Ulster Carpets
Ulster Carpets is a fourth-generation family-owned manufacturer of bespoke Axminster and Wilton woven carpets for luxury hospitality, cruise, casino and premium residential customers, with full vertical integration from yarn to finished carpet and global design studios.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1938
- HeadquartersPortadown, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ulster Carpets does
Ulster Carpets is a fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer of bespoke woven Axminster and Wilton carpets headquartered at Portadown, Northern Ireland, with manufacturing roots dating to 1938. The company operates as the flagship brand of The Ulster Group, a collection of wholly-owned subsidiaries covering wool yarn production (Ulster Yarns in Yorkshire), in-house dyehouse operations, textile machinery manufacture (GTM), sustainable underlay (Axfelt), commercial and residential flooring brands (Danfloor, Alternative Flooring, Roger Oates Design) and a wool-based composite materials business (Solidwool).
Its core products are custom-designed Axminster carpets, custom Axminster rugs, Devon hand-tufted rugs, stocked hospitality collections, and residential carpet ranges, supported by Axfelt underlays. Manufacturing is anchored by a patented weaving technology capable of palettes of up to 25 colours and a non-repeating 'Uniweave' design approach, with full vertical integration from fibre selection and spinning through dyeing, weaving and finishing at the Portadown facility. Quality and provenance are evidenced by a Royal Warrant from King Charles III and Coronation carpet supply at Westminster Abbey in 2023.
Ulster generates revenue primarily through project-based, quote-based bespoke contracts with luxury hotels, cruise lines and casino operators worldwide, supplemented by stocked hospitality collections and a residential channel of independent retail stockists across the UK and Ireland. The company pursues a direct enterprise sales model supported by design studios in the UK, USA, France and Germany, with a website-driven sample-order and design-portal funnel for specification and marketing. Pricing is non-public and determined by construction, materials and project specifications, and the company does not disclose revenue.
Ulster Carpets firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ulster Carpets
- Legal name
- Ulster Carpet Mills Limited
- Website
- https://ulstercarpets.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1938
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Ulster Carpets is a fourth-generation family-owned manufacturer of bespoke Axminster and Wilton woven carpets for luxury hospitality, cruise, casino and premium residential customers, with full vertical integration from yarn to finished carpet and global design studios.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ulster Carpets industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Carpet Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Carpet and Rug Mills (314110), Carpet and Rug Mills (31411)
- SIC
- Carpets & Rugs (2273)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Woven Floor Coverings Manufacturing (Axminster/Wilton/Flatweave) (IMAOAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Area Rug Manufacturing (IMAOAJAC), Carpet Cushion & Underlay Manufacturing (IMAOAJAJ)
Keywords
Where Ulster Carpets is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portadown
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices11 records
Markets served
Ulster Carpets business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Custom Bespoke Carpet Sales: Ulster Carpets generates primary revenue through bespoke Axminster and Wilton carpet manufacturing. Custom designs are created in partnership with customers for hospitality and residential projects, with each carpet manufactured to specific project requirements. Revenue is project-based with significant average order values for custom hospitality installations.
- Stocked Carpet Collections: Ready-to-install stocked carpet collections for hospitality projects requiring faster turnaround. Collections include Natura, Vescent, Watercolours, Open Spaces, and Traditional ranges.
- Custom Hand-Tufted Rugs: Devon Hand Tufted rugs manufactured in Devon workshop offering custom designs with cut-and-loop pile constructions and various finishing options.
- Underlay Products: Axfelt Triple Layer Underlay and Wool Felt underlay products made from recycled materials. Axfelt is a subsidiary within the Ulster Group.
- Residential Carpet Sales: Retail carpet sales through independent stockists across UK and Ireland for residential home market. Products include Wilton, Axminster, and Tufted Loop carpets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Custom Axminster carpets - bespoke pricing based on project specifications |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Stocked carpet collections - standard product range pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Residential home carpets - retailer-determined pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Ulster Carpets product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ulster Carpets manufactures and sells bespoke woven Axminster and Wilton carpets, custom rugs, Devon hand-tufted rugs, stocked hospitality collections, residential home carpet ranges, and Axfelt recycled underlay products. The company serves both luxury commercial customers (hotels, cruise ships, casinos) and residential consumers through direct enterprise sales and a retail stockist network, with complete in-house control from yarn spinning to finished carpet.
