Richard Ashford, of Ashburton, has been named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King’s Birthday Honours.
The accolade is for services to business, particularly the textile craft industry.
He is a director of Ashford Wheels & Looms.
He said it was a surprise honour and one he humbly accepted as his passion for textile craft continued to grow.
‘‘I had no knowledge of my nomination or the support received from local and international referees,’’ he said.
‘‘I was humbled to have been nominated for this honour but accepted on behalf on my wife Elizabeth who has supported and encouraged me for the last 45 years, our family especially James and David who are now managing the business, our talented and loyal team and spinners and weavers around the world who enjoy using Ashford tools.’’
‘‘The passion for textile craft continues to grow as does the demand for our wheels and looms.
‘‘We are continually developing new tools to make spinning and weaving easier to use and enjoy.
‘‘The trend has been towards ready to use tools straight out of the box rather than our traditional finish and assemble yourself.
The honour citation for Richard states he was a leader in New Zealand’s textile industry supporting handicrafts, product design and sustainable manufacturing in New Zealand for more than 55 years.
He 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 $5000 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.
Richard 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.
Richard said the future for Ashford Wheels & Looms and textile crafts was ‘‘very positive and exciting’’.
‘‘We are seeing more folk embrace spinning and weaving as a way to relax and enjoy designing and creating their own unique garments from wool or other natural fibres.’’
Meanwhile, also named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King’s Birthday Honours was former Mayfield-lad Sam Johnson, of Auckland, for services to the community and youth.
Johnson is a recognised civic entrepreneur and an advocate for the role of volunteers and young people in society. Mobilising more than 11,000 university students in response to the Christchurch Earthquakes in 2011, Johnson founded the Student Volunteer Army.
He grew the organisation into a national volunteering centre that operates in 258 secondary schools, six universities, in Tasmania and South Australia, and in partnership with IHC to recognise volunteers with intellectual disabilities.
As chief executive, he led more than 20 domestic disaster response efforts including the significant mobilisation of volunteers nationwide for the COVID-19 pandemic and the Nelson flood response, where 300 volunteers supported 110 households.
He is respected globally for his approach to community mobilisations.
