Telegraph & Argus

A lifesaving cloth worn on active duty by Britain’s dare-devil Special Forces has won its makers a prestigious royal award.
The innovative heat-resistant material has earned Pudley firm A.W Hainsworth and Sons a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
The family firm, which dates back to the early 1900s invented a process – called TI-technology – which produces futuristic cloth.
The material was launched on the market two years ago.
It uses technology which allows the fabric to swell when it gets hot, giving the wearer increased protection.
The system is used to protect firefighters and police as well as military personnel against both heat and flames.
It is already being used by Britain’s Special Forces and fire brigades in the UK, Hungary, Spain, Scandinavia and the United States.
Managing director Thomas Hainsworth said that until ten years ago, when he took over it was a very traditional textiles firm.
“We were known for our traditional woollen cloths: scarlet tunic cloth for the Trooping of the Colour, the covering of the woolsack in the House of Lords and green baize used on championship snooker tables.” He said.
“To survive in an increasingly competitive global textile world we needed to change without losing the traditional company values.”
Mr Hainsworth, the latest in a line of seven generations to run the company, said: “ To start this process we looked at how we could change our culture, allowing our employees on input into how we work, how we produce our cloth and finally what products are needed for the company to grow in the future.
“TI-technology is one of the products that has come out of this more innovative environment.
“We are delighted to receive this award for innovation. It is a recognition of our commitment and our goal to be the best at what we do.”

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