Carpet Trades
of Kidderminster
1914 A. J. Pyrah joined the company
1920 Private company incorporated
1936 Public company incorporated. The company owned several old established businesses and was one of the largest businesses in the British carpet trade[1]:
- James Humphries and Sons Ltd, carpet and rug manufacturers
- Charles Harrison and Son Ltd, carpet and rug manufacturers
- Edward Hughes and Sons Ltd, carpet and rug manufacturers
- Long Meadow Mills Ltd, felt manufacturers
- Pyrah and Son Ltd, woollen yarn spinners
- Robert Swire and Sons Ltd, woollen yarn spinners
- Lea Ltd, worsted and hosiery yarn spinners
A. J. Pyrah was one of the directors of the new company.
WWII Carpet production was halted; the company switched to making a variety of products including webbing, blankets, felts for aircraft, packing disks and washers for shells, yarns for military battledress, engineering products, small arms ammunition and shells, and packaged stores to be dropped to partisans[2]
By 1946 Major rebuilding of factories was planned which would be done using liquid resources[3]
1947 A. J. Pyrah retired from the board after 27 years with the company and its predecessors[4]
1950 Alan Pyrah joined the board
1953 John Crossley-Carpet Trades Holdings Ltd was formed and acquired the company; Carpet Trades became an operating company; the new holding company acquired John Crossley and Sons[5]
1958 The felt manufacturing business at Kidderminster was transferred to a wholly-owned subsidiary of the holding company called Long Meadow Felt Co[6]
1967 Trade name changed to Gilt Edge carpets[7]