NEWS

Sterling Furniture Group appoints new CEO

supported by independent search specialists Carlyle Associates to assess a pool of highly qualified candidates for the new CEO role.

Mr Pattison joins Sterling Furniture Group at a milestone moment in the company’s 50-year history, with transition to the Sterling Home brand ongoing across the group’s ten showrooms across Scotland and a new generation of founder George Knowles’ family stepping up to become Company Directors.

The company continues to trade well in tough conditions and has begun a large programme of investment in relaunching its flagship store at Tillicoultry under the Sterling Home brand.

Sterling is also investing significantly in its digital function to drive consumer traffic and purchase – an area in which data-driven Mr Pattison is highly skilled, having led the rebranding of the ScS website in 2020.

an important year, recognising 50 years of long and successful service to Scottish households and families. Over the past few years, the business has shown great courage and ambition in transforming into Sterling Home. I know that the aspiration of the family, following in the footsteps of our founder George Knowles, is to continue to inspire Scotland’s homes as we enter the next 50 years. I can’t wait to join the team.”

In other developments at Sterling, members of the third generation of the family are now also working in the business, including Ms Graham’s two sons, Murray and Euan and her nephew, George, who have been appointed as Company Directors.

Family-owned home furnishing specialist Sterling Furniture Group has appointed a commercial retail and leadership expert to the role of CEO as it marks its 50th year in business.

In August, John Pattison will settle into the hot seat at the Tillicoultryheadquartered home furnishing group, which was first established in 1973.

Originally from Glasgow, Mr Pattison, 53, has operated as a Board Director for more than 20 years, having most recently spent almost four years as Commercial Director at Sunderlandbased sofa and furniture retailer ScS, where he launched the company’s aspirational Botanicals range, led the partnership with designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and initiated their new concept stores now being rolled out across the UK

His appointment follows an intensive and competitive recruitment process in which Sterling Furniture Group were

Lesley Graham, Sterling Deputy Managing Director, said: “After a rigorous recruitment process where we interviewed a breadth of excellent candidates, we feel we’ve found absolutely the right person for our new CEO role in John Pattison. A highly experienced retail leader, he worked his way up from the shop floor to boardroom roles at major national firms, including ScS, Londis and Booker Retail Partners. We were very impressed by the way he dedicated a significant amount of time getting to know the business during the recruitment process, visiting each of our stores in person multiple times.

“Like us, John believes in the massive potential to make Sterling a recognised national brand once again and he’s brimming with exciting ideas to help us make that happen. We can’t wait for him to get started!”

John Pattison said: “I’m hugely privileged to be joining Sterling Furniture Group, particularly in such

Current Managing Director Gordon Mearns will work closely with Mr Pattison during his initial months in post, to ensure a smooth management transition. Mr Mearns is stepping down from Sterling after two decades at the helm, during which time he grew the company to include 600 staff working across ten showrooms.

Big Shots a big success for industry charity

The 28th edition of Big Shots, the popular clay pigeon shoot organised in aid of The Furniture Makers’ Company, has raised an enormous £35,000 for the charity.

The fundraiser, which is supported by Furniture Village, took place on Wednesday 7 June and was once again held at Holland & Holland in Northwood, Middlesex, one of the UK’s premier shooting destinations.

Around 150 big hitters from companies including Blum, Crofts & Assinder, Emma Sleep, Emmiera Group, Harrison Spinks, Haskins, Hypnos, Furniture Village, Ocee & Four Design, Panaz and Tempur made up 36 teams.

Comedian Maisie Adam to compere Bed Show Dinner and Awards

reception, sponsored by Hypnos, in the foyer from 7pm. An informal threecourse sit-down dinner and coffee will follow, plus the results of the annual Bed Industry Awards, sponsored by The Vita Group.

Tickets for the Gala Dinner and Awards are available to book via the Bed Show website.

Furniture business to expand with Bolton store

The National Bed Federation (NBF) has announced Yorkshire-born comedian Maisie Adam as the host of its Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony on 26 September.

