Cabinet Maker 8th February 2019

DESIGN

Frank Olsen Furniture reflects on their recent JFS outing as well as detailing the growing trend of technology.

1st FEBRUARY 2019 £3.75 l

MANUFACTURE

Cabinet Maker sat down with new BFM managing director, Nick Garratt, following the recent January Furniture Show.

first issue: 1st July 1880

GALLERY DIRECT | TATE COLLECTION

RETAIL

An indepth look at eve Sleep’s redefined strategy as it looks to build future growth.

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DAN SqUIRES

cAbINET-mAKER.co.UK 01223 846 825 PUBLIShER Stewart Rickersey stewart@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372218 EDITOR Dan Squires dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372215 SALES Sharon Rickersey Operations & Sales Manager sharon@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372213 kacem Ellabbar kacem@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372214 Peter Topley peter@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372159 PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION Tim Morriss tim@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372158

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Are we all fed up of hearing about Brexit and the uncertainty it brings? I can take a guess with the answer being yes! However, there was some really encouraging news this week from the apprenticeship sector of our industry. The Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA) announced that the Institute for Apprenticeships (IFA) has approved five new Level 3 apprenticeship standards for the furnishing industry.

Ok, it may not be the answer to those million and one Brexit questions, but it is a positive step in combating one area of the industry that has been highlighted as suffering – the skills gap. The approved standards include Bespoke Furniture Maker, Advanced Furniture CNC Technician, Advanced Upholsterer, Fitted Furniture Design Technician and New Furniture Product Developer, which have been developed in close partnership by the BFM and Furniture Makers’ Company. And the good news doesn’t stop there. FIESTA is now calling for higher apprenticeships standards but needs the industry to raise demand. I encourage those in the furnishings sector take up the survey launched by FIESTA, which runs until the end of February.

In light of apprenticeship success, Westbridge Furniture has recently showcased how successful this route can be. Their collaboration with a local college has continued to blossom, leaving the manufacturer wanting more as Nick Arundell, HR manager at Westbridge, says: “With the uncertainty of Brexit and near full employment in the local labour market, we are looking to young local people to be our next generation

of highly skilled upholsterers as our business continues to grow, so it’s an ideal time to join us.”

Another industry figure – and another Nick for that matter - who is keen to help push this initiative is new BFM MD, Nick Garratt, who spoke to Cabinet Maker in an exclusive Q&A in this week’s editorial. In keeping with this week, the CM team talks to MHR on the benefits of their software solutions for the furniture industry, an in-depth look at boxed mattress brand eve Sleep’s new strategy, the growing trend of technology in furniture thanks to an insight from Frank Olsen and the new face behind nursery furniture brand Obaby.

Reverting back to apprenticeships, this is a key milestone that will only benefit the industry, as Gary Baker, FIESTA chairman, concludes: “After the successful introduction of the Level 2 standards, we’re excited by the prospect of training a host of new apprentices at the Level 3 standard.”

It’s time to bleed more young blood into this fantastic world of furniture.

Dan Squires Editor

The opinions and views expressed in Cabinet Maker are not necessarily those of Information Publications Ltd. Being subject to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines in place at the time of going to press, all data submitted by advertisers and contained in their advertising copy is accepted by Information Publications Ltd in good faith.

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INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE

ne w s

06

FEATURES Intelligent Furniture

14

Frank Olsen Furniture reflects on their recent JFS outing as well as detailing the growing trend of technology.

16

Future Focus

Cabinet Maker takes an indepth look at eve Sleep’s redefined strategy as it looks to build future growth.

18

SOLUTION PROVIDER MHR talks to Cabinet Maker about the benefits their technology has for the furniture industry.

22

Backing Obaby

20

Obaby speaks about their new partnership with celebrity star Amy Childs.

In the hot seat

22

Cabinet Maker sat down with new BFM managing director, Nick Garratt, following the recent January Furniture Show.

LAST WORD

26

Sweetpea & Willow share its top 10 interior predictions for 2019 in the Last Word.

16

20

NEWS

NEWS IN BRIEF q1 SALES DEcLINE

Tile specialist Topps Tiles has reported a decline in first quarter sales compared to a ‘strong’ comparative period. According to its latest trading update ended 29 December 2018, total like-forlike revenues decreased by 1.4% from a growth of 3.4% in 2018. Topps said that it had opened one and closed two stores during the period, ending with 367 across the UK.

Award nominations

Shire Beds has been nominated for the Small Manufacturer Award at the Insider’s Made in Yorkshire 2019 awards as well as for two 2019 Yorkshire Choice awards, including Independent Business of the Year and Business Woman of the Year. The winners for the Made In Yorkshire awards will be announced on 7 March. The winners for the Yorkshire Choice awards will be revealed on 6 April.

RETAIL

Upholstery retailer ends talks to buy Sofa.com Upholstered furniture and floorings retailer ScS has confirmed it has ended talks over a potential acquisition of online retailer Sofa.com.

ScS has issued an updated statement days after confirming that it had entered talks to buy the retailer but outlined that the transaction was by no means a ‘certainty’.

The company has now moved away from any deal but did not state its reason for ending talks.

In a short statement, ScS said: “The Group confirms that ScS Group plc is no longer in discussions regarding a potential acquisition of the business and assets of Sofa.com Limited.”

According to reports, the other interested party is understood to be Mike Ashley, owner of Direct International and House of Fraser, who has tabled a bid to buy the retailer.

Earlier this week Sky News said that Ashley sees a Sofa.com deal as a good move due to its existing concessions within a number of its House of Fraser stores.

The withdrawal of interest from ScS now follows its statement in October where it said it would pull its 27 concessions at House of Fraser stores from January, stating the partnership was ‘no longer beneficial to ScS’.

w www.scs.co.uk Competition

Bespoke firm Calon Furniture is celebrating a year in business with a charitable donation.

Situated in Llangollen, North Wales, Calon Furniture has listed a handmade larder for sale to the highest bidder, with all the proceeds going to Cancer Research UK. The larder, which is 2.1metres high and 900mm wide by 510mm, has been open for bids since 26 January and runs until 30 March 2019.

SHoP PRIcES INcH UP

Shop prices inched up during January although non-food prices were cheaper than last year. According to the latest BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index for January 2019, overall shop prices increased by 0.4% yearon-year. Non-food prices fell by -0.3% on last year, whilst food prices rose 1.5% compared to January last year.

mANUFAcTURE

TEXTILE bUSINESS ENTERS ADmINISTRATIoN; bUyER SoUgHT Home furnishings textile supplier Textile Imports Limited has entered administration.

Steven Muncaster and Sarah Bell, both of Duff & Phelps, were appointed as joint administrations of Burnley-based Textile Imports Limited on 31 January 2019.

Administrators said that the business has suffered cash flow issues as a result of a ‘poor trading position’ and that 22 of its 33 employees have been made redundant.

The business continues to trade while a buyer is sought.

USA closure

USA furniture business Standard Furniture has announced that it will cease manufacturing laminated case goods at its Bay Minette, Alabama location on 31 March 2019, impacting around 185 jobs. The product line represents less than 6% of the company’s annual revenue. It will relocate its home accessories and warehousing operations from Frisco City, Alabama to the Bay Minette location.

8th February 2019 | 06

New license

Slovakian furniture manufacturer SANAS a.s. has signed a license agreement with Välinge for the use of Threespine® click furniture technology. SANAS will thereby be able to increase the quality of its furniture and is now targeting new business opportunities.

With Threespine, SANAS will be able to increase the strength of the connections by approximately 30%.

Textile Imports Limited has been established since 1953 and manufactures, designs, imports and distributes a range of branded home furnishings, and owns the Hamilton McBride and Home Creations brands.

In a press statement, administrators said: “The company has faced a series of cash flow challenges in recent months as a result of a poor trading position. This has been driven in part by the softening of consumer demand which has depressed spending.

