Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd.

• Reference:GB 3002 GD014/5/4/1
• Dates of Creation:[1960s-mid 2010s]
• Physical Description:
  3 items

• Scope and Content

  Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd., Stornoway, is the oldest mill still in operation today (2018). Kenneth Mackenzie's involvement in the industry began with the Lewis Wool Mills Company, which was a carding and spinning mill started by him in 1906. Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd. was the successor company to this venture. The business played an important part in Leverhulme's involvement with the industry - he controlled the company from 1919 to 1924. In the 1930s the mill was upgraded to include finishing equipment, thus becoming able to cover all parts of the production process bar the weaving. The premises were originally situated on Lewis Street, before moving to Seaforth Road (c.1940s), and Sandwick Road (c.1960s). In 1969 the company became part of SEET (Scottish, English and European Textiles Group), although Mackenzie family members continued to run it. A joint company, Kemp Tod Ltd., was formed in 1972 to handle dyeing and finishing for both Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd. and the Harris Tweed Trading Company Ltd. (James Macdonald Ltd.) - the latter then closed in 1974. In 1978, and on two further occasions, Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd. won the Queen's Award for Industry.

  In 1992, following the industry's difficulties in the 1980s, the company was sold by SEET to Kenneth Macleod (Shawbost) Ltd., with the two mills becoming known as the KM group. They continued to operate seperately, and Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd. retained Harris Mackenzie as its Managing Director. Newall's and Kenneth Mackenzie's were rivals for much of the 20th century, but only Mackenzie's now remains. Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd. (part of KM Group) was sold to Yorkshireman Brian Haggas in December 2006, just after the Shawbost mill was closed down. For a period of time after the purchase, garments made from Harris Tweed produced out of the Kenneth Mackenzie mill were sold through a company called Harris Tweed Scotland Limited, with a business address in Keighley, Yorkshire.

• Access Information

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