Meet The Team

Our close-knit team of design, product development, management, logistics and sales are all based under one roof at our West Yorkshire Head Office.

Together the whole team work seamlessly to provide the best product and service we can for our customers.

We have a small sewing/sample making department, with two team members specifically responsible for making samples developed with the design department. We also make small UK orders, commission sewing and inspecting product arriving from overseas. We also operate a warehouse to hold stock for mainly UK destinations.

"Great things in business are never done by one person, they are done by a team"

Steve Jobs

Peter Horsfall Benson

Managing Director

Peter is a fifth generation Horsfall family member and has hands on experience from manufacturing floor to boardroom. He has led the John Horsfall management team as Managing Director since 1996.

Ellie Parkes

Business Development Manager

Ellie has been with John Horsfall since 2013. She is the first point of contact for many of our international airline clients and travels worldwide to maintain & support accounts. With a background in textile design, she works closely with the design team to explore new product innovation.

Kirsty Sumner

Product Manager

Kirsty joined the company in 1997 as Designer and has worked in many areas of the business including manufacturing and personnel. She now plays a key role in account management, product development and design, as well as production management in the UK and overseas.

Waheed Riaz

Dispatch Coordinator

Waheed started work at John Horsfall in 1995 and is responsible for the day-to-day warehouse operation working closely with members of our sister company Interweave Textiles.

Sarah Mackie

Personal Assistant to the Directors

Sarah has been with John Horsfall since 2004 and plays a central role, working closely with senior managers and key members of the team in the UK and China, order processing, stock forecasting and liaising with customers and suppliers on a day-to-day basis.

Alexandra Allen

Design Manager

Alex joined the John Horsfall team as Design Manager in 2019 and comes to the airline textile industry from a fashion manufacturing background, bringing with her a fresh, innovative approach and excellent digital design skills.

Erick Ray - - USA Business Development Manager
Erick Ray

USA Business Development Manager

Erick joined John Horsfall in 2021 as our US point of contact, based in Charlotte N.C. Erick has 10 years' experience in the airline supply industry and manages all North American accounts. He has both the skill and knowledge to manage the complex supply chains involved.

Lianne Marsden

Office Administrator

Joining the company in June 2014, Lianne brings several years of office management experience to John Horsfall. She works closely with Sarah and our management team in the UK and China, order processing, stock forecasting and liaising with customers and suppliers on a day-to-day basis.

160 year anniversary
We elevate experience to new heights
Suzanna Opacic

Lead Machinist – Sewing room

Sue came to John Horsfall in 1999 having been employed in the garment industry making bespoke wedding dresses and ladies apparel. She now leads the team at our Elland sewing facility.

Stephen Currie

Company Secretary

Stephen joined John Horsfall in 2003 having previously worked for our Auditors and Accountancy advisors for 20 years and is responsible for all financial aspects of the John Horsfall Group.

Rachel Beevers

Accounts Administrator

Rachel started working at John Horsfall in 1995 as a sewing machinist and then moved to an administration role at our Finishing department. Coming to the head office in 2011, Rachel now works closely with Stephen in the Accounts Department.

Michael Coupland

Head of Sourcing & Product Development

Michael joined John Horsfall in 2019 in a newly created role and coordinates new product development and driving textile innovation. Previously he spent 10 years in similar roles for textile business from high-street retail to specialist hospitality suppliers.

Aneta Gallard
Aneta Gallard

Finance Manager

Joining John Horsfall in 2020 in a newly created role, Aneta is an ACCA qualified chartered accountant and brings with her previous experience in financial services, contract catering and the property market. Her skills drive improvements to increase productivity, accuracy and financial insight across the group.

We weave boldness, beauty & creative thinking into everything we do.
Katie Ware - Production Manager
Katie Ware

Production Manager

Katie has been in the airline textile industry for over 20 years, previously working in garment manufacturing for UK high street retailers such as M&S. Having been production manager for 10 years, she oversees the day to day running of our Hull operation, implementing new products and production planning to meet demand.

Angela Oade

Finishing Operative, Sewing room

Angela joined the sewing team in 2018 having been a machinist for one of the country's most prominent clothing manufacturers, SR Gents.

Kevin Stamp
Kevin Stamp

Operations & Supply Chain Manager

An expert in the manufacture of non-woven textiles, Kevin has worked in the airline industry for over 35 years. As Operations Manager at the Hull site he heads up a team of experienced engineers and machinists, and oversees supply chain production at our Non-Woven facility in China.

Make an enquiry

How can we help? Talk to our team today to begin your journey with
John Horsfall – we can’t wait to see where we’ll go together.

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