“It is however, our stated intention to continue to trade the business as we search for a buyer and would encourage anyone who is interested to contact us.”

w www.duffandphelps.com

aQO mANUFAcTURE

NEW mD AND SALES DIREcToR Upholstery manufacturer Ashley Manor has confirmed two new senior appointments.

Passionate industry expert Paul Whitelocks has joined the business as its new managing director. He has a wealth of experience working with Christie Tyler, Ultra, Wyevale Group, The Belfield Group and Alexander & James.

Above: Paul Whitelocks Below: Lisa Broad

A natural entrepreneur, Paul has latterly founded The Cotswold Bed Company which is a quintessential English business, crafted online.

Now displaying stability and growth after it’s two year incubation period - his wife Alejandra takes over the running of it whilst Paul relishes his new opportunity as MD for Ashley Manor.

Commenting on his new role, Paul said: “I am delighted to be part of this exciting new chapter in Ashley Manor’s history. With many years of experience behind us, we have now added an extra ‘sparkle’ with Scott’s fabulous design skills and we launched our latest collections at January Furniture Show which really showcased our new design language.”

Furthermore, Ashley Manor has confirmed the appointment of Lisa Broad as its new sales director.

Lisa is well versed in the furniture industry. She grew up as the daughter of the highly regarded retired sales director for Alston’s, John Broad, which ignited her interest in the industry.

She spent many years as head of buying for Steinhoff Group, which included developing high profile launches within retailer Harveys. Lisa’s retail background also extends to BHS and Laura Ashley.

Speaking about her new role, Lisa said: “I’ve always had a real passion for upholstery and with my background in textiles I have a real interest in fabrics, design detailing and trends.”

Mark Smith CEO Ashley Manor, Alexander & James, AMX Design, commented on both appointments: “Paul was the obvious person for me to help steer Ashley Manor into it’s next phase as a fast growing British business. His appreciation of design, love of product and knowledge of the marketplace adds interesting layers to his expertise in running and developing companies, I’m looking forward to the next chapter. ” “We are all excited to be working with Lisa and it’s great that she took a turn in direction. We are extremely lucky to have her.”

w www.ashleymanor.co.uk 8th February 2019 | 07

news RETAIL

Furniture business looks to trial leasing model Swedish furniture giant IKEA has announced plans to start leasing furniture as it looks to create a ‘circular’ business model.

According to the Financial Times, IKEA will trial a rental model for office furniture and cabinets, which is set to begin in Switzerland this month.

IKEA said that the leasing model would see the business lease back furniture or re-use it, giving products a ‘prolonged’ period of life.

The model would see the retailer lease out furniture products for an agreed period of time, then it would either sell them or re-lease them following a little refurbishment.

The move is part of a series of tests that will see IKEA offer other ‘scalable subscription services’ for furniture as well as forming part of its transformation plan to offer more alternatives than just its traditional way of retailing.

So far, IKEA has already launched a smaller store concept, with Paris on its radar to open later this year. The new store will be IKEA’s smallest store at 58,000sq ft and will be situated in the Madeleine shopping centre.

Set to launch on 6 May 2019, the new store will focus on smaller products but also offers a click and collect service with IKEA announcing the opening of a new distribution centre in nearby Gennevilliers.

IKEA is planning further smaller openings in other cities across Europe including more in London and Copenhagen.

The group plans to reduce its climate footprint by 15% as well as earmarking plans to launch its own spare parts business to allow customers to buy replacement components for products no longer stocked in its stores.

w www.ikea.com

MANUFACTURE

MANUFACTURE

Wholesaler relocates; furniture retailer buys site Soft furnishings and lighting wholesaler Harrison’s has relocated to a new facility following the sale of its former space an independent furniture retailer.

Harrison’s has recently moved to new 28,500sq ft warehouse premises on Shuttleworth Mead Business Park.

Negotiations were concluded with the Burnley office, whilst the Blackburn office secured instructions to dispose of the longstanding Queen Mill site on Queens Road that the company had occupied for 52 years.

The former mill site was recently sold by Trevor Dawson on behalf of Harrisons to the established furniture retailer the Taskers Group.

Harrison’s, which mainly wholesales health and beauty products, stationery, toys, confectionery and home accessories items – including lighting and cushions, said that the move would improve productivity.

Paul Sanderson, Harrison’s managing director, said: “Whilst we are a little sad to leave our former mill premises, we are excited by the relocation to a modern warehouse which is already improving productivity.

“We are grateful to Trevor Dawson for helping us secure our new site and also bringing forward a disposal of our Accrington site to the Taskers Group.”

w www.harrisonsdirect.co.uk

RETAIL

Furniture retailer brings store estate to 100; USA debut National retailer Oak Furnitureland has announced the opening of its first showroom in Slough and its 100th store.

Profits lower due to higher material costs

Located in Slough at the Slough Retail Park, the 17,635sq ft showroom features a mezzanine floor has created six new jobs.

Dudley-based upholstered furniture manufacturer ACL (2002) Limited has reported a third straight year of growth in turnover.

The new Slough showroom features over 20 ranges including the new Arlette, Brooklyn and Shaker ranges, the painted ranges, Shay, and St Ives, as well as the natural oak ranges Romsey and Wiltshire, and sofas and armchairs.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, total sales rose 3.4% to £17.8m from £17.2m in 2017, adding to its previous years growth of 15%.

Despite the uptick in sales, gross profit fell to £3.4m from £4.7m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £456,400 compared to its profit of £1.4m in 2017.

Stated within its report, ACL, which supplies furniture retailer ScS, said that the reduction in profits was due to increased material costs.

Ben North, regional manager at Oak Furnitureland, commented: “Following on from the success of our stores in the region we’re thrilled to have opened our first showroom in Slough, and our 100th showroom nationwide. Reaching 100 stores is an exciting milestone for us and the Slough team is proud to be part of our expansion programme across the UK, which has seen the creation of over 500 jobs nationwide.”

Oak Furnitureland has also announced the opening of its first US store in Wayside shopping centre in Burlington, Massachusetts.

The business has confirmed that it is in the process of addressing this issue by sourcing materials from ‘more competitive suppliers’ as well as agreeing better rates with existing suppliers.

The 16,465sq ft store showcases the brand’s signature hardwood furniture collections and is first physical presence following its online only launch in the US back in 2016.

w www.linkedin.com/acl-2002-limited

w www.oakfurnitureland.co.uk

8th February 2019 | 08

aQO DESIGN

RETAIL

Boxed mattress brand moves into lighting

Upholstery retailer ‘in line with expectations’

Mattress-in-a-box brand Casper has announced the launch of its first connected sleep innovation.

Upholstered furniture and flooring retailer ScS has reported a growth in sales during its first half of the year.

The Casper Glow Light, which aims to improve the sleep environment, is a result from its dedicated Labs research.

According to its latest trading update for the 26 weeks ended 26 January 2019, like-for-like order intake was up 1.5% and was ‘in line with expectations’.

“Casper applied millions of data points and years of expertise in sleep research and science toward addressing a top environmental factor—light—that often gets in the way of a good night’s rest,” the brand said.

The Glow light gradually dims that cues your body for bed to help establish healthy sleep patterns. The light is accompanied by the Casper Glow app for setup and customisation, including a Bluetooth feature.

Neil Parikh, Casper co-founder, added: “We believe in the power of a more well-rested world. Glow raises the bar on sleep innovation while bringing joy back to bedtime.”

The Casper Glow Light officially launched in the UK on 29 January 2019 through its website.

w www.casper.com

MANUFACTURE

Five Apprenticeships standards approved The Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA) is delighted to announce that the Institute for Apprenticeships (IFA) has approved five new Level 3 apprenticeship standards for the furnishing industry.

The standards, which were approved in December 2018, are Bespoke Furniture Maker, Advanced Furniture CNC Technician, Advanced Upholsterer, Fitted Furniture Design Technician and New Furniture Product Developer.

