Pincroft and Toray Strengthen UK Defence Textile Supply Chain with Strategic Collaboration

The partnership brings together two companies that are established suppliers to NATO military programmes, positioning them to address requirements within the UK defence market.

Pincroft Dyeing & Printing operates from the Northwest of England, where it runs a fully integrated textile processing, printing, and finishing facility. The company exports to more than 80 countries and has an annual production capacity exceeding 50 million metres. Its operations include military textile printing and flame retardant finishing, with fabrics processed at its facilities used in uniforms worn by armed forces globally.

Toray Textiles Europe Ltd focuses on the manufacture of technical textiles, including weaving, dyeing, and finishing of synthetic fibre materials for defence, medical, and industrial applications. The company has recently invested more than £15 million in advanced looms and process machinery to expand its production capabilities.

Paul Farrell, Group Sales Director at Pincroft, said: “Leveraging our combined expertise and innovation, alongside our UK-based operations and supply chains, Pincroft and Toray are well placed to support the shared goals of strengthening national security, driving economic growth and improving sustainability.”

Paul Daynes, Sales Manager at Toray Textiles Europe Ltd, added: “Pincroft and Toray operate at a scale capable of delivering national programmes while manufacturing a high-quality UK product. This collaboration supports employment across the manufacturing sector and helps build a resilient domestic supply chain for our armed forces.”

Both companies received a visit in 2025 from The Princess Royal in her role as President of the UK Fashion & Textile Association. The visit highlighted investments made by both organisations in weaving, dyeing, finishing, and printing capabilities, along with capacity expansion.

Adam Mansell, CEO of UKFT, commented on the collaboration and said: “The UK already sells to major forces across the world, from the Netherlands, Germany and France, across to Australia and New Zealand, so why not the UK? The UK MOD and other UK procurement agencies need to be incentivised, or required, to source more of their products from reliable UK sources and see the bigger UK industrial picture.”