Wetherby manufacturers hailed as 'ideal firm' for talks on trade collaboration between Britain and Pakistan
A Wetherby firm said it was delighted to have been chosen for a visit from the British High Commissioner to explore trade opportunities in Pakistan.
Family-run textile company Arville is one of the UK's leading manufacturers and was chosen as a shining example of strong British manufacturing.
It was felt the company was well placed to host such a prestigious visit that could boost collaboration between the two countries.
During the visit the High Commissioner was given an insight into the Arville's end to end UK manufacturing capability, from highly technical textile design and specialist weaving based in Wetherby through to coating and fabrication located at their sister sites in Bury and Bradford.
But the visit also looked beyond the factory floor, to conversations that opened doors for manufacturers in both countries.
Steve Gill, Arvlile’s Group Chief Executive Officer said: “Pakistan has one of the largest textile industries in the world, though its strength has traditionally been concentrated in cotton, yarn, fabric and garment production.
"At Arville we’ve been specialists for decades in specialist, higher value technical textiles: materials engineered for uses such as aerospace, defence, and automotive, protective clothing.
"The discussions raised on the factory floor were based on the premise that each market could learn from the other.”
The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott CMG OBE was joined by James Kelly, Deputy Head of Middle East and Pakistan Bilateral Trade Relations at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, alongside Professor Parik Goswami, Director of Research and Innovation at the University of Huddersfield, and Max Partington of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Rather than one country selling to the other, the opportunity discussed was an exchange: technical knowledge, research links, skills development and shared problem solving.
For Arville, the visit formed part of a wider ambition to keep growing the international reach of a business that has been manufacturing in Yorkshire since 1951.
Jane Marriott CMG OBE said: “Arville is a great example of British innovation and manufacturing excellence.
"What stood out during the talks was its collaborative spirit and ambition to build new partnerships."