The development of the standards was co-funded by the British Furniture Manufacturers Association and The Furniture Makers’ Company and follow the launch of the Level 2 apprenticeship standards in 2016. Both sets of standards have been written with industry under the government’s Trailblazer initiative.

FIESTA hopes that the new apprenticeship standards will be available for use by May 2019 once End Point Assessment plans have been developed.

Gary Baker, FIESTA chairman, said: “After the successful introduction of the Level 2 standards, we’re excited by the prospect of training a host of new apprentices at the Level 3 standard.”

FIESTA is now calling for the industry to take part in a survey to ascertain demand for higher apprenticeships. The survey, which will close on 28 February 2019.

Gary added: “It’s important for industry to realise that we can only develop standards when we have established demand from employers. If there is a higher apprenticeship standard required, it is essential that industry lets us know by completing the survey.”

w www.fiestalearning.com

Two-year like-for-like order intake has grown 4.5%. Trading over the key winter sales period, whilst impacted, as expected, by the loss of one trading day in the week of Boxing Day, was also in line with expectations.

ScS confirmed that it has now ceased trading from all 27 concessions within House of Fraser.

Commenting on the update, ScS said: “The Group has traded in line with the Board’s expectations in the first half of the financial year.

“Whilst we are mindful of the risk from the impending Brexit outcome, we believe the Group’s increasing resilience puts the business in a strong position to manage the continued economic uncertainty and take advantage of opportunities.”

ScS has also moved to confirm its interest in the acquisition of online retailer Sofa.com, with talks understood to be ongoing.

w www.scs.co.uk

MANUFACTURE

New sponsors for London Fabric Show 2019 Two new names are joining the list of sponsors for the 2019 London Fabric Show.

Taking place at the Chelsea F.C ground at Stamford Bridge on 4th and 5th March 2019, the show will have a total of seven sponsors. The new sponsors adding their support are OAL (Occupation Awards Limited) and LTS (Lancashire Testing Services).

Set up in 2015, OAL is a recognised awarding organisation and approved end-point assessment (EPA) organisation. They work across a range of industry sectors and is the primary organisation working in the furniture industry in relation to apprenticeships and qualifications.

LTS is UKAS accredited (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) to carry out testing to various British, European and International standards, for flammability, physical performance and quality.

Their testing includes flammability testing for domestic and contract upholstery, mattresses, bedding and curtaining, as well as testing for colour fastness to artificial light and daylight, water, and rubbing.

OAL and LTS join fellow show sponsors: Flanders Investment and Trade Agency (FIT), Fedustria vzw (Federation of the Belgian Textile, Woodworking & Furniture Industry), Aqua Clean Group, CPS Group, Orbital Vision, Lectra and Welters Organisation Worldwide.

The London Fabric Show is organised by the BFM and features over 35 high-end fabric producers from the UK and Europe.

w www.londonfabricshow.uk 8th February 2019 | 09

news RETAIL

Independent retailer completes flooring upgrade Another phase of the ongoing £1million refurbishment project at Glasswells home furnishing superstore has been completed, with the modernisation of their huge flooring showroom in Bury St Edmunds.

The carpet and rug displays have been given a fresh, modern look to clearly show shoppers the different choices of materials and colours on offer. The new-look hard flooring area, showcases luxury vinyl tiles, laminate and engineered wood flooring designs from leading brands including Amtico and Karndean.

The new department boasts interactive screens and extra-large samples of the products, helping customers to visualise what their new floor will look like.

Paul Glasswell, managing director of Glasswells, explained: “This ambitious refurbishment, the most comprehensive in Glasswells’ history, has all been planned with the customer in mind. We have always strived to offer our customers the latest and most stylish furnishing options and it is essential that our environment provides visitors with the very best shopping experience.

“We are a forward thinking Company and understand how important it is to move with the times and embrace change.

Whilst we continue to work through the store and give each department a fresh, new look, our ethos of offering the widest choice, at the best value, with the highest customer service remains the same.”

The works so far have involved an extension and complete refit of the in-store Place to Eat restaurant and full redecoration of the furniture and bedroom display areas.

The next phase of this huge project is due to start in the Spring, with the soft furnishing and interior design departments getting a complete style overhaul.

w www.glasswells.co.uk

MANUFACTURE

furniture firm acquires new warehouse Contract furniture firm Fuse Contract Furniture has announced the acquisition of its new premises.

Fuse has expanded their business operation to a new production warehouse comprising 25,000sq ft on Shadsworth Business Park.

Fuse are currently based in Huncoat and are undergoing a fit out of the new unit at Shadsworth which was previously occupied

by Reed Medical who have relocated.

The company manufactures hand-crafted bespoke furniture for the hotel and leisure industries.

Trevor Dawson acted for the landlord in the negotiations for a long term lease and director, Jason Rawson, commented: “Fuse are a local company who will be looking to employ additional staff in the short term as they seek to expand their product range and client base.”

w www.fusecontractfurniture.com 8th February 2019 | 10

MANUFACTURE

Tile business enters administration Tile manufacturer British Ceramic Tile has entered administration and ceased trading with immediate effect.

Alastair Massey, Tony Wright and Andrew Sheridan, from advisory firm FRP Advisory LLP, were appointed as joint administrators on 30 January 2019.

In a statement, administrators said that ‘challenging trading conditions’ and the loss of a ‘key customer’ forced the business to collapse, making 313 staff redundant.

Administrators added that it has kept on 67 employees to support an ‘orderly winding down’ process of the business.

British Ceramic Tile operates across the UK in Newton Abbot, Devon and Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire and specialised in wall and flooring tiles.

Andrew Sheridan said in a statement: “Unfortunately, challenging trading conditions and the termination of a key customer contract in recent days have forced the business to enter administration and cease trading with immediate effect.

“We are currently providing support to the affected employees and are working closely with the Redundancy Payments Service to ensure the best possible outcome in this difficult period. In the meantime, we would urge any parties interested in acquiring the business to contact us as soon as possible.”

w www.frpadvisory.com

RETAIL

UK consumers remain in a ‘wait and see’ mode Consumer confidence in the UK remained stable in January, but was still five points lower than this time last year.

According to GfK’s latest findings, the Consumer Confidence Index remained at -14 in January 2019. Within the report, the measure for the General Economic Situation of the country during the last 12 months dropped four points to -35.

The Major Purchase Index stayed at the same level in January 2019 at +2; this is one point lower than January 2018, indicating that confidence in consumers wanting to buy big-ticket items including furniture remained positive.

The Savings Index has decreased two points in January to +14; this is four points higher than at this time last year.

Joe Staton, client strategy director at GfK, said: “With the Overall Index Score stuck at -14 this month, UK consumers remain in a ‘wait and see’ holding pattern in the face of political chaos in Westminster. We’re feeling slightly more confident about our personal finances, thanks to the effect of strong employment, low interest and inflation rates, and rising household incomes.

However, concerns about the wider economic prospects for the country continue to weigh and depress the Overall Index Score.

“We have a -39 for ‘General Economic Situation over the next 12 months’ – the lowest for more than seven years and getting close to the levels we saw at the end of 2008 and in early 2009.”

w www.gfk.com

f o r F ull st o ries and dail y news updates : W W W . C a b i n e t - m a k e r . c o . u k

aQO

DESIGN

RETAIL

Design event prepares for decade celebration

Developer acquires home furnishings retail park

Organisers of Clerkenwell Design Week have revealed that this year’s edition of the show will be its biggest and best to date.

Regeneration developer U+I has announced the acquisition of a retail park in Clacton-On-Sea.

Celebrating its 10th birthday, CDW, which takes place from 21-23 May 2019, will play host to a show full of celebration and achievement, highlighting the popularity and success of the event.

The Waterglade Retail Park has been acquired for £11.3m in an off-market transaction.

Last year saw the international design community flock to Clerkenwell with 34,060 attendees and over 300 exhibiting brands, from major industry names such as Cappellini, Kvadrat and Moroso to newer emerging talents.

