Manchester, UK – Rufflette Ltd., founded in 1882, is still manufacturing in the Manchester area under the new ownership of Phil Dawson, MD.

Dawson bought the company and the Rufflette brand in December 2012 and Matthew Crew, a well known UK based textiles marketing executive became Sales and Marketing Director last November. 

Dawson also recently purchased another textile mill in Rochdale Lancashire with 120,000 sq ft of production space. The company is in the process of moving its existing weaving set up to Rochdale with 80 narrow width looms, warping and finishing on one site, Crew said. Matthew Crew

“Rufflette created the world’s first curtain tape back in 1928 – and continues window dressing business in an ever changing market,” Crew said.  The group business also owns a large CMT operation in Bolton, which produces finished made to measure curtains to the trade and contract sectors. Their clients include John Lewis and a variety of brands operating in the hotel and leisure industry, Crew confirmed.

“With the launch of high specification tracks and suspension systems and a new blinds division which embraces digital printing and personal image transfer to finished product, the group has a virtual vertical service offering.  This will be completed with the introduction of Rufflette’s own furnishing fabric collections to be launched at Heimtex 2015,” Crew added.

“Rufflette is committed to investing in the North West, a traditional textile manufacturing area, which has witnessed a terrible decline with the Asia invasion. With new apprentice schemes we will invest in youth and bring back lost skills in weaving and production.”