General manager John Fahey said that the company had increased its workforce by 22 to meet the demands of the Qantas contract, which required 30,000 blankets a year for the next three years.

``We are negotiating with four other airlines at the moment, and with two we are down to the stage of discussing colour, weights and yarns,'' he said.

The staff worked for 18 months developing the static- dispersing blanket blend, and the company has now taken out a worldwide patent.

The electrostatic discharge blanket retained its ability to disperse static build-up even after being laundered 95 times, Mr Fahey said.

``The patent will give us about an 18-month lead on the competition, but when the opposition whacks the blanket under a microscope they will soon discover what we have done,'' he said.

The significant difference with this contract was that the company had approached airline engineers first to see what was required in an airline blanket.

``High altitudes and low humidity build up static quickly, and it can be annoying and cause a lot of discomfort.

``The static also causes interference to the individual videos now available on aircraft.

``We worked for 18 months developing the blanket, and when the Qantas tender came up we were in the right position to offer static discharge properties in the blankets,'' he said.

The company is producing a sheet-lined blanket for first-class passengers, a business- class blanket and a satin- edged baby's blanket.

``Even the satin is produced in Launceston, at James Nelson,'' he said.

The new contract had justified the $5 million machinery upgrade two years ago, with some machinery still being one of only two units in the world.

When Mr Fahey took over the Waverley Woollen Mills eight years ago, it was on its last legs and had no staff.

Today there is a workforce of 90.