Who we are
Meet our founders
Chris Murphy
FOUNDER & CEO
First inspired to study Chinese and Korean by an economics teacher at school in Bradford, Yorkshire, Chris’ career has taken him across the world. After a year in South Korea in management consultancy, followed by a graduate trainee opportunity with Dawson International PLC based in Hong Kong, Chris moved to Swiss-based company, Alpha Tops SA, Chris returned to China in 1996 to reestablish the ATSA Beijing office and introduced alpaca to the Chinese market. Chris moved into knitwear production through the establishment of Alphatex in Beijing in 2002 and together with Jamie O’ Neill founded The Albion Knitting Company in 2014.
As founder and CEO of Albion Knitting Co, Chris’s industry experience and invaluable knowledge of raw materials sourcing and a far reachiing global skill base enables the company to secure skills and knowledge to offer our clients UK production here in the Isle of Man.
Jamie O'neill
CO-FOUNDER & COO
Jamie O’Neill began his textiles journey at Todd & Duncan in 1997 as an apprentice in the spinning department. Over the next six years, he became highly specialised in cashmere woollen spinning. In 2003 at the age of 23 he was selected to manage a cashmere processing plant in China, and he headed to Beijing, China for the next chapter of his textiles adventure working for Jospeh Dawson on a brand-new joint venture. Over the next six years Jamie travelled throughout China sourcing the best cashmere and processing those raw materials in the Beijing factory he designed and managed.
In 2009 to broaden his textiles horizons further, Jamie joined the Beijing Alphatex Knitting Company and moved into a knitwear manufacturing role. It was here his professional relationship with Chris Murphy began and flourished into a great friendship. Working together on a plan to reestablish British knitwear manufacturing they took the decision to open a second factory which led to the inception of The Albion Knitting Company in 2014. After ten successful years in London expansion and restructuring took the business to Isle of Man where Jamie holds the position of Chief Operating Officer of The Albion Knitting Company IOM Ltd.
