Lochcarrron Mill to Shut

[McClef]

It would have to be UK wide OC as currently Scotland cannot define its own policy regarding imports.

[Steve Ashton]

May we please not speculate on what may or may not happen with Lochcarron.

As Scotland is closed for the day I contacted the President of Lochcarron Canada directly by phone and asked for an official statement from the Company that I could post here.

I should have that statement in the morning.

Until we have an official response may I remind our members that the mill in Hawick produced only knit wear. All Tartan fabric is produced in the mill in Selkirk. This mill in Hawick is the one that is mentioned in the article not the mill in Selkirk.

[Steve Ashton]

Here is the email I got from Lindsay,



Hello Steve ,

In reply to your question in regard to the planned closure of the Knitwear Division of Lochcarron in Hawick, will have no effect with regards to the weaving of the cloth at the Selkirk headquarters of Lochcarron .

The Official statement from Lochcarron read as follows ,

"All weaving production, which continues to grow and now makes up 85% of the company’s output, will continue in Selkirk. Lochcarron of Scotland moved its headquarters, including design and weaving production facilities from Galashiels to Selkirk in 2007. It also established a visitor centre that has since been awarded Visit Scotland’s five star rating"

Kind Regards Lindsay

Mr Lindsay Gaff
General Manager
Lochcarron North America.
http://www.burnetts-struth.com
http://www.biltkilt.com
Burnetts-Struth Scottish Regalia Ltd
Ph(705)728-3232 Fax(705)728-5923
Business Hrs Mon-Fri 8am-6pm Sat 9am-4pm

He also gave me his assurances that everything would be done for most of the employees in Hawick and that some would be offered positions at the Selkirk facility which is just down the road from Hawick.

[Highlander31]

I feel for those people who will have their lives upended at Christmas time.

[Jack Daw]

Well, to do my part, I must resolve to order a kilt from a kiltmaker that uses Lochcarron.

[CelticViking]

Lochcarron operate from Selkirk now. Doubt they're closing down - they closed an old factory to move to another - updated and more efficient presumably.

[ForresterModern]

Just as an aside to Chas's original post about protectionism, look what 30 plus years of it did to the american auto industry. It really does only weaken you in a global economy, even if it is only intended for the "short run".

We now return to our original programming.

So if the hawick mills only did knitwear for Lochcarron, are they getting out of the knitwear business or moving its production somewhere else? Seems like the tartan works in Selkirk are not involved, at least for now. I too feel for the workers who will lose their employ and wish them well in finding new and hopefully better jobs not too far from home. Having moved 5 times since 1991 for work (mostly voluntarily) I know how hard it can be to pick up one's life and move, start a new job, make a new home and a new life, especially with family.

[ronstew]

People on Princes St. buy the Pakistani kilts on a whim. Ban Pakistani kilts, and the shops selling them and the people importing them go out of business. The Gold Brothers contribute to the Scottish economy - if not to Scottish culture. But 300-pound kilts are not impulse buys. Your average tourist does not buy them. Ban Pakistani kilts, you hurt one part of the economy without significantly helping any other part.

[lasrl]

I believe that the shutting down of the mill is a symptom of a greater cultural problem in the kilt wearing community (and in modern society as a whole). If you have limited means and are hard up for a dollar (and want to wear a kilt) I can fully understand how you may want to get one made out of anything other than 100% wool; there are lots of blends and wool imitation kilts out there. Furthermore, anyone living in a free society has the right to wear a kilt (thankfully) made out of any fabric that they darn well want; I understand and agree with that also. This being said, I would never wear a kilt made out of anything but 100% pure new wool (preferably from one of the Scottish mills). I believe that wearing anything other than the real McCoy simply cheapens the garment and everything that wearing a kilt represents. Whatever happened to saving up and paying top dollar for a top quality garment that you'll keep for life? I bet that if all of us X-markers had this attitude, we wouldn't be discussing the trials and tribulations of the Scottish Mill business in the first place. I wish that more of us had an attitude more along these lines.

[Chas]

Get your wallet out - we're all on our way.

Regards

Chas