Cabinet Maker 25th January 2019

DESIGN

MANUFACTURE

RETAIL

Italian upholstery manufacturer Rossini highlights new launches for 2019.

Richard Binnie, managing director of R J Binnie Ltd, reflects on 25 years in the trade as well as looking ahead to the next 25.

Emma Mattress speaks about its future plans after a very successful 2018.

25th january 2019 ÂŁ3.75 l

first issue: 1st July 1880

cabinet-maker.co.uk

Jigsaw Sewing Threads . Furniture Components . Motion Recliners

Dan sqUires

Cabinet-maker.Co.Uk 01223 846 825 PUBLISHER Stewart Rickersey stewart@cabinet-maker.co.uk EDITOR Dan Squires dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION Tim Morriss tim@cabinet-maker.co.uk SALES Sharon Rickersey Operations & Sales Manager sharon@cabinet-maker.co.uk Kacem Ellabbar kacem@cabinet-maker.co.uk

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The January Furniture Show is over for another year and from exploring the halls and speaking to both exhibitors and visitors, 2019’s instalment proved to be a big success.

As the industry gets back to the usual dayto-day business, I’m sure I’m not alone when self-imposing a well-deserved rest after a taxing four days at the NEC, especially on the feet! This week’s edition comes at the right time to put those throbbing toes up and absorb the latest news and features across the industry.

Italian upholstery manufacturer Rossini details its latest developments, new concepts and new launches for 2019. In keeping with all things new, R J Binnie speaks exclusively to Cabinet Maker on its 25-year anniversary milestone and how its three main areas of the business are undergoing a process of investment and improvement, with the intention of preparing them for the next 25 years.

Aiming to deliver is furniture logistics firm Keen & Able, which shares its secrets to success with its own growth as well as how embracing technology can give businesses valuable efficiencies in communication, stock management and route planning. Completing the line-up for the final week of January is bed-in-a-box brand Emma Mattress. Off the back of an exceptional year of growth within the UK market, British co-founder Benjamin Quiroga-Rivera speaks to Cabinet Maker on its future plans for the year ahead as well as heeding a warning to the industry that the

boxed mattress marketplace as we know it is on the brink of change.

It is this warning of maintaining an achievable business model and offering a service that can be trusted by the consumer that is paramount to the success of any business, regardless of what industry it operates in.

Therefore, it is worth listening to this warning if your business is to survive. And let’s face it, 2019 looks to be just as uncertain as the last.

Although this may instantly sound damning, it is actually a positive notion to consume as 2018 provided its fair share of success stories. Yes, some businesses will struggle, but it is how a business prepares for what may lay ahead that will give it the best chance of emerging from the ‘cloud of uncertainty’.

Many voices at the January Furniture Show were unfazed about what March will bring and instead put all their focus into new launches, providing a service and a fresh sense of optimism. There is plenty of hard work still left to do, but the early signs of the showing and buying season offer plenty of encouragement.

So, I pose the question, which I’m sure you have already heard me ask around JFS, how was the show for you? Get in touch and #shareyourstory.

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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TRADE ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING THE INDUSTRY

ON THE COVER RJ BINNIE

RETAIL MANUFACTURE DESIGN

manufacturer Italian upholstery for new launches Rossini highlights 2019.

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NEWS

06

NEW STYLES

22

FeatUres 25 AND STILL THRIVING

14

Richard Binnie, managing director of R J Binnie Ltd, reflects on 25 years in the trade as well as looking ahead to the next 25.

KEEN TO DELIVER

16

Chris Knight, managing director from Keen and Able, answers questions on the growth of the business for Cabinet Maker.

RECYCLING SURVEY

18

The NBF has started work on a comprehensive national survey on the fates of used mattresses in the UK.

BEDDING INTO THE UK

20

Luigi Segreto, export manager at Italian upholstery manufacturer Rossini, highlights new launches for 2019.

PRODUCTS

24

Sherborne Upholstery.

LAST WORD Brian Harrison, founder and CEO of AVORD, has the Last Word.

26

20

Benjamin Quiroga-Rivera, British co-founder of bed-in-a-box brand Emma Mattress, speaks to Cabinet Maker on its future plans after a very successful 2018.

14

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news

NEWS IN BRIEF FUrnitUre perForms Silentnight on Homebase well “As part of our ongoing Furniture sales saw positive growth at John Lewis during the start of the year.

