A SPECIALIST carpet making firm in Kidderminster is under new ownership following a management buyout.

Grosvenor Wilton, which employs 28 people at Stourvale Mills, in Green Street, has been purchased, for an undisclosed sum, from Woodward Grosvenor, part of the Brinton carpet group.

The business that has changed hands is a specialist narrow wilton operation and one of the oldest of its type in the country.

Its extensive historical carpet design archive dates back more than two centuries.

Grosvenor Wilton serves niche restoration markets and has made carpets for several historic buildings.

The firm is currently weaving new floor coverings for the renovation of Kew Palace in London and several National Trust properties.

Fifty per cent of its sales are to the United States, where recent projects have included renovation of the state capital buildings in Iowa and Michigan.

It also supplies British embassies and consulates around the globe with carpets.

Malcolm Foley, who has been in the carpet business for more than 30 years and was previously managing director with Woodward Grosvenor, headed the management buyout team and is managing director of the newly independent concern.

"We felt there was a business opportunity," he said, "as Brintons would have said this wasn't perceived as being Brintons' core business for them going forward."

Mr Foley said the aim of the new management team was to grow the business.

"We're looking to invest in the business," he explained. "We're looking to be more proactive in our marketing and expand our sales team."

He added: "At a time when the UK carpet industry has seen much of its market taken over by foreign competition, this is an exciting development, demonstrating that there is always demand for a specialist, high quality product."