To mark CDW’s first decade, expect the biggest and best programme yet with installations celebrating the unique history of Clerkenwell, hundreds of design-led fringe events, pop-ups, workshops, talks and showroom presentations.

Activities will run over three days and follow a distinct trail from north to south from Design Fields down to Light held in Fabric nightclub.

To mark the 10th anniversary celebration, a new creative campaign and motion graphic has been commissioned by CDW, which features the work of design duo and brothers Cai and Kyn, who created the first ever identity for Clerkenwell Design Week back in 2010.

Teaming with illustrator Matt Harrison Clough, and animator Nigel Coan, the identity playfully uses the CDW letters to celebrate Clerkenwell’s cultural landmarks (represented in the C), design products (featured in the D) and CDW’s 10th anniversary (represented in the W) through a series of 10 logos.

Cai & Kyn said: “We were very excited to be invited back to work on the creative campaign for this year’s 10th edition. We’ve maintained a close relationship with the festival over the years and have had the pleasure of watching it grow into one of the world’s best design festivals.”

w www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com

MANUFACTURE

Furniture manufacture enters liquidation; assets to be sold Manufacturer of luxury kitchens Fabrio Joinery has been placed into liquidation.

Simon Rowe, of Milsted Langdon LLP, was appointed as liquidator on 10 January 2019.

On behalf of the liquidator, auctioneer MST Auctioneers has been instructed to sell assets of the business through a number of auctions that conclude on 13 February 2019.

Items up for sale include CNC and traditional woodworking machinery, Todd paint spraying booth as well as lots of other machinery and many power tools, drills, routers, sanders, festool vacuum units and workbenches.

w www.mstauctioneers.co.uk

Occupied by four tenants, including two home furnishing businesses Carpetright and B&M, the retail investment generates an initial yield of c.9%, with opportunity to deliver the double digit returns the Group’s business strategy targets through intensive asset management and re-gearing leases.

It will contribute towards the £50m of investment acquisitions targeted for this financial year.

Matthew Weiner, CEO of U+I, commented: “We are pleased with the continued recycling of our investment portfolio, in line with our stated strategy. The Clacton acquisition is wellpriced, provides a relevant offer to the catchment, and further opportunity to re-gear and reposition.”

w www.uandiplc.com

MANUFACTURE

Lighting group makes progress following rebrand Lighting manufacturer Signify has reported a growth in sales as it continues to grow following its rebrand.

According to its fourth quarter and full-year results 2018, Signify saw group sales increase by 10.1% to EUR 6.4bn. Net income resulted at EUR 261m, down from EUR 281m recorded in 2017.

Signify said it had continued to make solid progress on its simplification and cost reduction initiatives in 2018. These initiatives are centred around simplification of the organisation and processes, optimisation of the manufacturing footprint as well as cost savings in procurement and the indirect cost base.

This has, among others, reduced the adjusted indirect cost base

by EUR 224 million, or 10%, on a currency comparable basis in 2018. As a result, the adjusted indirect cost base decreased by 29.8% of sales, keeping the company well on track to further improve the adjusted indirect cost base.

Commenting on the results, Eric Rondolat, CEO, said: “We continued to make solid progress with our simplification and cost reduction actions in 2018, resulting in a substantial increase in profitability and strong free cash flow delivery.

“In line with our strategy, our growing profit engines – LED, Professional and Home - have strongly contributed to these improvements and our LED-based sales have grown by 2.5%, now representing 71% of total revenues.

“While market conditions are challenging, we continue to focus on new growth platforms to strengthen our market leadership and progressively improve our growth profile.”

The Eindhoven-based business has changed its name from Philips Lighting N.V. to Signify N.V. during 2018.

w www.signify.com 8th February 2019 | 11

news RETAIL

New KBB consultancy launches A new consultancy business aimed to deliver support services to the KBB sector has launched.

MANUFACTURE

Upholstery fabric manufacturer confirms new deal Mattress ticking and upholstery fabric manufacturer Boyteks has announced a new deal for upholstery fabric in England.

Simon Acres, former Group retail sales director of Omega PLC, has launched Acres Consultancy with a team of experienced professionals to offer considered recruitment, accredited sales training, video marketing, social media solutions, end to end web development and business consultancy.

Commenting on the launch, Simon said: “We are very excited about the launch of the new business and looking forward to adding value to our clients’ businesses. Our remit is to make a tangible difference, helping our clients to stand out from the competition, improve sales conversions and increase profits.”

w www.acresconsultancyltd.co.uk

DESIGN

New furnishings brand Curtain and blind manufacturer Ena Shaw has announced the launch of its new home furnishings brand, Tru Living.

Boyteks has confirmed that Dean Anderson (pictured) will carry out their sales activities.

Anderson, who has served in important positions in fabric sector for many years, has been supplying upholstery fabrics for manufacturers since January 1997.

Interested in art and architecture, Anderson likes to play golf, run and swim. He can be contacted at dean.anderson@boyteks.com.

Established as a world leader in mattress ticking, upholstery fabric and carpet manufacturing, last year Boyteks exported to more than 100 countries.

Tru Living offers five collections of ready-made curtains, roller blinds, cushions and lampshades. The collections are: Urban, Country, Festival, Stratus and Scandi, which were launched at this year’s Spring Fair trade show.

w www.boyteks.com

Ena Shaw commercial director Steven Ross, said: “Tru living has been designed to encourage add-on sales by offering a comprehensive design solution for peoples’ homes. Our in-house design team have curated five beautiful collections of products, which reflect classic, modern and retro interiors themes. For retailers it eases the journey from a single cushion purchase to a whole room makeover, without the need for any specialist knowledge.”

Furniture group appoints new sales & marketing director

MANUFACTURE

Luxury furniture group SMWF Limited, owner of Smallbone of Devizes, Mark Wilkinson Furniture and Brookmans has announced the appointment of Graham Jones (pictured) to the role of sales and marketing director.

w www.enashaw.co.uk

MANUFACTURE

Furnishings group says UK market is ‘flat’ International designer and distributor of luxury furnishing fabrics and wallpapers, Colefax Group has delivered a positive first half performance against a ‘weakening trading environment’.

According to its half year results for the six months ended 31 October 2018, total group sales rose 7.8% to £45.38m from £42.08m in 2017; up by 7.7% on a constant currency basis.

Colefax said its Decorating Division delivered a strong first half with profits up from £213,000 to £738,000.

Its core Fabric Division saw sales increase by 1% £36.89m from £36.47m last year, with UK sales remaining flat. Revenues in the US rose 2%, whilst sales in the EU fell 1%.

Group pre-tax profit was up 41% to £3.62m from £2.56m, whilst net cash increased by £1.6m to £11.1m.

Jones joins a team led by executive chairman Ian Gray, who was appointed in September 2018 to drive forward the future success of the company.

Commenting on the new role, Graham said: “I am excited to be joining a company that includes much loved iconic British brands. As leaders in the design and manufacture of luxury and bespoke cabinetry, made by skilled artisans, the business has tremendous potential for success not only in the UK, but around the world, particularly in the USA where they already have established showrooms.”

Ian added: “I am delighted to welcome Graham to SMWF. He has exceptional knowledge, sales skills and significant experience of the kitchen industry. I am confident he will be a great asset to the team.”

David Green, Chairman, said: “In the UK trading remains challenging but could improve quickly if there is a satisfactory resolution to the current high level of Brexit uncertainty.”

SMWF has a flagship London showroom in Knightsbridge as well as a workshop and showroom in Devizes. The company was acquired by New York-based real estate development firm Extell Development Company in November 2018.

w www.colefaxgroupplc.com

w www.smallbone.co.uk

8th February 2019 | 12

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Furniture maker looks for more apprenticeship success

MANUFACTURE

Storage manufacturer awarded Manufacturing Guild Mark

An apprentice partnership between a furniture manufacturer and college has been a continued success.

