Calico Printers' Association

The industry had prospered in the latter half of the 19th century but the fierce competition led to a decline in quality and profit margins.

Most of the leading companies in the industry decided to amalgamate in order "to preserve the tradition and standing of calico printing and to produce textiles of a high standard at reasonable prices."

In 1912, a new head office, the magnificent St James's Buildings was completed on Oxford Street, Manchester.

[1] Companies involved in the merger included: In 1941, polyethylene terephthalate was discovered in the research laboratories of the Calico Printers' Association.

During the second World War the Calico Printer's Association produced cloth insignia for the armed forces of the UK and other Commonwealth countries like Canada.