Maisie will host the 13th Gala Dinner, welcome and entertain the 500 guests, and present the 2023 Bed Industry Awards, sponsored by The Vita Group, on the first evening of the Bed Show at the Telford International Centre.

After previewing her first stand-up show ‘Living on The Edge’ at the Ilkley Fringe, she took the debut show on tour across the UK. With positive reviews from runs at Bath Comedy Festival, Hastings Fringe Comedy Festival, Southend Fringe and Guildford Fringe, the show was nominated for Best New Comedy at the 2017 Brighton Fringe. Later that year, Maisie won the nationwide competition, So You Think You’re Funny? at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Maisie has appeared on numerous TV panel shows, including Mock the Week, Have I Got News for You, QI, Roast Battle, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Would I Lie to You and Richard Osman’s House of Games. She also hosts the podcast ‘That’s a First’ alongside fellow comedian Tom Lucy. Most recently, Maisie appeared at the Royal Variety Performance and has just finished her ‘Buzzed’ tour which took her all around the UK and finished at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in Australia.

Guests are invited to attend the drinks

Loom Loft Furniture and Interiors has announced the planned opening of their third furniture store in early August 2023 once an extensive refurbishment of the former Global Interiors premises is completed in Astley Bridge, Bolton.

The family owned business who opened their first flagship store and The Loft bistro in 2019 at Barrow Brook, Clitheroe, Lancashire followed by a second ‘Select’ store at The Mill Batley, West Yorkshire, in 2021 is to expand their brand into the Bolton and North Manchester area.

The business operates its main head office, warehousing and 40,000sqft logistics hub from Junction 7 business park in Clayton Le Moors. Now into its fourth year of operation the company employs 62 staff across its sites and is set to grow this further with the opening of its Astley Bridge store.

Founder & Managing Director, Boyd Hargreaves said: “We are excited to be bringing the Loom Loft experience to Bolton and its surrounding areas. Bolton has such a rich industrial textile heritage. As someone with a deep rooted family history in textile manufacturing I have always strived to support and work with upholstery manufacturers in the UK and in particular Lancashire and the North West.

“Our aim is to display a cohesive range of quality sofa collections with many bespoke layouts, fabric and colour options. To complement our stores we put a lot of focus on sourcing a wide range of unique and interesting furniture and interior collections.

All set within an industrial feel and aesthetically creative store environment which enhances the experience for our customers.”

Burnley Football Club partners with Emma Sleep

Sleep brand, Emma — The Sleep Company, has been announced as the latest signing, and Official Sleep Partner, of Burnley FC, in a bid to help the newly promoted Premier League club achieve success and give players the extra edge on matchdays.

The partnership will involve the roll out of the Emma Sleep Consultancy programme for Burnley FC players, delivered by Emma’s in-house team of sleep experts. Emma and Burnley FC will also host seven different instadium activities during the upcoming season, as well as interactive initiatives across the Burnley region that will help transform the sleep of the entire town.

Kicking off ahead of the 2023/24 season, Emma’s bespoke Sleep Consultancy for players will include team workshops, one-on-one sessions and ongoing support from Emma’s Sleep Experts, as well as a detailed analysis of each player’s sleep quality, chronobiology, performance, and wellbeing to create individual sleep profiles and action plans that will ensure the team is truly awakening its best.

Heading up Emma’s Sleep Consultancy programme is psychologist and sleep expert, Theresa Schnorbach, who said: “With Emma’s sleep consultancy programme, our goal is to use the power of sleep to maximise Burnley’s performance and ensure they’re at the top of their game throughout the season, as well as educating the wider community on the benefits of a great night’s sleep.”

Mark Thompson, Chief Commercial Officer at Burnley FC, added: “We look forward to working closely with the innovative and dynamic Emma team and developing the partnership over the course of the season.”

Cavendish Cancer Care partners with Mattress Online

Magnet, Paul’s wealth of experience will help us further develop our wider customer and colleague proposition as we continue to grow.”

