Ulster Carpets acquires design-led Alternative Flooring

Posted in Business, News on 23 June, 2023

Ulster Carpets has announced the acquisition of Alternative Flooring.

An iconic independent British brand, Alternative Flooring is an ethically conscious designer and supplier of high-quality flooring with a quirky twist. The Hampshire-based company will now join the range of complementary flooring companies within the successful Ulster Carpets Group.

The acquisition further underlines Ulster Carpets’ belief in high quality, design-led, customer-focused UK businesses.

Image: Chris Brammall, retiring Chairman of Alternative Flooring, with David Acheson, Ulster’s Strategic Development Director.

David Acheson, Ulster’s Strategic Development Director, said, “We believe that the Ulster Carpets Group is a fitting home for Alternative Flooring in terms of culture, outlook and ambition. Alternative will remain an independent, autonomous brand within the Ulster Carpets Group, but with the added expertise and resources to strengthen its capability, service, and product range. It is good news for Alternative’s valued customers, key suppliers, and exceptional employees.”

For more than 25 years, Alternative Flooring has been providing flooring to fall in love with, with a focus on inspiring people to express their personality through colour, pattern, and texture. The company’s award-winning flooring products are ethically sourced, and its Make Me A Rug programme allows any design to be turned into a rug that is hand finished to an exceptional standard at its Hampshire base.

Chris Brammall, retiring Chairman of Alternative Flooring, said, “We are enormously proud of what we have achieved since taking over Alternative Flooring. Securing a bright future for the Alternative brand, together with its employees, customers, and key suppliers, was a major factor in deciding the most suitable home for its next phase of development. This acquisition gives Alternative the opportunity of reaching its considerable potential.”

ULSTER CARPETS
Established in 1938 in Portadown, Northern Ireland, by George Walter Wilson, this year marks the 85th anniversary of Ulster Carpets.

Still owned by the founder’s family, its core business remains headquartered in Portadown, from where it has grown to become the premier supplier of Axminster and Wilton carpets to the residential, hospitality, marine and casino sectors across the world, with offices in London, Paris, and across the USA.

In 2022, Ulster Carpets was granted a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The wider Group now employs over 700 people, and in addition to the core business, it incorporates carpet manufacturers, Ulster North East; technical textile machinery manufacturer, Griffith Textile Machines; wool processing and dyeing company, Ulster Yarns; fully sustainable underlay manufacturer, Axfelt; specialist commercial carpet manufacturer, Danfloor; the luxury interiors brand, Roger Oates Design; and sustainable furniture and materials producer, Solidwool.

www.ulstercarpets.com

ALTERNATIVE FLOORING
Alternative Flooring is a leader in natural carpets and rugs. Combining award-winning design and textures made from high-quality natural materials puts Alternative Flooring in a league of its own.

From quirky runners to carpets and rugs in beautifully textured coir, jute, seagrass and sisal, the company has been redefining home interiors for more than 25 years.

www.alternativeflooring.com