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(EstateNewsWire.com, September 27, 2012 ) San Francisco, CA- Cloth weaving has been a staple of the Worcestershire town for centuries, according to a carpet historian and factory worker Melvyn Thompson. "Kidderminster used to be wall to wall carpets, if you lost your job at one factory you could walk down the road and get one in another.”
Thompson is one of 20 volunteers preparing a commemoration of the historical significance of carpeting in the town. Worcestershire was once home to 25 factories, boasting the employment of 15,000 workers.
"The boom time was post-war in the 50s, 60s and 70s when exports opened up. They couldn't make enough carpets.” Thompson said. He continued, "It was one of the top towns for income per family because work was plentiful and the whole family could get work - it was good money."
Thompson started work in 1953 as an apprentice. He noted a shift occurred starting in the 80s. "Laminated flooring came in, the price of raw materials has gone up, technology has changed and more carpets are being imported.” He said. Adding"Now we reckon there could be as few as 500 people working in carpets, only five factories are still going."
Thompson believes the decline was inevitable as the traditional skills like carpet weaving are dying out, saying, "This is why the Museum of Carpets is vital, we're preserving machinery but also preserving the skills.
Today’s industrial landscape is very different from Thompson’s early days. So too has it changed from the heydays of the industry. Most of the old companies have been demolished, replaced by modern markets and parking lots.
"We're training people up to do demonstrations on two working hand looms," he said. The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce is unable to place a distinct number on the worth of the carpeting industry. However, they describe it as “very important” in the past.
"The companies still based in Kidderminster are world class and this heritage has created some great opportunities in other manufacturing sectors," said Chamber Chief Executive Mike Ashton. Yet, individuals like Charles Annable, managing director of Brockways Ltd, dismisses any decline in the industry.
"We don't like to think of it in that way because we're still very active and keep on going. "Of course you have to adapt and change but the last redundancies we made were 15 years ago when we had to lose 40 people - now we're down to 100."
Instead, Mr. Annable describes the industry as “incredibly challenging.”
Thompson points to skilled workers as the reason for his own firm’s success, noting, "They're great experts because carpet has been in the blood of Kidderminster for so many years.
"We have generations of families who have worked for us and that in itself is incredibly helpful. They're also very flexible as we've had to adapt and evolve using new machinery."
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Arthur James Benson
4158901276
contact@BecklersCarpet.com
Source: EmailWire.Com 
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