6 minute read
A World of Opportunity
When George Walter Wilson established Ulster Carpets in 1938, one of the key drivers was to create employment. Over 80 years later, the company remains a major employer and one of Northern Ireland’s leading exporters.
Still owned and run by the Wilson family, Ulster Carpets has grown to become the premier supplier of Axminster and Wilton carpets to the residential, hospitality, marine and casino sectors across the world. While textiles is a traditional industry, for the Portadown-based company innovation has been a key driver towards success.
“From the very early days of the company, we have been industry pioneers,” explained Nick Coburn, group managing director and deputy chairman of Ulster Carpets. “We continue to look to the future by developing new technology and finding more sustainable ways to manufacture our premium carpet but, of course, at the heart of that is having the right people.”
This forward-thinking philosophy has been boosted by a strategic investment strategy. In addition to the main production plant in Portadown, Ulster Carpets Group also incorporates technical textile machinery manufacturer, Ulster North East; wool processing and dyeing company, Ulster Yarns; specialist commercial carpet manufacturer, Danfloor; fully sustainable underlay manufacturer, Axfelt; and luxury interiors brands, Roger Oates and Mourne Weavers.
Within this comes a range of career opportunities both in the UK and across the world.
Nick Coburn, Group Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of Ulster Carpets.
Pictured at Ulster’s custom despatch area where carpets are checked for quality are Caroline Whiteside, Personnel Director (front), Beverley Copeland, Senior Executive of Organisation Development (left) and Kim Lucas, I.T. Director.
“Many people don’t realise the diverse career opportunities that we have available,” explained Caroline Whiteside, personnel director. “We are involved in an exciting, global industry and our staff are given every opportunity to develop their skills.”
These opportunities are not limited to gender. There is no gender pay gap at the company and there is a 50-50 split of men and women on the Operational Board of Directors.
Ulster’s track record of long-serving staff is also second to none, with a presentation of 25year service awards taking place every year to multiple staff members. It is an indicator of the family values that permeate the company and of the many opportunities provided for staff to progress.
Caroline added, “We can point to numerous examples of staff who have worked their way up to the highest levels of the company. We focus on developing ability and nurturing talent and it is a philosophy that has worked well for us.”
As Northern Ireland’s only carpet manufacturer, Ulster is in a unique position. But this also creates unique challenges.
Beverley Copeland, senior executive of organisation development, said, “We have to work hard to maintain the balance between having experienced staff and bringing in new
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Ulster Carpets design and manufacture bespoke carpet for projects all over the world, including the Saadiyat Rotana in Abu Dhabi. Photography by Momentary Awe. The highest levels of care are put into ensuring Ulster’s carpets are of the highest quality.
faces to learn the trade and retain the expertise within the company.
“Even if someone has experience in a manufacturing environment, they will not have worked on anything like our carpet looms before. These are bespoke skills which we have to develop in-house and for those showing a willingness to learn, we give them the tools to do this.”
Aside from working within the manufacturing aspect of the business, Ulster has a plethora of other roles. Languages, IT and CAD are three areas, for example, that would not normally be associated with carpet manufacturing, while design and creativity are also important skills. However, given the levels of innovation and the global nature of Ulster’s work, they are essential.
Caroline added, “We work in markets across the world and have offices in Europe, the USA and the Middle East, so languages are an important skill that we are looking for. CAD is another niche skill that we require, with technicians working on plans for cruise ships and hotels to help our designers plan out their designs effectively.”
There is also the creative aspect. Ulster designs bespoke carpets for some of the world’s most famous hotels, casinos and cruise liners. In the UK that ranges from Grand Central Hotel and the Galgorm Resort and Spa in Northern Ireland to London’s finest, such as The Savoy and Claridge’s.
Worldwide, many of the world-famous casinos in Las Vegas feature custom carpets manufactured in Portadown, while Ulster can count Cunard’s world-famous Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria among a prestigious marine portfolio that also includes Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer – trademarked as ‘the most luxurious ship ever built’.
It is no coincidence, then, that Ulster has some of the world’s best designers. Like many other roles in the company, these are skills that must be developed in-house.
Looking ahead, Ulster will continue to nurture talent by offering as many entrances as possible into the company. As well as work experience and visits by local schools, the company works with Invest NI on the Graduate to Export programme and with colleges to provide electrical and mechanical apprenticeships. Ulster has also developed its own hugely successful graduate programme, and, at present, this is focusing on sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
Those strong relationships with colleges and universities are aimed at developing the required skills for the future while, internally, the company’s ability to provide opportunities for growth will continue to be of the highest importance.
Innovative IT opportunities
Collaboration is a central element to Ulster’s success and IT plays an integral part in that process.
Continued investment in state-of-the-art systems has kept the company at the cutting edge and with a number of exciting projects in the pipeline, there will be new opportunities in an area that many wouldn’t necessarily think of.
Kim Lucas, IT director, explained, “When people think of carpet manufacturing, they don’t think of Big Data, AI, VR and Augmented Reality, but these are all areas that we are developing.
“We take a solution-based approach to enable Smart IT that will improve our processes throughout the company and enhance our collaborative approach. The importance of strong IT systems came to the fore during the pandemic and were essential in ensuring all our teams kept connected internally and that we could keep collaborating with our customers across the world.”
In addition to providing essential support to the company’s various offices across the world, the IT department also has a development role.
“We are creating bespoke systems to match the company’s needs,” added Kim. “These are exciting projects that will futureproof the company and retain Ulster’s position at the cutting edge of innovation.”
