Global market leader in Apparel & Footwear (A&F)

A strong and defendable core business representing some 71% of Group sales.

• Global leader in A&F thread market, consistently increasing market share in a stable market (pre/post-Covid)
• Leading the response to meet changing industry needs – speed, personalisation, innovation, cost, quality, responsibility and sustainability

Leading player in Performance Materials market

Ability to build scale through technology, innovation and acquisition. Representing some 29% of Group sales.

• Global presence in multiple but focused end use sectors; building scale both organically and inorganically
• Performance Materials offer products that guarantee performance and safety, and solve industry problems through applying our vast textile expertise
• Innovation in developing or acquiring new competencies and technologies – such as carbon and glass composites

Focus on digital, innovation and sustainability

Ability to focus on the continuing challenges from macro trends that are shaping the world and give us the tools to enable us to deliver value to all our stakeholders.

• Thinking ‘beyond the stitch line’ to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to repurpose our products into new ones and use machine learning and AI for new ways of operating – fit for the digital age
• Innovation and big, bold game-changing ideas are crucial to our success
• Industry leader in sustainability agenda, giving us competitive advantage as well as to support our customers’ ambitious sustainability agendas

Track record of delivering continuous improvements and operational excellence

Focused improvement programmes and experienced management to deliver margin and other financial improvements.

Ensuring the Group is ‘fit for purpose’ and agile in the modern high-paced world.

• Productivity gains and procurement initiatives
• Investing in energy / waste reduction to improve operational efficiencies
• General cost and cash discipline around the organisation, in order to mitigate the impacts of Covid and safely navigate

Track record of delivering free cash flow

Strong cash flow generation and high Return on Capital Employed (ROCE).

• Balancing key cash demands of organic investment, pension schemes and shareholder returns

Value-adding acquisitions

Ability to build scale in the strategic focus areas which are currently fragmented competitively.

• Continuing to identify strategic acquisitions, including valueadding bolt-on acquisitions principally in the areas of highly engineered Performance Materials and software solutions for the Apparel & Footwear industry.