Coleg Cambria has supplied Westbridge Furniture with six apprentices since joining forces with the Deeside-based company and is encouraging more youngsters aged 16-18 to enrol on their popular traineeship scheme before moving on to a full apprenticeship.

In collaboration with North Lancs Training Group, the Level 2 Upholstery Apprenticeship programme runs for two years.

Participants are given the opportunity to put the finishing touches to chairs, sofas and beds for global customers including IKEA, M&S and John Lewis.

Learners spend up to eight weeks at Cambria’s Deeside site as part of the traineeship scheme, where they are taught basic employability skills such as time-keeping, teamwork and health and safety.

The following four weeks are spent on work placement at Westbridge. As an active member of the production team, participants will gain first-hand experience of the sector and company values, after which, if successful, they will be invited to begin the two-year apprenticeship programme.

Nicola Gaughran, operations manager for Traineeships at Coleg Cambria, said: “We are delighted to be in partnership with Westbridge Furniture, and to be able to give young people in the region this opportunity.”

Westbridge Furniture operates out of three UK production sites, including Deeside and Holywell, employing over 1300 people in the UK. The firm manufactures in excess of 10,000 pieces of upholstery per week, with an annual turnover of more than £90m.

HR Manager Nick Arundell says there is demand for more production workers – particularly in upholstery - and is delighted to have already recruited trainees from the college.

He added: “We have four apprentices who were part of the launch who are now past the halfway stage and doing very well.

They have grown as individuals as well as on the practical side, and within the first six months one of them was even going out to local schools to demonstrate upholstery to pupils and donated to them the furniture they made together.

“As well as the hands-on work the apprentices have visited our other manufacturing facilities to learn more about other parts of the process, from production design and development to automated processes.

“By the end of the programme they will be highly-skilled upholsterers with knowledge and a practical insight into the workings of our company. As Westbridge Furniture continues to go from strength to strength, that’s exactly the kind of staff we need.

“With the uncertainty of Brexit and near full employment in the local labour market, we are looking to young local people to be our next generation of highly skilled upholsterers as our business continues to grow, so it’s an ideal time to join us.”

w www.westbridgefurniture.com

Educational storage manufacturer Gratnells is the latest company to be awarded the prestigious Manufacturing Guild Mark from The Furniture Makers’ Company after successfully passing the rigorous independent audit.

Headquartered in Harlow, Essex, Gratnells is a privately owned, British manufacturer of storage systems for educational purposes, namely metal frames, metal trolleys and injection moulded trays.

Gratnells’ history can be traced back to 1890, and since the company’s official incorporation in 1971, the business has focused on the schools market. The company has grown considerably over the years and today it exports to 68 countries in addition to serving the UK. Manufacturing Guild Mark chairman Ben Burbidge presented Murray Hudson, managing director at Gratnells (pictured), with the Manufacturing Guild Mark on 17 January 2019.

Manufacturing Guild Mark chairman Ben Burbidge said: “We’re delighted to welcome an educational furniture manufacturer to the increasing list of holders, which goes to show that the Mark is relevant across all sectors within the wider furnishing industry.”

Murray Hudson, managing director and chairman at Gratnells, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this award as recognition of all our hard work in advancing our manufacturing processes and environment. Achieving a Manufacturing Guild Mark accreditation has provided us with the ideal springboard to further advance our engineering capabilities.”

w www.gratnells.com

RETAIL

Closure due to ‘retail slump’ Independent home furnishings business Fun & Funky Furnishings has confirmed closure plans.

The store’s, which is based on Orwell Place in Ipswich and has been open for over two and a half years, owner Paul Richards revealed it would close due to the ‘slump’ in widespread retail.

The shop will officially close when the landlord of the property finds a buyer.

Paul added that his passion in furniture will continue and will still craft bespoke pieces to sell online once the store has closed.

w www.facebook.com/funandfunkyfurnishings 8th February 2019 | 13

F E A T U R E |F R A N K o L S E N

Intel bed range

Charlie Graybrook, director at Frank Olsen Furniture, reflects on their recent January Furniture Show outing as well as detailing the growing trend of technology.

Technology within furniture is a trend that is growing within the industry. From more user friendly websites, apps and online product design tools to actually having tech built into the product itself. One particular business that has embraced this movement is Frank Olsen, which states the strapline ‘intelligent furniture’. It is clear to see where their innovations sit.

Having recently showcased its latest products at the January Furniture Show last month, Cabinet Maker caught up with Charlie Graybrook, director at Frank Olsen Furniture, on his thoughts post-show and what emerging trends in technology are to be expected.

“The January Furniture Show was a great opportunity for us to show our current key retailers our new ranges and discuss the coming year. We also met some good new retail partners, so overall it was a positive show for us despite footfall being down. I felt there was an air of caution in general due to the current uncertain retail climate. I think that the shows in Germany, NEC, AIS & Paris are all so very close together and for the buyers that visit these, it is a lot to take in and a lot to 8th February 2019 | 14

visit and travel over a relatively short period,” Charlie said.

“However, we launched two new ranges, our new contemporary living room range in matt grey and walnut or oak veneer which features our wireless charging. We also launched our first steps into the bedroom market with our new contemporary wireless charging tech based bedroom range. In fact, this range was shortlisted for an award for its innovation. We also offer multi-channel opportunities for retail partners which helps make a difference.”

In keeping with the theme of wireless, Charlie revealed that this area of product design and incorporation is going to be a key element in the year ahead. “Wireless charging is important, but more importantly is the way it is executed,” Charlie said, continuing: “Our patent pending technology for the hidden charging in the bedroom range will deliver something different and very much in tune with todays consumer.

“Technology is changing at a fast rate, just look at Amazon Alexa, with over 100million units now sold and then consider Google home on top of that in a relatively short

period of time, when you think of volumes, it certainly makes one really wonder where and what will happen next that changes the game in such a big way. I think that the difficult part in furniture is developing tech that adds value and enhances the product at the right price point.”

So why is it important to integrate technology functions into furniture?

Charlie was quick to answer: “Technology can and will enhance furniture from the consumers perspective and help the buying decision. However, the technology has to work with the furniture and add value in its practicality and design. That is the challenging part. It is possible, and we have experimented with various ideas to say ‘Alexa (Amazon Alexa), open the drawer’ and it will happen. But the reality it that it is pointless tech unless at the very high end in design and price point and then the volumes are needed to justify the development costs. It might look cool, but does it have the commercial value?

That is the challenge. We don’t want to let the cat out of bag just yet, but we do have some very interesting products in development.”

f o r F ull st o ries and dail y news updates : W W W . C a b i n e t - m a k e r . c o . u k invested heavily in product development, presentation of products and importantly, we continue to strive to improve all elements of our business and the service we give to our customers. We have a saying ‘If something is working well, then there is room to make it work better’. We try to constantly improve what we do and move forwards.”

Moving forward is exactly what the business intends to do in all areas mentioned as the company moves into what Charlie says, ‘will be an exciting year for the Frank Olsen brand’.

The company appears to be ahead of the game in development and Cabinet Maker will keep a watchful eye over the next year to find out more. Frank Olsen has also confirmed a new strategic partnership, which, again, remains tightly underwraps for the moment.

Make sure you check back with Cabinet Maker in the coming weeks.

Frank Olsen’s continued product development has in turn delivered ‘solid growth’ during the past year, as Charlie states: “Against a challenging retail environment, we have experienced solid growth of which we are very pleased and proud of. We have

“We have our new ranges coming out in both living room and bedroom, and we have just moved to a new larger office to ensure we have the infrastructure to grow,” said Charlie, concluding: “Our focus will be on maximising sales opportunities with our current partners, developing new accounts and ensuring that we have new, innovative and creative products coming through.”

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“Technology has to work with the furniture and add value in its practicality and design.”

w www.frankolsenfurniture.co.uk

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8th February 2019 | 15

F E A T U R E |E V E S L E E P

Cabinet Maker takes an indepth look at mattress-in-a-box brand eve Sleep’s redefined strategy as it looks to build future growth.

