Royal carpet maker Brintons to tap emerging healthcare boom
CARPET maker Brintons yesterday laid ambitious plans to crack the burgeoning hospital carpeting market amid a looming increase in the number of people demanding upscale hospital care.
The Kidderminster-based company, founded when King George III was on the throne in the 1780s, has unveiled a healthcare range for use in clinics, hospitals, and care homes.
The move signals a major strategic shift for the company, which was salvaged from the scrapheap by Carlyle Group, one of the world’s biggest financial backers of healthcare companies, in September 2011.
Until now Brintons, which holds a Royal Warrant, has supplied carpets to hospitality clients including casinos and cruise ships.
The push into healthcare reflects an emerging global trend for upscale medical facilities.
The proportion of Europeans aged over 60 is expected to rise above 27 per cent by 2020, up from 20 per cent in 2000, leading to an anticipated increase in demand for care homes.
Brintons is currently working with Australian company Thompson Health Care to fit high-end nursing homes in Australia.
Boss Don Coates said: “The high-end healthcare market is moving towards what we expect from luxury hotels.”