THE company that has led the revival which pulled the Harris Tweed industry back from the brink has announced plans for a further £1 million investment programme.
Harris Tweed Hebrides, the award-winning business, based at Shawbost on the west of the island of Lewis, wants "to consolidate the advances of the past five years".
In that period, we have seen the celebrated Hebridean fabric appear in Doctor Who's Tardis and in the Oscar-winning thriller Argo, as well as being endorsed by the real-life spy portrayed in the film. Off screen, Kylie Minogue, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow are enthusiasts.
As well as being worn by the famous and fashion-conscious and carried in the form of fashion label Radley's bags, the fabric also provides the inspiration for an upmarket hotel in Glasgow and motorcycle jackets in the US. The cloth that was most commonly associated with the gent's sports jacket is also now a fashion feature from South Korea to Russia.
But Harris Tweed Hebrides, which was named as Scotland's Fashion Ambassador of the Year at the Scottish Fashion Awards held in London this week, still has ambitions.
It already employs around 80 people and provides work for 140 home weavers in Lewis and Harris.
But its plans include further expansion of the Shawbost mill; installation of new machinery, investment in information technology, an international marketing campaign and the provision of new looms for lease to weavers.
Harris Tweed Hebrides chairman, the former Labour minister Brian Wilson, said: "On the basis of existing orders, we have told both mill-workers and weavers that full-scale production will continue throughout the winter months. One of our greatest successes to date has been to take seasonality of employment out of the production cycle.
"We are confident that the time is right for a further investment programme to consolidate the advances of the past five years."
He added: "The autumn and winter collections of many leading designers and retailers, now becoming available, include stunning examples of how Harris Tweed can be used which can only reinforce the fabric's standing. We are also seeing strong growth in the interiors sector".
The fabric is protected and defined by the Harris Tweed Act 1993 as cloth that has been hand-woven by the islanders of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra in their own homes, using pure virgin wool that has been dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.
It is certified by the Orb trademark.
Earlier this year, Harris Tweed Hebrides - which produced its first tweed in 2008 and now accounts for around 90% of Orb-stamped production - was named Textile Business of the Year at the UK Fashion and Textile Awards in London.
Chief executive Ian Angus MacKenzie said that the recent Premiere Vision show in Paris - the long-established shop-window for the global textiles industry - had been "excellent" for the company, with high levels of interest from old and new clients.
"The level of sampling along with some substantial early orders have given us confidence that the market is holding up well and demand will remain strong," he said. "In the interests both of our own company and the wider community, we believe this is the right time for further investment in the future of the industry."
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