Camira Presented with Fifth Queen’s Award
Global textile manufacturer Camira Group was presented with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade on Monday January 16, by the Vice Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Mr Tim Hare, recognising the company’s sustained growth in overseas markets over the past six years.
The ceremony took place at Camira’s woollen yarn spinning plant in Birkby, Huddersfield UK, with Mr Hare presenting a cut-glass rose bowl to Camira’s Director of Sales for Asia Pacific, Brigitte Heimrath, and Production Manager, Richard Hutchinson. Ms Heimrath had earlier attended a reception at Buckingham Palace in London, together with Director of European Sales Reiner Rupp. This is Camira’s fifth Queen’s Award following previous wins for Sustainable Development and Innovation.
Camira sells over 8.7 million yards of contract upholstery fabrics a year to around 80 countries, used to upholster seats on public transport and in offices, universities and hotels. The company’s export trade accounts for about 60% of its $100 million turnover, with its largest overseas markets now being North America and the Eurozone. Other significant contributors to sales revenue are geo markets as diverse as Mexico, China, Australia and New Zealand.
The presentation ceremony was enjoyed by about 100 of the company’s 700 strong workforce which is spread across sites in England and Lithuania. The Camira Yarns spinning mill represents the start of the textile manufacturing process and has been instrumental in developing environmental yarns which go into fabrics made from innovative blends of wool, nettles, hemp and flax.
Group Sales & Marketing Director Andrew Schofield commented: “It was a really special occasion for us to be presented with the Queen’s Award by the Vice Lord Lieutenant. We’re continuing to strengthen our position in global sales territories, where we’re seen as environmental innovators, and we have ambitious sales plans up to 2020 and beyond. I’m sure there’ll be more Queen’s Awards in the future.”
About Camira:
- Camira designs and manufactures upholstery fabrics for commercial offices, hospitality, government, institutional interiors, healthcare, cinema and auditoria.
- Camira is an independent UK textile company with two manufacturing facilities in England (in Huddersfield and Nottingham) and a mainland European manufacturing plant in Lithuania. The company’s North America operation is in Grand Rapids, MI, where it holds stocked inventory and operates a cut yardage program for rapid distribution throughout North America.
- The company was founded in 1974 as Camborne Fabrics, acquired by U.S. modular flooring company Interface Inc. in 1997, and Camira was born out of a management buy-out in April 2006, taking the company back into independent ownership.
- Camira employs about 650 staff and sells some 10 million yards of fabric annually, generating revenues of approximately $100 million.
- The company has been recognized for outstanding product innovation and environmental stewardship, gaining Queen’s Awards for Sustainable Development (2015 and 2010) and Enterprise in Innovation (2005).
- Camira is registered to ISO 9001 (quality standard), ISO 14001 (environmental management) and OSHAS 18001 (health & safety) and OSHAS 18001 (health & safety).
