SIL appoints veteran Priestley as chairman

The Bradford-based, family-owned group supplies the world’s leading fashion brands including Prada, Gucci, Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Gieves and Hawkes.

Mr Priestley said: “This extremely well structured group, along with its fully equipped manufacturing the processing capability, is ideally placed to service the most discerning user of luxury fibres, yarns and fabrics.

“With continual investment made in fibre stocks, manufacturing plant, experienced skilled personnel, and design expertise, enables the group to immediately respond to ever changing market demands.

“Having been involved in the textile industry all my business life, specialising in luxury cloth manufacture for the majority of that time, I look forward to using this experience for the benefit of the group.”

Founded in 1970, the group is an umbrella for historic Yorkshire textile businesses in the specialist fibre, yarn and weaving sector.

Its brands include Joshua Ellis Cashmere Weavers, William Halstead and John Foster Mohair Weavers.

Mr Priestley is a former shareholder and managing director of Joshua Ellis.

The group operates on four continents, has trading partners in more than 50 countries and is the largest natural fibre stock holder in the world.

It employs 260 people and has an annual turnover of around $70m. SIL buys and sells in US dollars so accounts in the currency to minimise risk.

In May, SIL announced that it had bought the shares in worsted fabric manufacturers John Foster and Charles Clayton from business partner WT Johnson.

SIL and WT Johnson joined forces three years ago to rescue John Foster and Charles Clayton from administration.

SIL bought William Halstead in 2006. Earlier this year, William Halstead revealed a threefold increase in orders from Prada, the Italian fashion house.

The firm’s most expensive cloth is made from 100 per cent mohair, which is imported from Camdeboo in South Africa, and costs £110 a metre. It is sold to luxury menswear brand Dunhill.

SIL Holdings is headquartered at Ladywell Mills in Bradford.

It houses the group’s imports, shipping and finance functions as well as testing laboratories and manufacturing and production facilities.