Satra has taken over the responsibility for providing all the textile testing, garment analysis, education and consultancy activities from the FCRA.
These activities will now operate under the name of the FCRA Technology Centre at the association’s Harrogate site. The centre will be headed by Graham Collier, formerly the FCRA’s head of testing services.
Said Dr Ron Whittaker, Satra’s chief executive: “This partnership will mean all Satra’s research activities, services and products will be made available to FCRA members”. They will also have access to the organisation's cooperative research programme into new materials, processes, management and quality topics.
Current areas of investigation relevant to the textile care industry include fabric performance, non-iron garments, reductions in VOCs, solvent replacement, fusing and the pressing of garments.
Michael Palin is another familiar FCRA face to transfer as part of the the partnership deal.
He moves to Satra’s Kettering headquarters to manage a major part of the research programme while continuing to maintain an involvement in the FCRA’s own research programme on laundering and drycleaning.
Satra’s 16-strong consultancy team can offer FCRA members advice and access to computerised management systems. Its Quality Assurance division can certify companies to ISO 9000.