There has been plenty of movement within the boxed mattress market over the past few years. From new brands, product category expansions, mattress upgrades and more money being pumped into the sector.

However, one mattress-in-a-box brand recently identified that this over-populated market will not be sustainable by all that currently operate within it, heeding a warning to ‘learn fast’ or quite simply suffer the consequences.

“We are concerned with D2C brands honouring all their promises to consumers.

We would like the trust that consumers have with D2C brands, in terms of quality and service, be protected and strengthened rather than compromised by certain bad players in the field,” Emma Mattress said to Cabinet Maker in an editorial last month, continuing: “We have already seen the warning signs for those bed-in-a-box brands which do not operate a profitable and sustainable business model. Based on our perspective on consumer behaviour and marketing trends, we don’t see the strategy of some competitors showing the results needed for their businesses to continue operating in the same format. For those competitors who continue not to heed these warning signs 8th February 2019 | 16

or are simply unable to turn their business model into a profitable format, we expect to see consolidation or dropouts within the bedin-a-box market in 2019.”

From one boxed business to another, Cabinet Maker’s focus turns to eve Sleep who recently shared news of another funding round to raise £12m as well as stating that the business has showed signs of growth. According to its latest trading update for the 12 months ended 31 December 2018, total sales were ‘ahead of analyst expectations’ at £34.5m, helped by a ‘successfully traded Black Friday period’ and ‘early signs of conversion improvements’.

UK&I revenue increased 40% to £22.6m and France revenue increased 22% to £6.8m compared to their respective annual revenues in 2017. In the 10 month period to 31 October 2018, contribution after marketing before overheads was a loss of £1.1m in the UK&I and a loss of £3m in France over the same period.

The announcement was probably not a reaction to the aforementioned warning as eve’s new strategy has been forming since the back end of last year, starting with the appointment of its new CEO James Sturrock.

As soon as he entered the business on 10

September 2018, he conducted a detailed review of the business with the revised strategy to focus on the core sleep markets of the UK&I and France, which collectively are ‘estimated to be worth approximately £6bn per annum’.

So lets take a look at the new strategy, which focuses on three main aspects: differentiated brand positioning, expanded product range and a lower friction customer experience.

Differentiated brand positioning eve plans to continue to build brand awareness in its core markets through optimised marketing – focussing on improving efficiency through different media including Channel Four, enhanced targeting and customer engagement to increase brand awareness and growing its own media to build credibility and awareness through its commercial retail partnership channels and through brand partnership endorsements.

“In the UK the marketing strategy has been effective in driving growth in brand awareness and, at the same time, improving marketing efficiency, with unprompted brand awareness growing from 1.4% in December 2016 to 11.2% in August 2018,” eve outlined, continuing: “eve is currently the fifth most

f o r F ull st o ries and dail y news updates : W W W . C a b i n e t - m a k e r . c o . u k

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well-known mattress brand in the UK and eighth most well-known mattress brand in France and is the most searched for mattressin-a-box brand in the UK and second most searched for in France.”

Expanded product range eve also plans to expand more aggressively in its depth and range of products. The company’s new mattress range is ‘performing well’ and the company has recently launched its premium mattress. The company intends to offer a more extensive bedframe product offering, an extended textiles range, as well as lighting, furniture and accessories, with products to launch in Q1 2019. This also includes a full baby bed and sleep range in collaboration with the design collective Nous Vous. eve said it aims to more than double the range of products from 22 to around 60 products by the end of 2019, with further range expansions planned beyond that period.

“Product range expansion has driven growth in non-mattress revenue and also repeat ordering with online sales of non-mattress products in UK&I growing from approximately £0.3m in Q1 2017 to £1.1m in Q3 2018. In addition, online repeat orders in the UK have grown from approximately 8% in Q1 2016 to 12% in Q3 2018. We believe that this will help lead to increased cross-selling opportunities

and repeat purchases, thereby growing sales and reducing customer acquisition costs and, as a result, significantly improving unit economics.”

conversion rates will have a positive effect on ‘marketing effectiveness’ and will ‘improve the key metric of marketing as a percentage of revenue’.

Lower friction customer experience Moving on the third and final pillar, eve has recently made improvements to its customer experience, which has shown a noticeable improvement in UK conversion rates. The business believes that further increasing

The company plans to enhance the customer experience by improving its omni-channel presence, its online purchasing experience and by enhancing its delivery options. The company is also reviewing its retail and partnership strategy and, as part of that, Dreams has engaged with the company to re-negotiate certain commercial terms, with discussions ongoing.

“The rationale for this re-focus is twofold.

First, the UK&I and France are among the biggest sleep markets in Europe. Second, despite the company achieving growth across the rest of Europe in the first half of the year, the negative profit contribution from the company trading in this region was considered to be too great to justify continued investment,” eve said.

“Within the core markets of UK&I and France, the revised strategy is to transform eve from being a single product focused business to a repeat purchase, multi-product sleep specialist, building on the company’s growing share of the mattress market. By way of illustration, overheads and marketing as a percentage of revenue have the potential to decrease to under 30%. We believe that this updated strategy will help drive continued revenue growth and increase conversion.”

w www.evesleep.co.uk

8th February 2019 | 17

F E A T U R E |M H R

Mark Williams, head of product at MHR, talks to Cabinet Maker about the benefits their technology has for the furniture industry.

Established in 1984 by founder and chairman, John Mills, MHR specialises in quality HR and payroll solutions. Their aim is to constantly innovate its solutions to keep ahead of an ever-evolving world of work. The business, which is based in Ruddington, has grown to have offices in Ireland, the US and Singapore, and prides itself on the services it offers.

“At MHR we support the quality of our services and products through external verification to give confidence in our solutions. Our payroll services have Quality Partnership accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals and Bacs, as well as HMRC approval,” says 8th February 2019 | 18

Mark Williams, head of product at MHR, continuing: “Partnerships with organisations like Microsoft, SAP and IBM create trust in our knowledge and expertise. We invest in state-of-the-art data centres and intrusion prevention technologies to protect our customers’ data. All our products, services and security are developed in-house in our own engineering hub.

“Over the years, our services have developed to offer solutions in Talent Management, Recruitment, Workforce Management, Analytics, Strategic Consultancy, and more, to ensure we can offer one solution that covers the varying needs of our customers. This

approach has allowed us to maintain a 99.8% customer retention rate.”

The company has recently forged a new partnership with sofa retailer DFS, highlighting the furniture market as a key area for the business. Mark explains: “We provide solutions for several furniture manufacturers and retailers, with significantly more within the wider retail and manufacturing sectors – over 100!

“This is an important market for us as there are many ways we can provide support.

With multiple modules such as recruitment, rostering and talent management, we can

f o r F ull st o ries and dail y news updates : W W W . C a b i n e t - m a k e r . c o . u k

help retail and manufacturing organisations automate their processes to reduce admin and increase efficiencies to work smarter.

With such difficult economic conditions hitting the high street and the business world more widely, MHR can help businesses to increase their efficiencies and reduce admin through better automation – saving costs long term.”

So lets take a look at the software. Mark continued: “iTrent is a completely flexible, customisable system that can transform HR and payroll within furniture businesses.

Customers are able to work in partnership with MHR to ensure the system fulfils their precise requirements, regardless of how complex their payroll may be.

With our Employee Self Service module, employees can access the system anytime, anywhere, providing useful benefits for remote or travelling employees as well as office based workers.

“The biggest advantage of using iTrent is the increased automation it can bring to internal processes. This speeds up internal efficiencies and removes manual processes, freeing up time for HR and payroll teams to move from transactional tasks to more strategic aims.

Many of our customers have reported reductions in the number of hours payroll teams need to produce and distribute payslips and P60s, with many redistributing employees to other, more strategic areas within the HR department. Thousands of pounds can also be saved by reducing paper,

printing and postage costs through the transformation to digital processes.”

