J&D Wilkie, a Scottish technical textiles specialist is set to open a new ￡3 million factory in Jianxing near Shanghai to enable it to produce technical products. During a trade mission to China, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, revealed the expansion plans. Wilkie began producing jute and flax in Scotland in 1868 and since it has established operations in China, production has doubled. The company produces a wide range of fabrics for commercial and industrial applications, including for the military.

The expansion in China, Wilkie says would safeguard 90 jobs in Scotland and the new factory there would house an integrated spinning and weaving unit on one site. He added that this move will further strengthen their position in Europe where the Scottish weaving unit has almost doubled since starting the yarn production in China.

A privately owned global technical textile manufacturing company with its head office based in Scotland, J&D Wilkie’s manufacturing sites are optimised so that there is flexibility to respond to their customers’ needs irrespective of their global geographic location. The company also benefits from a fully owned manufacturing site in China capable of producing ‘European quality at Chinese prices’.