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 Hand weaving machine in use at the Mill | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Textile and clothing manufacturing,retail,cafés |
| Founded | 1723 |
| Headquarters | Kilmacanogue,County Wicklow,Ireland |
| Products | Clothes, other woollen goods, soft furnishings, food, ceramics, books, soaps & perfumes |
Number of employees | 1,000[1] (2020) |
| Parent | Aramark |
| Website | avoca.com |
Avoca Handweavers, now mostly known simply asAvoca, is a clothing manufacturing, retail and food business inIreland. The company began inAvoca,County Wicklow, and is the oldest working woollen mill in Ireland and one of the world's oldest manufacturing companies.[citation needed] Since 2015, it has been owned by the American food service and facilities company,Aramark.[2]
The mill on the banks of the fast-flowingRiver Avoca survives from at least 1723. Travel to and from the remote village was difficult and abarter system was used. Themill was used for grindingcorn forbread andspinning andweavingwool.
In 1760, aflying shuttle loom, capable of weaving up to 20 metres of cloth a day arrived. Workers, concerned about possible unemployment, resorted to burning some looms.
Three sisters,Emily, Winifred, and Veronica Wynne, inherited the mill in the 1920s and introduced colour. Avoca Handweaverstweed was produced and exported, including for use by Italian designerElsa Schiaparelli.[3] The material was also used for a waistcoat forKing George VI and baby blankets for the children ofQueen Elizabeth II.[citation needed]
In 1974,Donald Pratt, a solicitor and formercricketer engaged to handle the sale of the mill which now faced closure, decided to buy it himself.[4] Along with his wife, Hilary, a teacher, he set about getting Avoca Handweavers back on its feet.[tone] The Pratts began exporting handwoven rugs and throws to theUK and other countries. Avoca throws are still sold across the globe.[citation needed]
In 2015, the Pratt family sold Avoca Handweavers to the American companyAramark.[5]
As of 2020, Avoca has several retail outlets around Ireland, including atPowerscourt Estate,Malahide Castle and inBelfast. Several of these also have foodhalls and cafes attached as their food operations were expanded.[citation needed]
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The company has a number of women's clothing ranges which it sells through its own stores designed by Amanda Pratt, as well as wholesaling in Ireland and internationally. One of these ranges is known as 'Avoca Anthology'.[citation needed]
Avoca is also associated with gardens and has several rare trees in its Kilmacanogue grounds and a garden atMount Usher Gardens inAshford, County Wicklow.[citation needed]
As of 2020, the company reportedly employed approximately 1,000 people.[1]
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