, he was well known for taking a daily tour of the business where he spoke to staff at every level and kept up-to-date on the latest orders and technological developments.
Many of the current management team were personally mentored by Edward, including Group Managing Director & Deputy Chairman, Nick Coburn. Edward commented: “One of my greatest pleasures in life has been going into the factory and talking to our staff. As I have been reminded so many times, one of the biggest selling points of Ulster Carpets is our wonderful workforce – people who are passionate about what they do.
“When my father started Ulster Carpets in 1938, I’m sure he never thought that the company would still be here over 80 years later, employing people not just in Northern Ireland but across the world. For that success, I must pay tribute to our wonderful staff and that is something I take great pride in.”
Despite this retirement, the Wilson family will remain at the helm of Ulster Carpets, with Edward’s nephews, Nick Coburn and John Wilson, as Group Managing Director and Chairman respectively.
Paying tribute to Edward’s passion and devotion to Ulster Carpets, Nick Coburn said: “When I joined the company 41 years ago, it was Edward who mentored and guided me through every facet of our business. Since I became MD in 2004, this bond and incredible support from Edward has been vital to ensuring the company has continued to prosper and develop. “As we look to the future, I would also like to highlight the outstanding work and dedication Edward has done to prepare the company – and the next generation of the Wilson family – for a secure and successful future.”
John Wilson, who takes over as Chairman, added: “Edward is held in the highest esteem by the company, the industry and, of course, the whole Wilson family. Edward’s commitment to seeing the company evolve and constantly adapt to the inevitable challenges that comes with 80 years of business is one of the reasons why Ulster Carpets is such a great company and has been so successful. His decision to step down from his role as Chairman is another challenge for the business but he leaves the company in a strong place.”
Although stepping down as Chairman Edward is continuing as a member of the board of Ulster Carpet Mills (Holdings) Limited. He plans to keep up an active interest in the company whilst pursuing other current activities including directorship of various charitable trusts in Ireland . He also plans to continue as Chairman of the Ulster Carpets Family Council which represents the interests of all shareholders but with special focus upon those who are not directly employed in the business.
Edward’s final act was an official event at the company’s Castleisland factory where staff had an opportunity to say a final farewell.
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. He was recognised by Her Majesty the Queen in the New Year Honours List for his service to the economy in Northern Ireland.
Welcoming his award Nick said, “I am truly honoured to receive this award which only comes with the support and guidance of so many good people.”
Nick Coburn joined Ulster Carpets in 1977 and remembers “I was fascinated by the machines and the smell of wool in the dyehouse, it was always in my bones. I was fortunate, in that I was able to work in all the different areas of the company and learn what went on, from production to sales to design and management.”
Building on Ulster’s success in the UK market Nick founded its US Company in 1993 and went on to build its international contract business in key locations across the world. Known for designing beautiful and luxurious carpets worldwide, the company prides itself that all its carpets are still woven and exported from their County Armagh factory site, Castleisland. You can find some of their most creative designs gracing the floors of the InterContinental Paris Le Grand, Grosvenor House London, the Waldorf Astoria New York and W Hotel Muscat to name but a few and aboard many cruise liners including the majestic RMS Queen Mary 2.
Nick Coburn has held the position of Managing Director since 2004 and is continuing to lead the company from strength to strength commenting “Ulster has always taken the long view of continually investing for the future and is proud to be one of the leading companies in our industry on the international stage.”
Ulster Carpets was started by Nick’s grandfather George Walter Wilson for the main purpose of bringing employment to Portadown. It has stayed within the Wilson family since first opening its factory doors in 1938. With over 80 years’ experience in weaving carpets, generations of skilled local craftsmen and women have helped to grow the company to where it is today.
Recently completed was the new state of the art company Dyehouse and Energy Centre, this is the first stage of the company’s 40 million capital investment and regeneration programme. With 75% of the product being exported out of the UK, Ulster Carpets has proven that it is possible to successfully sell to every continent in the world despite many barriers and challenges.
For the future, under the guidance of Nick Coburn CBE and his dedicated team, Ulster Carpets will continue to uphold its reputation for focusing on design, innovation and the pursuit of excellence.
Vescent is the new eclectic contract stock collection from Ulster Carpets designed exclusively to meet the varied demands of the international hospitality industry.
Featuring six contemporary designs – Linea, Arbor, Nexus, Calx, Vapor and Nebula – in 21 colourways Vescent is guaranteed to complement any commercial setting. The neutral colour palette used throughout the collection ties in with modern fabric and wallpaper collections while the experimental colours add a flash of colour for those seeking something different.
Vescent is available from stock with no minimum order. This collection is 4m wide and woven in 9 row axminster quality – 80% wool / 20% nylon, making it suitable for use in a wide range of busy contract applications.
Within Vescent, Linea, Arbor and Nexus are structured designs while Calx, Vapor and Nebula are more organic.
Arbor and Linea feature smart, clean lines and shapes positioned on top of multiple layers that create depth and texture. Nexus features a beautifully structured design similar to fretwork with very soft neutral tones and lots of layers adding to its contemporary distressed look.
Within the organic designs, Calx reflects the natural world with layers and tones reminiscent of lichen and lava. Nebula offers a soft textured subtle design ideal for grounding areas hosting statement pieces, while Vapor’s ethereal misty top pattern reveals glimpses of an underlying herringbone pattern.
As with all axminster carpet produced by Ulster Carpets, Vescent is manufactured to the very highest environmental standards.
Take a look at some of these stunning new designs.
The iconic ship, Queen Elizabeth exudes luxury and elegance with sumptuous staterooms, spacious lounges and fine dining. Featuring real wood panelling, gleaming chandeliers, handmade upholstery and of course luxurious axminster carpets manufactured in the UK by Ulster Carpets.
The youngest ship in the Cunard fleet underwent her latest refurbishment in November 2018. Ulster Carpets was delighted to work with London-based M Studio Design to supply 45000m² of carpet – enough to cover Wembley football pitch six and a half times.
Working closely with Alan McVitty at M Studio Design and Cunard, Ulster’s brief was to supply exemplary luxury carpet throughout the ship. Alison Clixby, Cunard’s Hotel Design Director, was keen to marry the ship’s elegant Art Deco heritage with up to date interior furnishings and colour schemes. It was also important to create continuity within the fleet, so previous designs used on Queen Mary and Queen Victoria have been referenced in places, recoloured and modified to suit.
Other areas on the ship have been newly invented with contemporised, sharply delineated Deco geometrics and natural forms. Golds and deep rich blues feature strongly teamed with modern stone grey neutrals and terracottas. A striking, large scroll and strapwork compass has been created as a signature emblem at Cunard Place, the main embarkation point. This is echoed through the large open area of the Queens Room, the elegant ballroom.
All carpet for the Queen Elizabeth has been produced within the UK – from spinning the yarn at Ulster Yarns in Dewsbury to weaving the carpets at our headquarters in Portadown, Northern Ireland and at Griffith Textile Machines (GTM), our manufacturing and engineering facility located in the North East of England.
In the past both Belfast and the north east of England were heralded for their shipbuilding industries. Over the years these areas witnessed a decline in manufacturing as companies moved their operations overseas to save costs. However, Ulster Carpets along with their subsidiary GTM have shown that manufacturing can still thrive in the UK thanks to major investment in innovation, key people skills and strong entrepreneurship.
Ulster Carpets is proud to have supplied carpets for all three Queens in the Cunard fleet having previously manufactured carpet for Queen Mary 2 in 2016 and Queen Victoria in 2017.
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