According to its recent sales figures to 12 January, 2019, total John Lewis & Partners sales rose 0.7% on last year, which was driven by customers continuing to shop clearance offers and beginning to shop Spring/ Summer ranges. Home sales were down 0.5%, although furniture and flooring sales were up 2.5% on last year.

Bensons for Babies

Bed and mattresses retailer Bensons for Beds has announced the launch of an exclusive range of cot mattresses. Aimed to help babies sleep, the new Bensons for Babies range features the Pure Comfort Open Coil Support Mattress, Pure Comfort Open Coil Luxury Mattress and the Pure Comfort Micro Pocket Premium.

New partner

TreeToTextile AB is a joint venture between H&M group, Inter IKEA group and innovator Lars Stigsson since 2014, with the aim of developing new textile fibres in a sustainable way at attractive cost levels.

Stora Enso has joined this partnership, as well as setting up a demonstration plant at one of its Nordic facilities. The four partners have an equal stake and share the belief for a fibre with good sustainability performance.

25th January 2019 | 06

partnership with Homebase, we will be launching five small format concessions, which will open over the new few months, beginning with Homebase Haringey in February. The move will give customers the chance to trial Silentnight products in store. In addition, Silentnight products will also be sold via Homebase online from February.”

store ClosUre

Department store retailer House of Fraser has closed its Shrewsbury branch after 150 years of trading in the town. The store officially closed on 12 January, 2019.

House of Fraser entered administration last year. Sports Direct acquired the business but decided to close the outlet. The branch in Exeter, which had been earmarked for closure, is understood to remain open.

IMM success

British furniture business ercol introduced visitors at IMM Cologne to new additions to its award-winning VON Collection. Designed by Hlynur V. Atlason, the VON Collection caters for three areas — home/work/play. The show featured a new stool as well as an interlocking feature, which includes an armrest and sits between the stools, so they can be used in a row. In addition, the brand displayed vintage pieces to highlight its history and heritage.

retail

Sofa retailer rolls out new integrated HR system Furniture retailer DFS has laid the foundations for future growth by successfully undertaking a digital transformation of its HR and payroll function in partnership with industry experts MHR. DFS, which also owns furniture brands Sofa Workshop, Dwell and Sofology, has gone live with MHR’s cloud-based iTrent solution as part of a project to replace its legacy systems with new digital methods of working to support the engagement of 4,300 employees across the group.

This includes the automation of the payroll process and integration of core people management processes, covering everything from HR management, absence management, holidays and overtime. DFS has also devolved many tasks, including its sickness and holiday management schemes via new self-service functionality to increase engagement amongst employees and managers. iTrent is being rolled out across the group, covering DFS and Sofa Workshop, and went live in September 2018.

Scott Fishburn, chief people and transformation officer at DFS, said: “In today’s retail environment it is critical that we operate as efficiently as possible across our organisation.

“We operate six different payrolls across the business but for many years have relied on systems that offered no integration, resulting in disjointed processes that were labour intensive, requiring manual entry and duplication of data.

“Investing in iTrent has significantly accelerated our payroll and people services processes, which over time are expected to achieve substantial time and cost savings, while bringing together our core business processes in a single system provides us with greater transparency across the group.

“We have seen improvement to our internal processes and employees and managers have positively embraced self-service.”

w www.dfs.co.uk

manUFaCtUre

oFFiCe FUrnitUre maker to explore new markets Office furniture designer and manufacturer Gresham Office Furniture has reported a return to sales growth.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30 April, 2018, total sales rose 3.2% to £28.3m from £27.4m in 2017.

Gross profit also increased by 1.7% to £11.8m from £11.6m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £2.2m, slightly down by 4% compared to its profit of £2.3m recorded last year.

Stated within its report, the company said that distribution and administrative costs increased by £235,000, which led to the reduction in profit. The business added that it plans to grow into new markets to replace the reduction in public sector spending.

w www.gof.co.uk

MAN U F A C T U RE

Upholstery business implements operational review Sofa and furniture manufacturer Connection Seating has seen a rise in turnover for a fourth straight year.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30 April, 2018, total sales rose 7.1% to £13.8m from £12.9m in 2017.

UK sales, its core market, rose 7.6% to £11.2m from £10.4m, as did sales outside the UK, growing by 8.3% to £2.6m from £2.4m year-on-year.

Gross profit also increased 10.2% to £5.4m from £4.9m, whilst its pre-tax profit of £180,000 recorded last year dipped into the red at a loss of £169,000.

