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AW Hainsworth; a global success built on a history of innovation
AW Hainsworth’s high quality wool products are renowned around the world. The eighth-generation manufacturer has in the past four years grown its revenue from £15m to £24m. It is now targeting £30m by 2030, with plans for expansion into new markets, new products and new services.
Read time: 4 mins Added: 17/10/25
From Yorkshire to the world
Hainsworth is a family firm with more than 240 years of heritage, creating the fine woollen cloth seen everywhere from the King’s Guard to the catwalk, and today AW Hainsworth is more ambitious and innovative than ever. From its historic mill in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, Hainsworth fabrics are sold all around the world and have an incredibly diverse range of applications.
If you have ever had the pleasure of sitting in a first-class seat on a British Airways flight, bought a suit from a Saville Row tailor, or played a Steinway piano, then you have experienced Hainsworth. But, despite its Royal Warrant, Hainsworth isn’t just about luxury products, it also produces technical textiles, such as the flame-resistant fabrics worn by UK firefighters. Its woollen cloths are often seen on snooker and pool tables and even form part of the conveyor belt assembly in biscuit factories.
It’s this versatility and diversity that has ensured that Hainsworth has not only survived but thrived since it was first founded in 1783. Today, Hainsworth is a £24 million turnover business with 185 staff and a plan to grow revenues by a third by 2030. With the support of Lloyds, it’s keen to expand its product portfolio offering, with a focus on entering new markets around the world.
Amanda McLaren Managing DirectorLloyds has provided exactly the kind of support a business like ours needs. I can’t speak highly enough of the team. Lindsay Crooks, our Relationship Director, has been a consistent source of guidance and support. She’s built a deep understanding of where we’re going and what it’s going to take to get us there.
While around 60% of Hainsworth’s revenues already come from exports, primarily to China, Australia and Europe, the business is working to create new overseas opportunities including Southeast Asia, the US and Canada. That has supported the appointment of three new international sales managers and a new head of marketing.
Phil Atherton, Commercial Director said: “What’s unique to Hainsworth is that we have seven different divisions, including aviation, protective fabrics, leisure, industrial and musical, and each one of them has its own customer base and its own geographical base. That means we have seven times the opportunity to grow our business, though that also means we face seven times the challenges and seven times the complexity.”
Scaling capacity to support growth
With growth now driven by strategic sales and product expansion, operational capacity was the next bottleneck. “The capacity is there but unlocking it requires significant targeted investment.” Amanda McLaren, Managing Director said.
They began with a frank look at Hainsworth’s commercial ambitions versus operational realities. Every sector, product line and revenue target was converted into meters of fabric and mapped against machine time, headcount and throughput.
Hainsworth’s long-term relationship with Lloyds was instrumental to support the continued investment in digitalisation, automation, upskilling and specialist equipment, as set out in their Digital Roadmap - created with the help of Made Smarter Yorkshire & Humber.
Amanda McLaren Managing DirectorOver the past four years, Lloyds have been with us every step of the way, from helping us manage working capital to structuring finance around large, front-loaded investments.
The business has used a Capital Import Finance facility from Lloyds to acquire and import new machinery, helping to mitigate the risk and fund the initial cost, converting to Asset Finance to manage cash flow. The new machinery, which includes an automated cutting table and a jigger to straighten and dye fabric, is designed to boost capacity and efficiency.
Alongside its lending support, Lloyds provides an Invoice Finance facility to release cash tied up in unpaid invoices, supporting cash flow and investment.
But equally vital is the support Lloyds offers Hainsworth to export. Lloyds’ foreign exchange service facilitates the movement of money between different currencies, helping to manage exposure to rate changes. And the business uses Lloyds Connected, the digital platform that streamlines international business transactions, to efficiently manage risk, understand exposures and streamline processes.
Finance Director Lee Martin said: “On a day-to-day basis, the user-friendly Connected platform gives us the flexibility to use our multiple currency accounts for transacting, safe in the knowledge that we can operate quickly and seamlessly have funds available where we require them. The FX team gives us all the support we need to use the many services Lloyds provides to assist in all our currency requirements.”
Weaving in sustainability and skills
“Sustainability isn’t a tick-box exercise for us.” said Amanda McLaren, Managing Director. From maintaining Zero Waste to Landfill to introducing energy-efficient machinery, Hainsworth continues to make substantial progress in reducing its carbon footprint. Phil Atherton, Commercial Director said: “Not only are these sustainable initiatives the right thing to do from an environmental perspective, they also save money.”
In the past 12 months, Hainsworth has cut electricity and water usage by more than 10% and gas by 6%. This year, the company is on track to reduce total carbon emissions by 5%, with a new borehole water treatment plant due online in 2026 to improve water management and operational efficiency even further.
And Hainsworth has also been thinking creatively to address the well-known skills shortage that’s being felt across the UK manufacturing sector. By visiting schools, colleges and investing in apprenticeship and trainee courses, it continues to demonstrate the career opportunities that are available in manufacturing; Hainsworth is bucking the trend.
Phil Atherton Commercial DirectorWe have really worked hard to appeal to younger people and explain that, while we are a firm with a huge history and heritage, this is a modern, forward-thinking business that anyone coming into this organisation can be proud of. As a result, 35% of our workforce is now under 35 and the younger generation are learning new skills from our more experienced people, which over time will help us facilitate that transition between old and new guard.
While AW Hainsworth may have hundreds of years of history, it’s the firm’s commitment to quality, sustainability and innovation that have made it a 21st century global success story.
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