Godfrey Hirst Carpets is the largest manufacturer and exporter of residential and commercial
carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester hav ...
s in Australasia.
The business was founded in 1888 in
Geelong, Victoria, Australia, by Godfrey Hirst, an English immigrant from
Meltham, West Yorkshire, England. His Excelsior Mill, on the north bank of the
Barwon River, manufactured various
wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...
textiles until it was sold in the 1966, continuing in operation as Godfrey Hirst Carpets. Godfrey Hirst acquired
Feltex Carpets of New Zealand as an ongoing concern in 2006.
Godfrey Hirst Carpets has production plants in Victoria, Australia and New Zealand. It also has offices in the United States and Singapore, and exports throughout Southeast Asia, Japan, USA, the Middle East and other world markets.
The company produces several brands of carpet products for residential and commercial markets. It has also expanded into hard flooring, including timber, laminate and other surfaces.
In early 2017, it was reported that the investment bank,
Greenhill, was seeking a buyer for the company, which was majority owned by the McKendrick family. The business had $427.8 million annual revenue and earnings worth $55.9 million.
[
On 20 November 2017, ]Mohawk Industries
Mohawk Industries is an American flooring manufacturer based in Calhoun, Georgia, United States. Mohawk produces floor covering products for residential and commercial applications in North America and residential applications in Europe. The com ...
, Inc., announced they had "agreed to acquire Godfrey Hirst Group". The transaction was expected to be "completed during the first half of 2018".
Notes
External links
Official Commercial Carpet & Flooring website
Official Residential Carpet & Flooring website
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Godfrey Hirst Carpets
Australian companies established in 1888
Textile companies of Australia
Carpet manufacturing companies