Black Dyke Mills continued to thrive but the post World War 2 world brought new challenges. Where once the world had looked to Bradford for wool now other countries offered stiff competition.
Changing fashions too had an impact. At one time nearly all clothing was wool based. The development of synthetic materials and a less formal attitude to dress meant that the demand for woollen suits and overcoats declined.
Despite the Foster family's continuing investment in new equipment and the diversification into new non-textile products, such as designing body hoods for Jaguar cars, things were not sustainable and, in 1989, the company went into administration.
The Mill was sold off along with all of its assets and today, little evidence of its glory days as world leaders in textile production remain.