Highlighted within the strategic report, the Huddersfield-based company said that the year ‘proved to be challenging’ as the business implemented a full operational review.

Under this process, significant costs were incurred for consultancy, termination of employment contracts and recruitment, as well as embracing newer lean manufacturing practices. The company also took the opportunity to write-off old stock during the year in what was a ‘more aggressive approach to cleansing old stock’.

All these changes are expected to help the business return to profitability in the year ahead.

w www.connection.uk.com

D ESI G N

New upholstery fabric enters UK A new upholstery fabric aimed at the contract furniture market has entered the UK for the first time.

Sileather’s performance upholstery fabrics have a surface made of 100% silicone. Sileather combines leather texture with the advantages of silicone.

As a silicone textile solution, it offers the upholstery market a better solution of eco-friendly, sustainable, easy to clean, weatherproof, and highly durable performance fabrics that can be used in numerous applications.

The company said: “Years of development have ensured that Sileather is beautiful, tactile and enduring with the added advantage of being one of the only fabrics that resists staining from biro, coffee, denim, lipstick and permanent marker.”

Robert Walton, UK managing director of SileatherUK, added: “We are delighted to have been appointed the exclusive distributor of Sileather for the contract sectors in the UK. The superior performance, colour palette and texture mean that Sileather is perfect for use in exterior and interior design on outdoor cruise, hospitality, healthcare, commercial and education projects.”

Sileather is a brand represented by the Siotech Group, an international collective comprised of Siotech Coporation (USA), Siotech France (Europe), Siotech Hangahou (Asia) and Siotech Shanghai (Asia).

w www.sileather.com 25th January 2019 | 07

news RETAIL

MAN U F A C T U RE

Furniture sales buck retail trend

Furniture group invests in new machinery

Furniture retail sales rose during December but remained flat on last year.

Furniture group Airsprung has announced a £250,000 investment in new machinery.

According to the latest December 2018 figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the total value of furniture and lighting sales increased by 7% to £1.4bn from £1.3bn in November.

Airsprung Group PLC has invested in a new Lectra automated cutting machine at its Chorley-based sofa manufacturing operation, Cavendish Upholstery.

Compared to December 2017, furniture and lighting sales were consistent with the same figure.

The latest camera technology enables pattern and stripe matching and this highly-efficient automated CAD operated machine will further expand Cavendish’s extensive upholstery offer.

Floorcoverings retail sales reported a decline on an annual and monthly comparison. Sales fell 20% to £117.5m from £147.6m last month whilst, compared to the previous year, sales declined by 18% from £144.9m.

In a statement, Airsprung said: “As well as increasing reliability, the investment offers a considerably higher capacity to service the expanding customer base.”

In overall terms, the quantity bought in the retail industry during December increased by 3% on last year. The total amount spent within retail during the month represented £50.9bn, up by 3.7% compared to December 2017. However, in the three months to December 2018, the quantity bought decreased by 0.2% with declines across all main sectors except fuel.

Furthermore, Swanglen, the premier headboard brand, has recently installed a state-of-the-art CNC cutting machine at its Bristol facility.

When compared with the previous month, the quantity bought in December 2018 decreased by 0.9%, as all sectors except food stores and fuel stores declined on the month.

Airsprung continued: “This investment greatly increases the speed of production and reliability. In addition, the system allows for greater flexibility for new product development.”

In December 2018, online retailing accounted for 20% of total retailing, with an overall growth of 13.9% when compared with the same month a year earlier.

This investment confirms Airsprung Group’s commitment to the domestic upholstery and headboard markets and cements its position as the UK’s senior supplier of beds, headboards and upholstery.

w www.ons.gov.uk

w www.airsprung-group.co.uk

MAN U F A C T U RE

The latest technology allows Swanglen to generate the most accurate profiled shaping and positioning for fittings.

RETAIL

Bed maker reveals sales agent winner Paul Longmuir, left, receives his sward from Imran Akhtar

Investments set to boost furniture retailer Independent furniture retailer NCF Furnishings Limited has reported another decline in sales, but has forecast significant return to growth.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March, 2018, total sales fell 9.8% to £8.2m from £9.1m in 2017, adding to its previous years fall of 18% from £11.1m.

Gross profits increased by 9% to £3.6m from £3.3m, whilst pretax profit resulted at £495,487, down from £740,069.

West Yorkshire-based bed manufacturer Dura Beds has announced the winner of its Sales Agent of the Year award.

