Spinning Innovation
Laxtons create new products with help from PAPI
Laxtons are the UK's leading specialist yarn manufacturer serving high-end global brands with natural fibre products. They manufacture and supply their yarns into woven apparel, knitwear, upholstery fabric, the hand knitting craft market and high-end rug weaving.
Laxtons produces ‘fancy' yarns on large, commercial, state-of-the-art machinery with minimum order requirements of 500kg.
The company identified a commercial opportunity to supply smaller quantities and new products to new customers. To do so, they needed to make a significant investment in new machinery as the equipment they already owned could not produce the new products cost effectively.
Innovation
Laxtons wanted to design a range of 20-30 new products, which would be technically suitable for weaving upholstery and apparel fabrics, along with the machine knitting markets. Being able to diversify into a new range of products in smaller quantities would allow them to increase their product range, customer base and turnover. The technology that they wanted to purchase would combine four different types of 'fancy' machine into one machine making it fashion proof as different types of 'fancy' yarn technology produce the different styles of product, all of which you would need for a completely rounded offering.
Business growth
The company were awarded a £19,930 grant to purchase a multifunctional 'fancy' yarn twister. This enabled them to design a brand new range of products to offer worldwide by the 25kg box, thus increasing turnover and profitability.
Being able to launch a new range of by-the-box products enabled the company to pivot in a difficult marketplace and trading environment, win different types of contract from a wider variety of customers, and cement their place as an innovative, future-proofed business. It also allowed them to increase their research and development in to new fibres, giving them the opportunity to work with new commercial partners. They also created 1 new job and were able to safeguard several others.
The PAPI grant has allowed us launch a range of new products and expand in to new markets internationally.