The solution provider has undergone a period of infrastructure refurbishments throughout 2018, further dedicating its commitment within its business model. In fact, last year, despite ‘economic uncertainties’, MHR continued to grow from ‘strength to strength’ and increase its customer base internationally, as Mark revealed: “We now have partnerships in the US and Asia Pacific regions, with a growing business presence in Ireland. Internal processes have been developed to provide even greater efficiencies for our customers through increased automation.

“One area that saw significant development was our outsourced payroll service, which has automated many processes to free up the team, in order to provide more strategic support for our customers. We plan to continue growing our customer base, both nationally and internationally throughout the year.”

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adding: “Our aim is to help our customers to reduce costs and increase efficiencies where possible, automating transactional tasks to ensure their people can focus on the organisation’s strategic aims.

“Many organisations have out-dated processes and workflows, using paper or excel spreadsheets, wasting hundreds of hours that could be better spent working towards improving company culture or increase employee productivity. Our strategic team visit organisations to analyse their existing processes, producing a report with recommendations of ways to improve efficiency and administration in favour of smarter ways of working.”

w www.mhr.co.uk

MHR, which continually invests up to 20% of its revenue into its own research and development, outlined that it aspires to be a more ‘connected workforce’ as the organisation works more closely with its partners around the world.

“This involves more cross-departmental working and internal automation, combining skills to offer new ideas and solutions, as part of our digital transformation focus - a key project for us this year,” Mark said,

MHR confirmed its partnership with DFS last month

8th February 2019 | 19

F E A T U R E |o b A b y

Darren Pumfrett, managing director at nursery furniture brand Obaby, speaks to Cabinet Maker on their new partnership with celebrity star Amy Childs.

Stamford

With the New Year firmly underway, leading nursery furniture business Obaby marked the start of 2019 with a new brand ambassador in the form of television personality, businesswomen and Celebrity Mum of the Year winner, Amy Childs.

Obaby have become a household name for nursery furniture since its launch back in 2002 and has gained award-winning status with collections including its most recent Stamford sleigh range. This partnership, which will initially run throughout 2019, sees the brand take its next steps in positioning itself at the forefront of the market as it introduces new collections, which are ever evolving to the needs of their customers.

“For us, Amy embodies everything we wanted in an ambassador. As a mother of two and a businesswoman, Amy understands the current demands on the modern parent and the need for the evolving designs and innovations of our furniture, which reflect their child’s development. She’s a great mother with a stylish flair and knows how important it is as a parent to find reliable, safe and attractive furniture to fit her/their children and lifestyle demands,” Darren Pumfrett, MD at Obaby, told Cabinet Maker.

“We have enjoyed a fantastic period of growth. We are confident that this partnership will see us reaching a new audience for Obaby. Being able to tap into Amy’s following 8th February 2019 | 20

will help expand the demographic of our brand and also puts us one step closer to the customer through having such a well-known ambassador.”

The growth in Obaby has only increased their appetite for future success, with this year already starting with ‘gusto’ as Darren

points out, but he also adds that the work is far from over as the brand continues to build on its momentum and reputation, using this partnership as a key ingredient for the year ahead.

“We expect a lot of social media and marketing activity followed by appearances at

f o r F ull st o ries and dail y news updates : W W W . C a b i n e t - m a k e r . c o . u k

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end user baby shows. Amy is looking forward to helping us show the Stamford and the all new Madrid ranges at the upcoming shows.

This is just the beginning for us,” Darren reveals, continuing: “As brand ambassador, Amy will be pivotal in helping to promote a brand she knows and trusts. With social media and end user show presence as combined with various other marketing tools, Amy will be bringing Obaby to the forefront of her follower’s minds.”

Having appeared on the first two series of The Only Way is Essex and since gone on to carve a career as a successful businesswoman, model and fashion designer, the opportunity to get involved with Obaby resonated very close to her heart, as Amy explains: “For me this was the perfect partnership. I have always used the Obaby products, my daughter Polly has had the Obaby Stamford classic cot bed from birth and we both love it. It not only looks amazing it is safe, reliable and has lots of storage space so fits in with our lifestyle perfectly.

“So, when this opportunity arose, it was a no brainer! I hope to help push the brand out further to a wider audience and let everyone know that this is the brand for you and your family, for all your nursery needs. This is an exciting step for me also as it’s my first venture into furniture based products, but something I have always wanted to explore.

I pride myself on having an eye for style and quality having had my own fashion business. I think I can offer to the brand a real insight into a busy mum’s lifestyle and what we want for our children.”

Amy touched on a very important point in her passion behind the business – safety, which is ‘absolutely paramount’ in what Obaby is all about. Darren outlined: “All our products are compliant to the very latest standards and all containers are quality controlled. We also offer our customers added peace of mind with a five year guarantee, to show we have

the confidence in our products until the little ones grow out of them.

“Parenthood is one of the most exciting, challenging yet rewarding times of your life and we want to ease any worries in parent’s minds that our brand is a brand that they can trust with their little ones safety at the forefront of our focus.”

announced the launch of its new Madrid range that includes innovative features such as sliding doors, which provide great space saving functions as well as a distinctive high gloss finish. The new range adds to its already successful Stamford range and follows on from an equally successful display at the recent January Furniture Show.

“This partnership came about through a meeting of minds and Amy can see huge potential in our brand and where we want to push it to and we can’t wait to grow together and show everyone what we have in store for this year,” Darren said, whilst Amy concluded: “I am honestly so excited to be the face of such a fantastic and trusted brand. I can’t wait for you to see the exciting plans we have for the year ahead.”

From safety to style, Obaby has just

Watch this space!

w www.obaby.co.uk

Madrid 8th February 2019 | 21

F E A T U R E |B F M

Cabinet Maker sat down with new BFM managing director, Nick Garratt, following the recent January Furniture Show.

8th February 2019 | 22

FoR FULL SToRIES AND DAILy NEWS UPDATES: WWW.Cabinet-maker.Co.uk

Nick Garratt joined the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) on 5 November 2018 as its new managing director and successor to outgoing MD Jackie Bazeley. A few months in, Cabinet Maker caught up with Nick to find out how he is settling into the role. what drew you to the role of MD at the BFM? “I have been a board member of BFM since 2011 and also served on the Finance and Audit committee so I knew the organisation well. After more than 20 years of responsibility running manufacturing operations, I was looking for a change. I was drawn to the role at BFM because I was attracted by the prospect of working with all stakeholders in promoting the industry to a wider audience. I see an opportunity to drive forward the brand and image of the BFM. Working in a membership organisation is a very interesting and enjoyable change for me.” how have you settled into your new role?

“I have now settled in to the role and it has been helpful having a good handover. I know most of the team well anyway; the challenge is getting to meet all of our members.”

Can you give a brief history of your previous achievements within the furniture industry?

“After an early career in Engineering and Automotive businesses I started my career in Furniture with the Silentnight Group, initially as operations director with Parker Knoll and then as supply chain director for the Parker Knoll/ Ducal and Nathan brands. I joined Ercol in 2005 as operations director where I was responsible for leading a turnaround plan to restore the business to profitability.

After a spell running sales, I then took over as MD leading the business through a growth phase taking turnover from £10M to £20M. I really enjoyed my time at Ercol building a

new team, driving forward brand awareness, launching new ranges and opening with national accounts.”

JFS was your first industry event in the new role. how was the experience and what did you think of the show?

“I know the show well having attended as an exhibitor for many years. It was really interesting for me having spent a good part of my time visiting our members stands making first introductions and discussing their views about the show - and business in general. I was pleased by how welcoming everyone was, I know the priority for exhibitors is selling! It was a great show and I think it is building momentum year on year. I already have a meeting scheduled with Cleere Scamell from Clarion to discuss plans for 2020.”

Can you elaborate on plans for the year ahead?

“It is still early days and although I have plenty of observations and ideas, I want to spend a bit more time meeting with members and stakeholders before firming up any plans.

