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Chieftain Fabrics: Chieftain Fabrics is a provider of contract fabrics headquartered in Trim, Ireland. It provides contract fabrics, with a concentration on upholstery vinyl and other coated fabrics to a wide range of businesses including customers in the healthcare, hospitality and government sectors.

History - Founding:

Formerly known as Trimproof Limited, the company was founded in 1954 and later became a subsidiary of Seafield Gentex which was at that time the 5th largest textile manufacturer in the British Isles. A diversified industrial textiles group originally established by the Dwyer family from Cork, Seafield Gentex manufactured a multitude of textiles and yarns across the island of Ireland with major plants in Athlone, Youghal, Trim, Ardee, Balbriggan, Roscrea, Dublin & Westport.

Trimproof Ltd was established to manufacture vinyl fabrics for the motor industry in Ireland and Britain with a focus on the Ford Motor Company based in Cork, which produced the two best selling cars in Ireland: the Escort and Cortina. Between them, these two models accounted for 75% of Ford sales in Ireland at the time and exported 40,000 cars (mostly Escorts) to Britain.

Taoiseach, Sean Lemass, officially opened the Trimproof plant on September 4th, 1958 and can be seen walking through a guard of honour at the opening.

Trimproof supplied fabrics for the interior seats, dashboard and various interior trimmings, producing in excess of 5,000,000 metres per year. however, due to economic challenges in Ireland during the 1980’s, the unfortunate but inevitable closure of the Ford Plant came in July 1984.

The holding company, Seafield Gentex abbreviated its name in 1981 becoming Seafield Plc., a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In 1988, it was taken over by Denis Jones of Hazelwood Foods but Trimproof remained under the control of the present owner Donal Kinsella.

In 1986, Trimproof launched the Chieftain product range to the market and used a famous Abbey actor, Ulick Magee dressed as an Irish Chieftain. The first print proof of the original Chieftain pattern card from 1986 was distributed later in the year. Ground breaking at the time, but standard practice today, colour matching by computer instead of by eye was pioneered at Trimproof in the seventies and put Trimproof at the forefront of technological development in Ireland as a leader in the production of vinyl fabrics.

In 1992, the MD of the company, Donal Kinsella, currently the company's Chairman, invited the then Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds to the plant on 3rd July 1992, when Trimproof achieved ISO 9002 certification.

Following the success of the Chieftain branded products, the company officially adopted the “Chieftain Fabrics” name in September 2006 and trades with this name today.

2000 witnessed Chieftain’s first foray into the healthcare market with one of the first antimicrobial vinyl fabrics which was designed and developed by it’s in-house team of chemists. Made using Irgagard from Ciba/Novartis, this range was a groundbreaker as it could be used in situations which required the use against bacteria and antifungals. Many of these products are still in demand today from hospitals and healthcare facilities worldwide, due to Chieftain Fabrics’s tried and trusted performance.

Rebranding to Chieftain Fabrics:

In 2006 Chieftain Fabrics ceased production at its plant in Ireland due to various economic challenges and stresses - a 50% jump in oil prices, along with a 35% increase in cotton. Compounded with the import and export cost associated with the raw material, Chieftain Fabrics set up production at two facilities located on the European mainland - economically, this made most sense as chemicals used in the manufacture of the range are produced in Germany and this relocation allowed Chieftain Fabrics to set up production closer to their growing European market. By 2007, all machinery, technology and some key staff had transferred to the new production centres which are still in operation. As of 2014, Chieftain Fabrics maintains a customer-oriented enterprise from it original location in Trim, Ireland. Chieftain Fabrics continue to design and deliver performance fabric solutions for the most discerning clients and today has over 150 individual products, supplies specialist customers in the UK and Eurozone with export markets ranging from Brazil to Singapore and from Canada to South Africa.