Product overview
Ulster Carpets is a luxury carpet and rug manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of woven and handcrafted flooring solutions. The core product lines include Custom Axminster Carpets (bespoke woven carpets for hospitality, cruise and gaming), Custom Axminster Rugs (made-to-order rugs in custom dimensions), and Devon Hand Tufted Rugs (handcrafted in Devon workshop). For hospitality, they offer Stocked Collections including Natura, Vescent, Watercolours, Open Spaces, Plaids, Plains, and Traditional ranges. For residential markets, they provide Home Carpet Collections such as Beaumont, Grange Wilton, Open Spaces, Tazmin, Ulster Velvet, Vescent, Watercolours, and York Wilton, alongside the Natural Choice Collection (100% undyed wool). Supporting products include Axfelt Triple Layer Underlay and Wool Felt Underlay (recycled materials). The company also offers digital tools including a Design Portal (12,000+ recolourable designs) and Room Visualiser. The Ulster Group encompasses Roger Oates Design, Danfloor, Alternative Flooring, Solidwool, GTM, Ulster Yarns, and Axfelt, extending capabilities across rug design, commercial carpets, sustainable materials, textile machinery, and yarn production.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Ulster Group: A global group of complementary companies including Roger Oates Design, Alternative Flooring, Danfloor, Solidwool, Axfelt, GTM, and Ulster Yarns.
Products and services
- Custom Axminster Carpets Bespoke woven Axminster carpets designed in collaboration with hospitality, cruise, and gaming customers. Available in 100% wool or 80/20 wool-nylon blend with palettes of up to 25 colours.
- Custom Axminster Rugs Bespoke Axminster rugs made to order in custom dimensions, shapes, and layouts for hospitality, commercial, and residential environments, with various edge finishing options.
- Devon Hand Tufted Rugs Hand-tufted rugs produced in the Devon workshop combining cut-and-loop pile constructions with tactile finishes and custom edge details.
- Stocked Hospitality Collections Ready-to-install carpets for fast-track hospitality projects including Natura, Vescent, Watercolours, Open Spaces, Plaids, Plains (Ulster Velvet), and Traditional Collection.
- Home Carpet Collections Residential carpet ranges including Beaumont, Blossom, Braeburn, Glenavy, Glendun, Glenmoy, Grange Wilton, Habitus, Natura, Natural Choice, Open Spaces, Sheridan, Tazmin, Ulster Velvet, Vescent, Watercolours, and York Wilton.
- Natural Choice Collection Carpets made from 100% undyed wool to reveal authentic colours and character of the fibre, including Natural Choice Textures, Blends, Axminster, and Plains.
- Axfelt Triple Layer Underlay Premium underlay made from more than 82% recycled materials with three-layer construction for comfort, durability, and support; backed by 10-year guarantee when installed with Ulster carpets.
- Wool Felt Underlay 100% recyclable wool felt underlay made from wool-rich yarn and carpet waste diverted from landfill; can be returned for recycling into Axfelt Triple Layer Underlay.
Quantifiable outcome
- Highest Axminster capacity in company history
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ulster Carpets
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ulster Carpets technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Ulster Carpets partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, community and project.
- AABcoreAAB delivered the Accelerate Your Ambition leadership development programme for Ulster Carpets employees. The programme was designed to support employee growth, strengthen collaboration across the business, and develop future leaders through a structured curriculum culminating in final presentations.
- GTM (Griffith Textile Machines)coreGTM, part of the Ulster Group, manufactures the advanced weaving technologies and high-speed looms used across Ulster Carpets operations. GTM developed the new high-speed looms that are part of Ulster Carpets' multi-million investment in manufacturing capacity.
- EcoVadisminorEcoVadis provides sustainability ratings assessing environmental and social performance. Ulster Carpets holds an EcoVadis Gold Rating.
- BSI (British Standards Institution)minorBSI provides quality management certification and standards support for Ulster Carpets manufacturing operations.
