Ulster Carpets celebrates 85 years in the community

Now a globally successful company, the manufacturer’s headquarters has remained on the same site in Portadown, Northern Ireland, that the company was formed on in 1938. Ulster Carpets is also still owned and run by the family of founder, George Walter Wilson, and his motivation for starting the company remains central to Ulster’s philosophy.

During the 1930s, like most of the UK and Ireland, people in Portadown were facing the Great Depression with traditional industries in severe decline and unemployment levels at a record high. To combat this, Mr Wilson – who at the time was 60 years old - explored different manufacturing opportunities that would create much-needed employment for people in the town.

Ulster Carpets was officially registered in 1938 with 19 employees based on the site of a former linen mill. Fast-forward 85 years and the Ulster Carpets Group now employs over 700 people across the world.

Nick Coburn, Managing Director, said: “When my grandfather started Ulster Carpets his key objective was to support the local community by creating jobs that the people in Portadown and the surrounding areas so badly needed.

“From that simple idea of helping people into employment, we have grown to become one of the town’s largest employers, with carpets designed and manufactured in Portadown now found in homes, hotels, casinos and cruise ships across the world.

“My grandfather would be proud of how successful his company has become and of the fact that we have been granted a Royal Warrant.”

From job creation, the community ethos at Ulster Carpets remains important.

“As we have grown, supporting the local community has remained an important philosophy for Ulster Carpets. Both as a company and through The John Wilson Memorial Trust we continue to help local businesses, charities, community organisations and sports groups to build a stronger society.” www.ulstercarpets.com

That ethos has also helped develop strong service levels, with repeat business and long-term relationships to the fore.

This high level of service is combined with manufacturing excellence, with Ulster’s attention to detail and commitment to the highest quality woven into every carpet.

Ulster’s pioneering spirit is again connected to the ethos of their founder. Known for a focus on innovation, Ulster have taken traditional techniques and combined them with new technology. The best example of this is PSYLO™ - Ulster’s patented weaving technology.

PSYLO™ provides complete design freedom which has allowed Ulster to continue to be at the forefront of the residential market as well as diversifying into the Contract sector through the design and supply of bespoke carpets to the world’s leading hotels, casinos and cruise ships.

The same high standards expected by five-star hotels are used for the residential sector. All the carpets are manufactured in the UK, with the best wool sourced from across the UK, Ireland and New Zealand.

In doing so, Ulster Carpets continue to meet the everchanging demands of the residential sector. The addition of new colourways in popular ranges and the creation of new designs keeps their carpets relevant in today’s market.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the hugely popular York Wilton range, with the latest additions giving customers a choice of over 60 different colours.

In the new release of 11 colours, Ulster have introduced warmer neutrals and earth tones that match the current trend of home-owners bringing the outside in, these stylish colours reflect feelings of safe, warm spaces at home.

Plaids are another mainstay which have had a new lease of life through additions to the Beaumont and Glenmoy ranges. The introduction of a modern colour palette transforms a classic and traditional design into a contemporary range for the modern home.

The recent launch of Natural Choice Textures also meets the growing demand for environmentally conscious carpets.

This 100% wool tufted loop range is made from 100% undyed British wool and is available in eight different colourways that blends different coloured fleeces to create a broad bank of entirely natural colours. Textures enhances a successful Natural Choice 100% wool collection that already includes Axminster and Wilton carpets.

Irish Furniture & Homewares Show Review

Mark Gannon, Event Organiser for the Irish Furniture & Homewares Show, recaps their recent event in Dublin and reveals the winners of its show awards.

We are delighted to announce that this, the IFHS’s 8th year was yet another successful show. This year the show returned to the National Indoor Arena in Blanchardstown Dublin. With all exhibitors under one roof, this state-of-theart venue was the perfect place for the IFHS to bring the industry together in a relaxed environment. The feedback that we have received so far from all exhibitors has been great and businesses are already looking forward to next year, highlighting how important tradeshows are for the industry. Exhibiting at IFHS 2024 is already on people’s minds with current and new exhibitors looking forward to signing up for an even better event next year! With our marketing campaign focused on buyers, it’s not surprising that the vast majority of exhibitors at the IFHS reported strong sales at the close of the show this year.

The IFHS is an excellent representation of the wide variety of Furniture and Homewares available in Ireland and the UK. With the show being the only one of its kind in the country and attended by all the top furniture suppliers and businesses, it is a great event for meeting others within the industry. This year’s show had thousands of impressive and unique products on display.

Attendees had the opportunity to get a first look at new product ranges, the latest trends in the markets and avail of exclusive offers and discounts from the exhibitors. The IFHS is a unique opportunity for Irish customers to see a wide range of products all in one place and reflecting on the feedback we received, they were all very happy customers.

As Ireland’s largest trade only furniture and homeware event, the IFHS were proud to host this year’s edition of the Furniture and Home Awards. The Irish Furniture and Home Awards welcomed the addition of Amanda Bone to our Judging panel, as Head Judge. Amanda Bone is an architect, educator, and broadcaster. As a presenter on the RTE Television programme Home of the Year she champions creativity, individuality, and clever design. Her keen eye for design and honest forthright sensibilities were key elements in selecting the winners of this year’s awards.

We recognise the importance of supporting the industry in which we operate, and believe these furniture and homeware trade awards provide the perfect opportunity for UK and Irish Furniture and Homeware suppliers to showcase the best of their innovative products both new and old for 2023.

This year’s Irish Furniture & Home Awards saw 12 worthy winners claim best-in-show awards for their products, displays and overall approach to business. It was clear from the level of interest, and the number of entries received for the awards, just how much work and commitment goes into offering their customers on trend high quality products.

Irish retailers in attendance had the opportunity to vote for Retailers Choice - “Best Sales Rep” award. The Best Sales Rep award pays tribute to the very best sales professionals in our industry today. The award celebrates and acknowledges these individuals for their competitive spirit, sales achievements and the strong relationships built with customers whilst on the front line. Harry Sweeney, sales representative for furniture company Image Furnishings collected the award for “Best Sales Rep” voted by attendees.

Claiming Retailer’s Choice - Best Supplier’s award was Durabeds. This is an award that Durabeds should certainly be proud of as it recognises the high standard of quality and service that they provide to their customers on a daily basis. Both of these retailer choice awards were voted on by the attendees of the IFHS during the registration process and with over 1000 attendees casting their votes.

For the IFHS awards this year our focus was on representing Irish made and also sustainability which is rapidly becoming a key topic of conversation within the furniture industry. Keeping this in mind each of the awards were Irish handmade with block oak and featured branding from Custom Wood Designs. These stunning awards were displayed on the winning stands throughout the show.

In preparation for IFHS 2024, The Irish Furniture & Homewares Show organisers are committed to making the IFHS bigger and better next year. The focus is to continue to support the industry in which we operate by bringing the right people together all under one roof. Even if it is just meeting, collaborating or educating each other, attending the IFHS is a great opportunity to support the furniture industry. www.ifhs-tradeshow.ie