Dura Beds managing director, Imran Akhtar presented Paul Longmuir with the accolade, who was delighted on receiving the recognition.

Speaking to Cabinet Maker, Paul, who covers Yorkshire, the North East and Lincolnshire, said: “I’ve had five excellent years at Dura Beds and grown my area substantially and year-on-year in that time, as the business as a whole as grown. This is the icing on the cake, and it’s always appreciated that your hard work and commitment is recognised individually as well as a team.”

w www.durabeds.co.uk 25th January 2019 | 08

Stated within its report, the company said that the business closed its remaining high street stores during the year as part of its new strategic direction for out of town retail park locations.

NCF opened a new Stoke store along with major investment in increasing stock levels by 30% on last year.

Looking ahead, the business is on target to increase turnover by 65% in the current year after ‘extensive refurbishment’ and the launch of a further four stores.

NCF was founded in the 1980s and trades from seven outlets across the UK.

w www.ncf.co.uk

aQO RETAIL

MAN U F A C T U RE

JD Williams to undergo re-evaluation

Flooring supplier raises £7m through TISE listing

Home shopping group N Brown Plc has reported a decline within its homewares division.

According to its latest third quarter trading update for the 18 weeks to 5 January, 2019, JD Williams sales fell 3.3%, although online only sales were ahead by 6.9%.

N Brown said that the group is currently ‘re-evaluating its proposition’ for JD Williams and will provide further details ‘later in the year’.

Overall group sales decreased 1.6%, with product sales down by 6%. Financial services continued to perform well, driven by the improvement in the quality of the customer loan book and a further reduction in the credit arrears rate. As a result, revenue was up by 9.7% mainly driven by increased interest charges.

Steve Johnson, chief executive, commented: “The group delivered robust online Power Brand growth and a stable margin performance in what was a challenging and highly promotional peak trading period. We continue to manage the anticipated decline of our legacy offline business and remain focused on improving our customer proposition to drive profitable online growth.

“Trading over the Cyber and Christmas periods was relatively consistent and in line with our expectations, with the group benefiting from a more targeted and efficient approach to its promotional activity.”

w www.nbrown.co.uk

MAN U F A C T U RE

furniture business announces UK launch Danish furniture manufacturer NORDIC-C UK has announced the launch of its UK operation after exhibiting at the January Furniture Show.

With over 35 years of being in the industry, NORDIC-C has developed technically excellent and commercial seating systems for the European market with continued success, which incudes its “MEMAFOAM TM” an FR cold cure foam.

Peter Anderson and Simon Orr are the principles of NORDIC-C UK and with many years of furniture industry experience between them have set up the business ready for launch over the last 12 months.

Peter Anderson, managing director, told Cabinet Maker: “After many months of preparation we are excited to reach the launch date and start to promote our three initial collections, Classic, Traditional and Living, that all target specific and identified opportunities within the UK specialist chair market, which come with a whole raft of commercial advantages.”

Simon Orr, sales director, added: “We have already had positive feedback from a number of leading independents who we have previewed the product with ahead of the launch. The service angle, design and the unique Schultz mechanisms are the principle attraction as well as the value, which we see as fitting nicely in the middle of this growing sector of the market.”

w www.nordic-c.com

UK floorcoverings distributor Likewise Group plc has listed on The International Stock Exchange (TISE).

Likewise has raised £7m through an offer for subscription of 70,000,000 shares, which it intends to use for working capital and future acquisitions in the sector.

Following the share issue, based on the issue price of the shares offered for subscription, the market capitalisation of the company is £12m.

Tony Brewer, chief executive of Likewise, said: “We are very pleased to have listed on TISE. The Exchange has provided a pragmatic and cost-effective route to going public and accessing the capital markets to raise finance which can be used towards future acquisitions.

“We already have a team with huge experience in the UK and European floor coverings market and worldwide manufacturer relationships, as well as two existing distribution centres. The benefit of the £7m cash raised and potential access to further funds puts us in a very strong position to be able to make further acquisitions which will enable us to consolidate the distribution section of the floor coverings market and to gain national scale.

Ultimately, we believe that this puts us in a position to expand Likewise into a meaningful flooring business.”

The Likewise Board comprises Mr Brewer, non-executive chairman Paul Bassi, CFO Roy Povey and non-executive director Andrew Simpson. They will be supported by an Executive Board of Adrian Laffey, James Kellett and Martin West, as well as an Advisory Board.