- Oakleigh Music TrustcommunityUlster Carpets is the Founding Sponsor of the Oakleigh Music Trust, supporting young people in developing musical skills and community connections. Initiative included combined choir performances during Loneliness Awareness Week.
- Riding for the Disabled Association Northern Ireland (RDANI)communityUlster Carpets has proudly supported RDANI for almost 20 years. The charity provides horse riding and carriage driving opportunities for people with learning difficulties and physical disabilities across Northern Ireland.
- Rosie's TrustcommunityUlster Carpets pledged three-year corporate partnership with Rosie's Trust, supporting people undergoing cancer treatment, receiving end-of-life care, and older people with mobility issues by helping them keep their pets at home.
- Ulster OrchestracommunityUlster Carpets has been supporting the Ulster Orchestra's outreach work for over a decade, including sponsoring music sessions at Blossom Children's Ward at Craigavon Area Hospital.
- DSM FoundationcommunityThrough The John Wilson Memorial Trust, Ulster Carpets helped fund the DSM Foundation's theatrical performance 'I Love You Mum, I Promise I Won't Die' for drug awareness education in Northern Ireland schools.
- John Wilson Memorial TrustcommunityCharitable trust set up in memory of John Wilson (son of founder George Walter Wilson) to support local community projects, education, and the JWMT School Charity Challenge.
- NEWH (The Hospitality Industry Network)minorNEWH is a hospitality industry networking organization. Ulster Carpets holds membership supporting industry connections and marketing.
- Commercial Interiors UK (CIUK)minorIndustry body for commercial interiors sector. Ulster Carpets holds membership for industry engagement.
- Goddard LittlefairprojectDesign firm partnership for Mandarin Oriental Vienna project. Designers created carpet concepts inspired by Viennese Secession movement architecture.
- HagenauerprojectGeneral contractor based in Bavaria, Germany, for Mandarin Oriental Vienna installation project.
- Pierre-Yves RochonprojectInterior designer for Claridge's fifth and sixth-floor refurbishment. Collaboration on custom carpet and rug designs for suites.
- Blair AssociatesprojectArchitecture firm for Claridge's new-look ballroom project. Joint development of bespoke art deco carpet design.
- Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & AssocprojectDesign firm collaboration for Four Seasons Minneapolis project. Ensured carpet colourways and patterns complemented overall hotel interior design.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ulster Carpets competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Shaw Industries: Largest US carpet manufacturer and a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, producing broadloom, carpet tile and resilient flooring across residential and commercial markets. A broad incumbent competing at scale across all hospitality flooring tiers, with broader product reach but less custom Axminster specialism.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ulster Carpets social profiles
Digital presenceUlster Carpets compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance14 records
Ulster Carpets financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ulster Carpets leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Ulster Carpets subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Ulster Carpets funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ulster Carpets M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ulster Carpets
What does Ulster Carpets do?
Ulster Carpets manufactures and sells bespoke woven Axminster and Wilton carpets, custom rugs, Devon hand-tufted rugs, stocked hospitality collections, residential home carpet ranges, and Axfelt recycled underlay products. The company serves both luxury commercial customers (hotels, cruise ships, casinos) and residential consumers through direct enterprise sales and a retail stockist network, with complete in-house control from yarn spinning to finished carpet.
Is Ulster Carpets a public or private company?
Ulster Carpets is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Ulster Carpets founded?
Ulster Carpets was founded in 1938. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Ulster Carpets based?
Ulster Carpets is headquartered in Portadown, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Ulster Carpets make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Custom Bespoke Carpet Sales are the primary driver. The others are stocked Carpet Collections, custom Hand-Tufted Rugs, underlay Products and residential Carpet Sales.
Who are Ulster Carpets's main competitors?
Shaw Industries is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Ulster Carpets have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ulster Carpets.
What industry is Ulster Carpets in?
Ulster Carpets's product category is Luxury Carpet Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAJAF, Woven Floor Coverings Manufacturing (Axminster/Wilton/Flatweave), with a secondary code of IMAOAJAC, Area Rug Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 314110 and its SIC code is 2273.