31/05/2026
Well done to Richard Ashford whose company has made many of the wheels we spin on and looms we weave with.
Congratulations Richard Ashford, recognised as an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit in this year’s Kings Birthday Honours 👏🧶
For services to business, particularly the textile craft industry. The citation reads: “Mr Richard Ashford is a leader in New Zealand’s textile industry supporting handicrafts, product design and sustainable manufacturing in New Zealand for more than 55 years. Mr Ashford is an advocate for promoting traditional textile practices. He has been managing director and lead designer at Ashford Handicrafts since 1970. He has overseen the company’s growth from a small family business, to exporting textile craft equipment and New Zealand wool to over 40 countries. He is a world-renowned designer of textile equipment, producing more than 900,000 spinning wheels and weaving looms manufactured in New Zealand and exported internationally. He has led textile design innovations that promote inclusivity within the sector, creating equipment that enables greater access to the craft for hobbyists with disabilities. He and his wife co-founded the Ashford Textile Award in 2018, awarding a $5,000 grant to support textile artists and community projects worldwide. Through Ashford Handicrafts, he produces the digital textile magazine ‘The Wheel’, and has published six books on spinning, weaving, felting and carding, which have sold more than 110,000 copies. Mr Ashford supports many local organisations and was a director of the Ashburton Permanent Building Society from 1988 until its merger with Heartland Building Society in 2011”
