tretford
ABOUT
The tretford Story
A unique carpet using Cashmere goat hair
tretford carpets have positively contributed to healthy living and working environments globally for nearly 70 years.
tretford’s Story
What is it about tretford carpet?
In the 1950’s, two men could see that goat hair would make a hard-wearing, natural and colorful carpet, to reflect the optimism of the era.
However, goat hair is a straight hair and cannot be spun into yarn (unlike wool). Only one of the two men stayed the course and after 7 years he had invented the patented machines which turns goat hair into the beautifully structured unique carpet that you see today.
tretford carpet uses the long top hair of the Cashmere goat. This hair is the discarded by-product of goat farming for the cashmere industry.
It takes roughly one goat to produce enough hair for one square metre of tretford Cord Carpet.
Well over 100 million square metres of tretford carpet have been laid since the 1950’s – contributing to tens of thousands of Mongolian farming communities & co-operatives.
Cashmere Goat Hair
tretford’s Unique Feature
Cashmere Goat Hair
The robust and hard-wearing top hair of the goat is used to create tretford.
tretford is dyed without bleaching – giving a richness to its colours.
These goats are indigenous to this rugged landscape – no land clearing.
Goat hair fibre acts as a dirt repellent – natural stain resist properties.
How it is produced..
The cashmere goat has robust top hair – and this is used to create tretford carpet.
These Cashmere goats live on Asia‘s high plateau where they are exposed to extreme temperatures – from minus 40°C to plus 30°C.
In spring, the robust top hair is clipped by hand, ensuring the Cashmere goat is not injured and to retain enough hair to survive on the high plateaus.
The hair is hand-picked, sorted and washed in mild soap. No chemicals are used.
No animals are slaughtered for their hair.
Only healthy goats grow hair of a standard that pass tretford’s quality requirements. The hair of a dead or unhealthy goat is simply not suitable for high-grade tretford carpets.
The emphasis on the health and wellbeing for the goats of these Mongolian farming partners is paramount.
Today tretford supports over 1000 goat farmers in Mongolia, buying the cashmere goat hair directly from farming cooperatives.
Well over 100 million square metres of Tretford carpet have been laid around the world.
tretford’s Unique Feature
Cashmere Goat Hair
The robust and hard-wearing top hair of the goat is used to create tretford.
tretford is dyed without bleaching – giving a naturally richness in its colours.
These goats are indigenous to this rugged landscape – no land clearing.
Goat hair fibre acts as a dirt repellent – natural stain resist properties.
tretford’s Commitment
Ecological and social responsibility
At the core of tretford’s ongoing philosophy for nearly 70 years:
- ethical and responsible sourcing – many decades working with Mongolian goat farming communities
- producing a carpet made from natural and recycled materials
- conservative use of natural resources
- corporate responsibility.