Independent interiors business opens debut store

responsible for running the company’s technology department, leveraging technology investment to create business value and delivering world class digital customer experience to help facilitate Dreams’ growth strategy. Dan brings over 30 years of senior experience across a variety of businesses including Lastminute.com, New Look and ASOS.

Nationwide beds retailer Bensons for Beds has confirmed it has appointed Paul Owen to join its leadership team as Chief Retail Officer.

Paul will join Bensons after almost three years as board member and director of store operations for Magnet Limited. Paul also has significant experience of the bed and mattress market, serving for four years as retail director at Dreams. His extensive retail leadership background also includes roles at Fraser Hart, Carphone Warehouse and B&Q.

Bensons chief executive officer Nick Collard is delighted to welcome Paul to the Bensons team. “Paul is a retailing expert who brings over 30 years’ experience in retail but specifically has a strong history within the highticket sector and retail organisations of scale where colleagues are vital to the customer journey.

“Like us, he understands the pivotal role the expertise of our colleagues plays in helping customers find the right sleep solution for them. I’m looking forward to that colleague-focus helping us further unlock the power of our own people.

“Having sat on the operating boards of both Dreams and most recently

Independent furnishing and homeware business Love All Things Quirky has announced the opening of its debut store. Located at 11 Market Place in Guisborough, the new store marks the first time the business, run by Nicola Ash, has ventured into a physical space after growing an impressive following through Instagram.

Dreams makes changes to its executive leadership team

Bed retailer Dreams has announced the appointment of Petra Kasperova as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Dan West as Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Petra has been promoted to CFO from her role as director of finance and insight. With 19 years’ experience at Dreams, Petra has been at the heart of the company’s finance team. As CFO, Petra will lead Finance and Insights, and will assume accountability for Dreams’ Risk, Health & Safety team.

Petra’s appointment comes as current CFO Kim Zaheer steps down after 15 years in the role. During that time, he has played an instrumental role in the turnaround of Dreams and the sale of the business to Tempur Sealy.

Dan, Dreams’ first CIO, will be

New Sleep Store department launches at The Range

Home, garden and leisure retailer The Range has announced the launch of its new Sleep Store within selected locations.

The Range has launched the concept in its Warrington, Dudley, and Kidderminster stores following a surge in bed-related sales – up by around 60%.

The Sleep Store, which is also available online, features beds, LED beds, tepee beds, sofa beds, and storage beds. The Range said searches for ‘cooling mattresses’ and ‘black-out blinds’ have also proved very popular in recent weeks.

Commenting on the new Sleep Store, The Range said: “There’s always a natural swing for shoppers to think outdoors-first as summer kicks in, ensuring their garden space is a place they can relax and entertain. However, shoppers are also keen to grab a bargain and with our new unbeatable prices for beds and mattresses, now could be the time to buy and make a saving.

“We have everything set out in our sleep stores to make things as easy as possible to budget. Customers will be able to view the bed along with the mattress, bedding and even accessories such as throws and laundry baskets.”

Wiemann aims to build on early Denver success

styling, it was clear that the quality of the furniture was what you would expect from a top brand which aligned with my own quality expectations and standards.”

Having started his career at the age of 16 as an upholstery apprentice, Mark quickly moved his way up the ladder over the years, eventually moving across to other companies such as DFS and Furniture Village.

German bedroom furniture manufacturer Wiemann has praised the success of its latest Denver range.

Displayed at the recent Spring Furniture & Beds Show, the range has proven to be popular with its versatility in different colour combinations.

“The eye-catching VIP collection with its unique decking-style panel attracted plenty of attention at recent shows,” Wiemann said. “A sliding and hinged wardrobe, it is available in a range of best-selling finishes and, with a decking overlay for outer or centre doors in matching or contrasting colours, the range gives a variety of bold or subtle finishes to suit every bedroom.”