Watch this space!” what challenges do you think are currently impacting the industry and how can businesses cope with these?

“Short term it is impossible not to put Brexit at the top of the list. The uncertainty is bad for business, and industry desperately needs some certainty in order to plan going forwards.

“A more serious longer-term issue is the shortage of skills in our industry. With the reducing availability of skilled migrant labour and an ageing workforce most companies are suffering a skills shortage. One of the solutions to this is to use the new furniture apprenticeships developed by the industry, these can be used to attract either young people into the industry, retrain older recruits

“A moRE SERIoUS LoNgER-TERm ISSUE IS THE SHoRTAgE oF SKILLS IN oUR INDUSTRy. WITH THE REDUcINg AvAILAbILITy oF SKILLED mIgRANT LAboUR AND AN AgEINg WoRKFoRcE moST comPANIES ARE SUFFERINg A SKILLS SHoRTAgE.”

aQO

Membership is open to manufacturing companies in all sectors including upholstery, cabinet, bathroom, kitchen, office, mattress & beds.

The supply chain is also important to BFM and our associate members include suppliers, retailers and ancillary companies to the trade. As a member of the BFM, you get many benefits including solutions, advice and practical support, trade data, opportunities to save costs, grow sales and enhance your profile.

You will also distinguish yourself as being British.

The BFM established several years ago the Great British Furniture Campaign, an initiative designed to increase awareness of the key factors that make British made furniture great in the eyes of the consumer, retailers, contract specifiers, architects and the wider international audience.

8th February 2019 | 23

F E A T U R E |B F M or the existing workforce. BFM are able to provide advice and guidance on training and education solutions available.

“UK manufacturers of course face major competition from imports and domestic producers need to continue to invest and innovate to find ways of growing market share.”

Would you like to share something about yourself that the industry may not know about you?

“Although my personal career background is in engineering, I was drawn to the furniture business because my father was a carpenter.

He built my childhood home so I was always surrounded by his craftsmanship.”

value that the BFM adds to its members and the industry.”

w www.bfm.org.uk

Following JFS, what’s next for you and the BFM? “Our next event is just around the corner, the London Fabric Show on 4th/5th March (www. londonfabricshow.uk). Now I have settled in I want to focus on a plan of how we can improve engagement and drive forward the

Nick Garratt meeting Victoria Prentis MP at the All-Party Parliamentary Furniture Industry Group meeting at Westminster 8th February 2019 | 24

cLASSIFIED

TO ADVERTISE A JOB PLEASE CONTACT kACEM Q 01223 846825 m kACEM@CABINET-MAkER.CO.Uk

Mattress Production Manager We are seeking an experienced Mattress Production Manager to lead our mattress division through continued expansion.

The successful candidate will have extensive experience of mattress manufacturing, along with a considerable amount of management experience. Knowledge of product development and introduction to manufacturing is essential. ( DFME / FMEA ).

The role will be based at our Dewsbury factory and salary will be commensurate with experience.

Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire For more information, please phone: 01924 66 66 33 or email: leannescargill@jaybe.com

Discover more at jaybe.com

1901 - Mattress Production Manager.indd 1

30/01/2019 14:28:10

ONLINE AUCTION FABRIO JOINERY LTD

By order of Simon Rowe Esq. Liquidator.

CNC & Traditional Woodworking Machinery Spray Booth Fabrio Joinery Ltd, Ex Bater & Co. Ltd., manufactured luxury kitchens

WEDNESDAY 13th FEBRUARY from 12.00 noon.

Holzma Optimat HPP 250/31/31 CNC Beam saw 2012, Weeke Optimat BHC Venture 2 CNC Router, running Woodwop 5.0 2006.

Brand O KDF 530C single Edge Banding Machine 2006. . Butfering SGO-211-RK Twin drum Pass-Through Sander 2007. Vitap Alpha 21 Drilling / boring machine 21 cutter Wilson Chisel morticer. Wadkin BTB500 Thicknesser. Multico 9” Planer. Multico A3 Rip Saw. Multico 02/3 Cross-cut saw. CAM KST 1000F Belt Sander. Cooksley Spindle moulder. Brookman 2/RMM 16” Dovetailer. Wadkin Spindle Moulder + power/ feed, Pneumatic Clamping frame, Tregarne woodwelder. Heltich Vertical/horizontal Borer.

Mark MSA 7.5 kw 8 bar compressor + ABAC Drier. Compair L07 Compressor .Blum Mini Press MSP Hinge Borer. Wood Waste Technology waste burner 2012.

Todd 1000 Olympian Spray Booth 2017. Linde H16 LPG forklift truck 2004 2500 hrs LOCATION : Unit C, Leisureline House, Oakwood Close, Barnstaple, EX31 3NJ. VEIWING : Monday 11th February 2019 between 10.00am and 4.00pm : Tuesday 12th February 2019 between 10.00am and 4.00pm BIDDING ENDS : Wednesday 13th February 2019 from 12.00 noon.

T. 01404 891833 www.mstauctioneers.co.uk 8th February 2019 | 25

LAST WORD SWEETPEA & WILLOW SHARES ITS TOP 10 INTERIOR PREDICTIONS FOR 2019

“WE THINK PEoPLE ARE goINg To bE mUcH moRE ADvENTURoUS WITH coLoUR.”

We’ve collated a top ten list of the trends set to take the world of interiors by storm this year.

trend last year and are showing no signs of dying out just yet. Speckled patterns/terrazzo are indicating they are here to stay.

Natural/Organic Materials

Greige

People are swapping synthetic materials, throwing out harsh chemicals/dyes and are now much more in favour of raw and organic materials like bamboos and natural weaves as well as eco-friendly dyes and paints.

(Grey and Beige) and tan-hued tones are also making a comeback. Beige will be a strong colour, working mainly as a backdrop on walls or the go-to colour for furnishings.

Curves

Bold Colours/Prints We think people are going to be much more adventurous with colour. More daring tones like animal prints, burnt oranges, corals and vibrant yellow hues are muscling their way into the colour palettes of our homes.

Scandi Minimalism The minimalistic living idea from our Scandinavian counterparts has taken the interior world by storm, with many homeowners opting for ‘hygge’. In other words, less is more!

Eclecticism People are shying away from traditional muted tones and instead are painting, decorating and upholstering their homes in every colour of the rainbow. We predict 2019 to be the year of green sofas, burnt orange armchairs and floral carpeted wallpapers!

Red hot kitchens The kitchen has become the new living room. Our kitchens are now becoming our entertaining rooms; bursting full of art, fabulous colours and trendy tiling.

Curved and rounded furniture is what it’s all about this year as we’ve been seeing in many sofas, armchairs and headboards.

Colour, Colour and more Colour Pink in every hue is here to stay, specifically light and muted pinks. Mint green is also due to be back with a bang although, we may not see very much of it until later on in the year.

Fringing The bohemian-inspired trend is taking the interiors world by storm; with everything from mirrors, lampshades and armchairs fringed from here to the heavens.

All the best, happy designing!

TO hAVE yOUR LAST wORD OR OPINION PLEASE CONTACT DAN@CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK

Patterns Marble and speckled patterns were hot on

NBF GAINSBOROUGH IAIN JAMES

DON’T MISS NEXT wEEk'S ISSUE

IN ThE MEANTIME ChECk OUT ThE DAILy NEwS ONLINE AT www.CABINET-MAkER.CO.Uk AND ShARE yOUR STORIES wITh US, EMAIL DAN@CABINET-MAkER.CO.Uk

The new Rest Assured Indulgence Collection Designed with quality and comfort in mind, the new mattress collection features zoned pocket springs, luxurious British wool and high performance fresh fibres to deliver a brilliantly breathable and superbly comfortable mattress collection.

Carefully crafted using hypoallergenic materials with no foam or fire retardant chemicals. Luxuriously indulgent and beautifully affordable.

For more information visit rest-assured.co.uk