A year on since Milton's woollen mill seemed set to close its doors for good, its new owners are pleased with progress restarting the business.
QualitYarns, which owned the mill, issued redundancy notices to its 28 staff in November 2011, re-employing 16 temporarily to meet customer orders.
Since issuing redundancy notices, QualitYarns director Mike Barra worked to find businesses and individuals in the textile industry to buy the mill, as separate production lines or together as a working mill.
Last April, Christchurch-based Wool Equities Ltd, as part of a consortium of New Zealand businesses, completed the purchase of the QualitYarns plant, saving the mill from closing for a second time. The mill first closed in 1999 with the loss of 54 jobs.
The new company operating the mill became Bruce Woollen Mill Ltd, with Wool Equities Ltd owning a 77% stake in the company.
At the time, Wool Equities Ltd chairman Cliff Heath said the other members of the consortium were previously customers of QualitYarns Ltd and wanted to keep the mill going to supply high-quality, wool-based yarns to their respective businesses, ensuring ongoing orders for the new company.
Wool Equities Ltd was approached by a group of knitting and weaving businesses to buy the mill, which produced yarns that were critical to their products.
Since then, the mill has been reopened in stages.
Production resumed in May, beginning with six to eight weeks' worth of orders.
Bruce Woollen Mill managing director John Stevens said he was pleased with the mill's progress.
''We've come a long way since April, and we're still looking at ways to expand the products we have available.''
He said the mill was also unique in the country in its ability to spin fine two-ply woollen yarn which was used in fine garments.
Mr Stevens is also the managing director of Shalimar Knit-wear, which bought the former QualitYarns woollen mill shop next to the factory.
The shop is open from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday.
Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan said the revival of the woollen mill had brought some relief to Milton.
The mill has been a major employer in the town since the Bruce Woollen Mill was established in 1897. Milton has a population of 2000.
He said the mill workers were highly skilled and it was important to keep them in the district.
The Bruce Woollen Manufacturing Co was established in 1897 to scour, card and spin and weave wool into yarn, blankets, rugs and clothing fabric. Bought by Alliance Textiles in 1962, the mill closed 37 years later in 1999, before it was bought by QualitYarns Ltd.
The mill
1897: Bruce Woollen Mill established to scour, card and spin and weave wool into yarn, blankets, rugs and clothing fabric.
1901: Mill destroyed by fire.
1902: Rebuilt mill opens with latest imported machinery.
1962: Business taken over by Alliance Textiles.
1992: Forty-nine workers locked out for refusing to sign new employment contract agreements. A group of 13 protest outside the mill gates for the next six years - longest industrial action in New Zealand trade union history.
1999: Alliance Textiles closes mill, 54 jobs lost.
1999: Mill reopens after QualitYarns New Zealand Ltd buys mill and equipment, 11 staff, growing to 35 by end of first year.
2000: QualitYarns buys worsted spinning line, creates another 13 jobs.
2008: Fifteen staff made redundant. Mill continues to employ 27 staff.
2011: Redundancy notices issued to 28 staff in November, 16 re-employed on temporary contracts to meet customer orders. Ashford Handicrafts Ltd buys a production line in December, hiring four QualitYarns staff.
2012: Christchurch-based Wool Equities Ltd, as part of a consortium of New Zealand businesses, bought the plant in April, renaming the company Bruce Woollen Mill Ltd.
