Chch woollen yarn maker wins intl innovation award

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13 February 2009
Christchurch woollen yarn maker wins international innovation award

Christchurch company Radford Yarn Technologies’ pioneering approach to its business has been recognised for its innovation at the recent Domotex floor coverings trade show in Hannover, Germany.

Switch, which recently completed installation of a wood pellet fuel system to supply the majority of Radfords’ energy needs, congratulates Radfords and Wools of New Zealand’s International Development Centre in West Yorkshire, England, in winning the 2009 Best Technical Yarn Innovation award. The award was presented to Woody Radford, the company’s Managing Director.

Radford Yarn Technologies uses New Zealand wools to create felted yarn for carpet and rug manufacturing. Most of its high-quality yarn is exported and is highly sought-after by many of the world’s finest rug and carpet makers. Radford yarns have been used to make products which are now gracing homes belonging to celebrities such as Madonna and Jennifer Anniston.

Aiming to achieve “innovation on a world stage”, Radfords has carried out a number of changes to its business designed to ensure its products support New Zealand’s “clean, green” international reputation. These include moving early to use dyes and chemicals which will meet stricter proposed European standards, converting to electric forklifts and working with Switch and German boiler manufacturer HDG to achieve New Zealand’s first use of wood pellet fuel in an industrial process heat application.

A Solid Energy business, Switch has been successful in assisting schools around the country to move to wood pellet heating and its National Operations Manager, Dougal Ferguson, says Radfords has demonstrated that running the low-emission renewable fuel in modern boilers also makes sense for industry.

ENDS

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