This month, The Stocklists sat down with Charles Mosley, Managing Director at Phoenox Textiles, a third-generation family-owned manufacturer of rugs based in West Yorkshire. We discussed a range of topics, including the challenges faced by UK manufacturers and how Phoenox is remaining sustainable in an increasingly costly environment.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about Phoenox? How did it get started and what do you do?
A: Phoenox is a proudly family-owned British textile manufacturer with over 70 years of heritage. Our grandfather, Jack Mosley, founded the business in 1954, originally weaving cloth for the public transport industry from our base in West Yorkshire, where we are still proud to manufacture today.
It was our father, David Mosley, who transformed the business by investing in the company’s first tufting machine, moving Phoenox into the production of fireside rugs. That spirit of innovation ultimately led to the development of our washable rugs, a product category that has become synonymous with the Phoenox name.
Today, we represent the third generation of the family, while our children have joined the business as the fourth generation, ensuring that family values remain at the heart of everything we do. We employ more than 160 people across our Yorkshire operations, many from families who have worked in textiles for generations.
Alongside our British manufacturing, we also source carefully selected rugs from trusted international partners who share our commitment to quality, sustainability and ethical production. This allows us to offer retailers a true one-stop shop across multiple flooring categories while maintaining the same values that underpin our UK manufacturing.
We manufacture private-label collections for many of the UK’s leading retailers and also own several successful consumer brands, including Hug Rug, MY Mat, Origin Rugs, Rug Guru and Buddy Rug.
Q: What makes you stand out in the market?
A: We are the last large-scale manufacturers of washable mats and rugs still producing in Yorkshire, and that commitment to British manufacturing is something we’re incredibly proud of. By manufacturing ourselves, we’re able to control quality, lead times and sustainability throughout the entire production process.
Because everything is under one roof, from design and product development through to manufacturing and finishing, we can innovate quickly, maintain exceptional quality and offer far greater flexibility than overseas supply chains.
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re proud to operate as a zero-waste-to-landfill business. Remaining in Yorkshire also enables us to support our local community by providing skilled employment and helping to preserve British textile manufacturing for future generations.
Q: What have been the major developments in the market over the last few years?
A: British manufacturing has undoubtedly faced significant challenges in recent years, with rising energy costs, increasing employment costs and changing global trading conditions placing pressure on the sector. Despite these challenges, manufacturing remains central to Phoenox’s long-term strategy.
Over the past decade, we have invested more than £10 million back into the business, funded through continued reinvestment. This has allowed us to continually modernise our manufacturing facilities, with the oldest machine in our factory now being only six years old.
We have recently commissioned a new coating line from Germany, representing a further investment of around £4 million, alongside investing in a brand-new 75,000 sq ft distribution centre that will significantly increase our capacity and further improve customer service.
Manufacturing continues to be our passion. The ideas, innovation and enthusiasm within our team give us enormous confidence in the future. We’ve also invested heavily in collaborations with leading brands, and I believe partnerships like these will continue to create exciting opportunities and product innovation for many years to come.
Q: What are customers looking for at the moment in terms of design and functionality?
A: Quality, style and genuine sustainable credentials are top of the agenda for consumers today. When we launched our washable rugs and doormats to consumers through the Hug Rug brand nearly 20 years ago, it was driven by a desire for flooring that was both practical and beautiful.
Our products have become known for trapping dirt effectively while maintaining their appearance through repeated washing, drying quickly and standing up to everyday family life.
We’re also seeing continued demand for designs inspired by the British countryside and heritage patterns, which create warmth and familiarity within the home. Alongside this, consumers are increasingly looking for products that tell a story, which is why we’ve invested in collaborations with some of Britain’s best-loved brands and designers, combining trusted heritage with fresh contemporary design.
Q: What impact are wider economic pressures having on the market?
A: The UK manufacturing sector continues to face significant challenges from rising energy costs, increased employment costs and ongoing economic uncertainty. While these pressures are considerable, they have only strengthened our commitment to investing in British manufacturing and ensuring we remain competitive through innovation rather than simply competing on price.
We believe there will always be demand for high-quality British-made products, provided businesses continue to invest, innovate and adapt to changing consumer expectations.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the market and how are you handling them?
A: Price remains one of the biggest challenges facing British manufacturers. We compete against producers in countries where labour costs are only a fraction of those in the UK.
Rather than trying to win on price alone, we’ve focused on creating products that customers are willing to pay more for because of their quality, innovation, sustainability and British provenance.
Our “good, better, best” product strategy allows us to serve different areas of the market while creating genuine value through design, performance and positioning, rather than simply competing at the lowest possible price.
Q: Is sustainability a focus for Phoenox and for your customers?
A: Absolutely. Sustainability is embedded across everything we do. It’s a given that every product we create is without detriment to people or the planet.
In our continued effort to reduce the use of virgin materials, we incorporate recycled cotton and recycled plastics throughout our Hug Rug doormat and rug collections. We’ve also introduced a range of outdoor mats made using ECONYL®, which transforms recovered nylon waste from landfill and oceans into high-quality new fibres.
We’re also proud to operate as a zero-waste-to-landfill business, ensuring sustainability runs throughout every stage of our manufacturing process.
Customers today are rightly cautious of greenwashing and want reassurance that the products they buy genuinely make a difference. We’re proud that our products are designed to last, can be washed at just 30°C and help consumers reduce both water and energy consumption throughout their lifetime.
Q: What is your core message to the market?
A: Phoenox is now one of the last British manufacturers remaining in our sector, and people often ask how we’ve survived while so many others have disappeared.
The answer has always been the same: passion and purpose, continual investment and a relentless desire to innovate.
www.phoenox.co.uk