James Halstead plc is a United Kingdom-based manufacturer and distributor of commercial flooring products. Its head office is in Radcliffe, Manchester.

History

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James Halstead established the business as a manufacturer of waterproof cotton textiles and rubberised fabrics in 1915.[1] The flooring market was entered in the 1930s.[1]

James Halstead became a public company in 1948.[2]

Belstaff, the British outerwear clothing brand was acquired in 1948.[3]

Polyflor was introduced in the late 1940s. It represented a new type of plastic flooring, combining PVC, limestone and a plasticiser.[4]

By the late 1980s James Halstead had transitioned to become a specialist floor covering manufacturer.[2]

Belstaff was sold to Italian businessman Franco Malenotti in 2004.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Knowles, Tom. "Chairman finally leaves the floor of James Halstead at age of 87". The Times.
  2. ^ a b Lee, John (2 November 2017). "John Lee's Small-Cap Heroes: James Halstead". Financial Times. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b Shoaib, Maliha (30 May 2024). "How to future-proof a 100-year-old brand". Vogue Business. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Geoffrey Halstead obituary: former chair of the floor-covering firm James Halstead". The Times. 23 October 2024.