Simon Hewitt, managing director of Wiemann’s sole agents for the UK and Ireland, Litmus Furniture, added: “Denver in champagne, as seen at the Spring Furniture Show, is a total contrast to previous show displays using the graphite/bianco oak combination. Every Denver finish combination gives a different look demonstrating the flexibility of this product. No wonder it was our stand-out range at recent exhibitions.

“Versatile slider range, Miami, and Tampa, a hinged wardrobe with plenty of colour choices, were also popular given their outstanding value for money. Customer feedback from the shows suggest that Wiemann’s displays are well worth the visit with a pleasing mix of products but with a cohesive theme.”

Wiemann will continue to showcase the Denver range at the upcoming Irish Furniture and Homewares Show in Dublin, which takes place from 2-4 July, as well as at the Long Point show during September from 18-20 September, the NBF Bed Show, also in September from 26-27, and finally from the 3-4 October at the Autumn Furniture Show.

Sofa maker appoints new Head of Operations

Upholstery manufacturer Hydeline has announced the appointment of Mark Jeffery to the position of Head of Operations.

With the business forecasted to grow significantly in 2023, and with over 30 years experience in manufacturing and operations, Mark will be focussed on the delivery of the company’s ambitious plans for the coming year and beyond.

Mark said: “I am very excited to have joined the Hydeline team, due in the main because of their “At the Helm” brand and the more traditional furniture style which took me back to my days as an apprentice where I first fell in love with furniture. Along with this product

After nearly 10 years at Furniture Village within various roles, Mark made the decision to take on a new challenge as Head of Quality Control (HOQC) at Studio Moderna where he oversaw 6 production facilities and the implemented many production lines and quality processes. After 5 years as HOQC he was then promoted to Head of International Operations and was responsible for all operations from PO placement to the final delivery of goods from the 6 production facilities.

Mark continues: “The year ahead will be tough across the furniture industry. With the cost-of-living crisis showing no signs of abating, luxury purchases like furniture will not be on the top of everyone’s shopping list. So, to encourage the luxury spend you will need to be a standout brand coupled with class defining quality. Hydeline has both elements and I know we will have a successful albeit tough year.”

To further support the company’s growth, Hydeline has also enhanced its Regional Sales, Customer Hub and Finance departments with the respective additions of Glynn Wareham, Phoebe Jones and Kristina Simkova to the team.

Hydeline’s Managing Director, Jonathan Burrage, added: “We have several exciting plans in the pipeline for 2023/24. As well as growing the experience of our existing team through training and personal development, the addition of Mark, Glynn, Phoebe and Kristina will serve the business and our valued customers well for the future. We are excited to have them join the team and we look forward to sharing more news in the coming months.”

Vogue’s new National Sales Manager

Bed and mattress manufacturer Vogue Beds Group has confirmed the appointment of Marc Cotton as its new National Sales Manager. Marc joins Vogue with an extensive knowledge in the furniture industry with over 30 years of experience having worked for ScS, Lebus, VIDA and Julian Bowen.

Oak Furnitureland launches upholstered beds range

Furniture retailer Oak Furnitureland has announced the launch of its new exclusive upholstered beds, featuring a collection of seven beds to its product offering, which has been exclusively designed for the brand and includes a unique upholstered headboard. In a first for the brand, each of the seven bed styles is made from timber and available in a choice of three colourways and three luxury fabric finishes.

LOFT’s new partnership with Grado

Design and interior furnishings provider LOFT has announced a new partnership with Chinese furniture brand Grado. Founded in 2014, Grado produces unique Italian-inspired furniture from its Hangzhou base and supplies products to 20 countries. As part of the new partnership, LOFT is the sole supplier of Grado furniture to the UK.

New furniture upcycling business launches in the UK

ReFunk, a Dublin-headquartered marketplace for upcyled furniture, has announced its launch in the UK. ReFunk is a female-led start-up that connects consumers and businesses with furniture upcyclers to commission sustainable furniture for their homes and offices. The business has also partnered with transport company AnyVan to provide delivery services.