Feltex Carpets

{{short description|Australian carpet manufacturer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

{{Use Australian English|date=October 2011}}

{{Notable?|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Feltex Carpets Ltd

| logo = File:Feltex carpets logo.svg

| type = Subsidiary

| foundation = Sydney, Australia, AUS (1921)

| location = Geelong, Melbourne, Australia

| key_people =

| products = Feltex
Redbook
Redbook Green
Feltex Commercial
Feltex Woven
Feltex Tile

| num_employees = 820 New Zealand
500 Australian (October 2006)

| homepage = [http://www.feltex.com/ www.feltex.com]

}}

Feltex Carpets (originally Felt and Textiles Limited) is an Australian manufacturer of residential and commercial carpets.

The company began its manufacturing operations in Australia in 1921, as Felt and Textiles of Australia Ltd.{{Cite news|date=15 Mar 1939|title=[Advertisement]|page=23|work=The Bulletin|type=|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-576677875|access-date=25 Nov 2021|via=Trove}} The company was publicly listed and acquired by Australian and New Zealand carpet manufacturer Godfrey Hirst Carpets after going into receivership in 2006.{{Cite web|last=Porter|first=Ian|date=2006-10-04|title=Hirst snaps up Feltex for close to $120m|url=https://www.theage.com.au/business/hirst-snaps-up-feltex-for-close-to-120m-20061004-ge39gx.html|access-date=2021-11-20|website=The Age|language=en}} Its well-known residential brands in Australia and New Zealand include Feltex, Redbook and Redbook green. Commercial ranges include Feltex Commercial, Feltex Woven Axminster and Feltex tile.

Henri Van de Velde became managing director of Felt and Textiles in 1924, holding the position until his death in 1947.{{Cite news|date=24 Jun 1947|title=The late H. Van de Velde|work=Building and Engineering|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-312201680|access-date=26 Nov 2021|via=Trove}} During this time the company expanded its product range and opened factories in New Zealand and South Africa. Felt and Textiles expanded into New Zealand in 1929 with the establishment of a subsidiary in Wellington called New Zealand Slippers.{{Cite news|date=25 Feb 1929|title=New industry to be started in Wellington|work=Evening Post|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19290225.2.124|access-date=25 Nov 2021|via=Paperspast}}

A subsidiary of the company started weaving Axminster carpets in Sydney in 1938, the first time that woven carpet had been manufactured in Australia.{{Cite news |date=25 October 1938 |title=Newcastle works |work=Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article132831420 |access-date=26 November 2021|via=Trove}}{{Cite news |date=9 February 1939 |title=New avenues for exploiting coarse wools |work=Queensland Country Life |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97047826 |access-date=26 November 2021|via=Trove}} The company also had wool-scouring mills and factories for processing cow hair for underfelts.{{Cite news |date=14 July 1938 |title=Enterprise: Some instances of growth of manufacture |work=The Argus |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12439666 |access-date=25 November 2021|via=Trove}}{{Cite news |date=8 September 1945 |title=Another million for Felt and Textiles |work=Smith's Weekly |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article234638658 |access-date=25 November 2021|via=Trove}} By 1945, Felt and Textiles Australia and its subsidiaries were manufacturing carpet, many kinds of felt, including "Feltex" moth-proof floor coverings, cotton wool and wadding, woollen clothing and slippers. During World War II, the company made military boots and special hard felt for shell cases.{{Cite news |date=25 November 1941 |title=Felt and Textiles of Australia Ltd |work=Otago Daily Times |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19411125.2.15 |access-date=25 November 2021|via=Paperspast}}

South African operations began with a slipper factory established in Durban in 1931,{{Cite news |date=15 August 1931 |title=Secondary woollen exports |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16800745 |access-date=26 November 2021|via=Trove}} and, by 1941, the company claimed that most of the shoes and slippers worn in South Africa were made by Feltex. Around 27 percent of the company's net profits in 1960 came from South Africa, where it had 3,250 employees.{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252035699 |title=Confederates in apartheid |first=Rupert |last=Lockwood |newspaper=Tribune |location=Sydney |date=26 April 1961}}

By 1966, Feltex products were being sold in 49 countries.{{Cite news|date=3 March 1967|title=These companies won export awards|volume=19 |issue=4|work=Overseas Trading|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1083257460|access-date=26 November 2021|via=Trove}} In 2000, Feltex Carpets became Australasia's biggest carpet manufacturer after it bought out US-based Shaw Industries{{Cite news|date=29 March 2000|title=Feltex grows to be Australasia leader|page=13|work=Waikato Times |id={{ProQuest|}}}} but, by 2005, the company was struggling and it went into receivership in 2006.{{Cite news |last=Macfie |first=Rebecca |date=30 October 2006 |title=Carpet burn: The Feltex story |page=K 3 |work=New Zealand Herald |id={{ProQuest|}}}}

Factories in New Zealand were at Dannevirke, Feilding (closed 2009), Foxton (closed 2009),{{Cite web|date=2009-01-31|title=Last supper as Feltex plant closes|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/347753/Last-supper-as-Feltex-plant-closes|access-date=2021-01-31|website=Stuff |language=en}} Kakariki yarn factory (closed 1997){{Cite news|last=Watkin|first=Tim|date=17 Jan 1997|title=High dollar and fashion changes blamed|page=2|work=Evening Standard [Palmerston North]|id={{ProQuest|}}}} Kakariki wool scouring plant (closed 2006),{{Cite web|date=5 October 2006|title=Kakariki factory folds with loss of 44 jobs|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/whanganui-chronicle/news/kakariki-factory-folds-with-loss-of-44-jobs/UH35SVECK4UB54232PPVJM3PY4/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=Whanganui Chronicle |language=en-NZ |url-access=subscription}} Gracefield in Lower Hutt,{{Cite web |date=2009-01-31 |title=Carpet Factories to Close |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/306077/CARPET-FACTORIES-TO-CLOSE|access-date=2021-01-31|website=Stuff |language=en}} Riccarton (opened 1948,{{Cite web |date=18 May 1949 |title=Carpet Made in Christchurch |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19490518.2.39 |access-date=2021-11-20 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} closed 2006){{Cite web |date=21 November 2006 |title=KiwiSkills launch to find jobs for Feltex workers |url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0611/S00302/kiwiskills-launch-to-find-jobs-for-feltex-workers.htm |access-date=2021-01-31 |website=scoop.co.nz}}{{Cite news |date=13 October 2006 |title=Kakariki workers keep an eye on Feltex talks|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/whanganui-chronicle/news/kakariki-workers-keep-an-eye-on-feltex-talks/372ZS2BASETUEH7SHHVADAOIGM/|access-date=2021-01-31|work=Whanganui Chronicle |language=en-NZ}} and Wainuiomata (closed 1997){{Cite news|date=21 Dec 1996|title=Bad tidings for Wainui; 70 lose jobs as Feltex closes|edition=3|page=1|work=Evening Post|id={{ProQuest|}}}} Factories in Australia were at Tottenham, Hallam, Braybrook and Brooklyn in Victoria. In 1997, when the Wainuiomata and Kakariki yarn plants closed, the chief executive of Feltex Carpets stated that carpets made up 92 percent of Feltex's business while yarns were just 8 percent. The yarns business was struggling due to the high value of the dollar, a decline in hand knitting, and less use of wool in fashion fabrics.