The name is a mouthful - BTTG T & C - British Carpet Technical Centre (BTTG T & C - BCTC) - but their role in the world of carpets is a massive handful.

"BTTG-BCTC is without doubt one of the world's leading carpet testing and technical consultancy organisations," said Mike Nunney, Director.

"We started out 90 years ago as the Wool Industry Research Association, joined BTTG in 1988, and have far more expertise in testing of carpets than anyone else in the world - at least 60 years.

"Carpet manufacturers send us samples for testing from as far afield as the Far East, Australia, the USA and Europe - and, frankly, if those carpet samples don't pass the tests for safety, then they don't get the CE mark -and that means they can't sell their carpet legitimately in Europe.

"We currently test carpets primarily for the contract flooring market - for hazardous content, flammability and resilience.

"But the tests are going to get tougher as more and more environmental and ecological concerns are addressed by stricter testing guidelines.

"However, the key issue facing most businesses buying, fitting or selling carpets is, of course, cost.

"We are moving more and more into advisory and consultancy roles with architects and interior designers with whom we work to establish that they are indeed specifying or fitting the correct carpet.

"Carpet can be light, medium or heavy-use, and while the longevity and wear resilience of most carpets is in many - but not all - cases a given, appearance retention is a key issue.

"A carpet is not just a floor covering, it is a piece of the fabric of the building in which it is fitted and can be a massive influence upon the image a company, hotel or organisation wants to portray.

"No one will deny that a scruffy carpet gives the impression of a shabby or run-down business, so it is crucial that the right sort of carpet is specified for the right sort of usage.

"A carpet with a 5-year life expectancy may look good and seem tough, but it may be expected to last 20 years. Equally, what's the point in specifying a 20-year-life carpet for a business or building that will change its interior design theme every five years? This is the sort of consultancy in which we get involved."

Wira was formed in 1918, testing and researching wool industry products. In 1952 a team, led by Professor Henry Daniels, won a Nobel Prize for research into partition chromatography to identify the proteins of which wool fibres are made. In 1982 BCTC was formed; it became part of BTTG in 1988.

BTTG T & C - BCTC is a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accredited laboratory providing competitive, independent, expert textile testing, certification, advisory and investigation services across the traditional and specialist textile industries.

BCTC is an independent subsidiary of BTTG T & C Ltd, formerly the British Textile Technology Group. With more 90 years experience, BCTC provides unrivalled and expert reassurance through its technical services to a global network of clients which include manufacturers, retailers, the legal profession, police, consumers and related interest groups including Trading Standards. Highly qualified and experienced technical staff work directly with clients to ensure that they receive the best advice and service in a wide range of technical areas.

CONTACT: Iain Macauley, for BTTG T & C Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7788 978 800 e-mail: im@pressrelations.co.uk Megan Codling, for BTTG T & C Ltd Tel: +44 (0)7795 848 586 e-mail: mc@pressrelations.co.uk WWW: http://www.bttg.co.uk/bctc

M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.

"We're aware of one particular contract which involved a GBP50,000 budget for supply and fitting of carpet in an office development, but which has cost GBP500,000 to put right after designers and contractors tried to shave perhaps only GBP5,000 off the cost of the whole project," said Mike Nunney, Director of BTTG T & C -BCTC.

"The carpet completely lost its fit and integrity just weeks after it was installed, the architects tried to claim fault in the carpet, but it lead to legal action and a claim for replacement and compensation ultimately costing the architects GBP500,000.

"Investigation of the problem installation showed that the carpet had been fitted before the building interior conditions were stabilized - let alone water-tight - meaning the carpet was exposed to humidity and stretched soon after the building was occupied. Testing confirmed the dimensional stability of the carpet to be normal and that the problem was purely as a result of the architect insisting that the material was fitted in accordance with the schedule - even though the environmental conditions were totally unacceptable.

"When the claim was proven correct, the business had to be temporarily re-housed, IT and telephony issues addressed, furniture moved out, and, of course, there was a compensation claim for the time and business lost.

"The lesson is that no matter how much pressure the budget comes under, it is worth ensuring experts are consulted when it comes to considering any changes for the fitting something as apparently innocuous as a carpet."

BTTG T & C - BCTC grew from the Wool Industry Research Association, which was formed in 1918, testing and researching wool industry products. In 1952 a team, led by Professor Henry Daniels, won a Nobel Prize for research into partition chromatography to identify the proteins of which wool fibres are made. In 1982 BCTC was formed; it became part of BTTG in 1988.

BTTG T & C -BCTC is a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accredited laboratory providing competitive, independent, expert textile testing, certification, advisory and investigation services across the traditional and specialist textile industries.

BCTC is an independent subsidiary of BTTG T & C Ltd, formerly the British Textile Technology Group. With more 90 years experience, BCTC provides unrivalled and expert reassurance through its technical services to a global network of clients which include manufacturers, retailers, the legal profession, police, consumers and related interest groups including Trading Standards. Highly qualified and experienced technical staff work directly with clients to ensure that they receive the best advice and service in a wide range of technical areas.

CONTACT: Iain Macauley / Megan Codling Tel: +44 (0)7788 978 800 Tel: +44 (0)7795 848 586 e-mail: im@pressrelations.co.uk e-mail: mc@pressrelations.co.uk WWW: http://www.bttg.co.uk/bctc

M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.