Prior to the listing, which took place on 11 January, Likewise had acquired the entire share capital of William Armes Limited and the trade and assets of Bruce Starke & Co Limited, which have been fully integrated into the group.

w www.tisegroup.com

RETAIL

Independent carpet retailer grows sales Family flooring business J&W Carpets has reported a growth in turnover as sales maintained over £10m. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March, 2018, total sales rose 2.9% to £10.4m from £10.1m in 2017, its third straight year of £10m+ revenue.

Gross profit remained static at £3.4m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £328,000, slightly down compared to £391,000 recorded last year.

Stated within its report, the business said that gross margin percentage has fallen and overheads increased, which resulted in a reduction in profit levels.

J&W Carpets, based in Kilmarnock, operates from 18 stores in Scotland.

w www.jwcarpets.com 25th January 2019 | 09

news RETAIL

MAN U F A C T U RE

Beds retailer raises funds for homeless charity

Fitted furniture firm grows sales despite factory fire Fitted kitchen and bedroom furniture specialist Crown Imperial has reported a second straight year of turnover growth.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March, 2018, total sales generated £59.8m, up by 0.6% from £59.4m in 2017.

Steve Adams, of Mattress Online Beds retailer Mattress Online has made a donation of more than £2,000 to national homeless charity Crisis.

The donation, which totals £2496.18, is being made following a campaign undertaken towards the end of 2018, where the retailer set aside £1 from every order received over a two-week period in December 2018.

In addition to this, Mattress Online’s staff also contributed to the grand total with a Bake Sale being held at the retailer’s headquarters in Rotherham.

On making the donation, Mattress Online’s managing director, Steve Adams, said: “We’re delighted to be making this donation to what is an incredibly worthy cause. Crisis do exceptional work in supporting people out of homelessness at Christmas and throughout the year and we’re proud that we are able to support them in doing so.

“Of course, we’re extremely grateful to our customers who placed orders with us during the period when this campaign took place.”

Following the success of this campaign, Mattress Online are also looking at other ways in which it can help support Crisis in the future.

w www.mattressonline.co.uk/CrisisCharity

MAN U F A C T U RE

UK market delivers growth at Irish firm Irish office furniture supplier Bisley has reported a slight decline in turnover as profit remained strong. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 July, 2017, total sales fell 5% to €5.4m from €5.7m in 2016.

Ireland sales, its core market, fell 7.6% to €4.8m from €5.2m, whilst its sales in the UK experienced growth of 5.3% from €521,686 (£468,298) to €549,421 (£493,185).

Gross profit increased 10% to €1.1m from €1m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at €395,288, slighting down from its profit of €398,686 recorded the previous year.

UK sales, its core market, rose 2.8% to £54.3m from £52.8m, whilst sales outside the UK were down by 16.9% to £5.4m from £6.5m.

Gross profit increased 0.7% to £14.2m from £14.1m, whilst pretax profit resulted at £1m, slightly down from its profit of £1.3m recorded last year.

Stated within its report, the business said that the continued uncertainty around Brexit has had an impact on its kitchen division as consumer confidence in spending remains cautious.

Furthermore, Crown Imperial suffered from a factory fire during the year, which caused some damage within its manufacturing operation. However, this is likely to be covered by its insurance policy.

The group also removed three of its dormant subsidiaries from its structure to create a ‘tidier position for future operations’.

w www.crown-imperial.co.uk

D ESI G N

Pure Talents winners unveiled Winners of imm cologne’s 16th Pure Talents Contest have been revealed.

Taking first place was Baschnja by Ilja Huber, whilst Bench Gang

by Christian Cowper and A Day at Zoo by Julian Marticke took second and third respectively.

The Portable Kitchen Hood by Maxime Augay was also named as the winner in the LivingKitchen Selection, with special mention going to Rebrush by Jingbei Zheng, The Conscious Unconsciousness by Michael Varga and SPL 3650 by Peter Sorg.

The shortlist featured a total of 26 entries by young design students and graduates from Germany, Finland, France, Great Britain, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, China, India, Taiwan and the USA. In this year’s competition, many of the submissions focused on sustainability and a responsible attitude to resources, while also addressing the subject of changing living concepts.

With 926 entries from 69 countries, the 2019 edition of the Pure Talents Contest has outshone the previous year’s event in terms of both numbers and international character (2018: 836 products, 53 countries).

Detailed within its report, the Bray-based company said that the sales fall followed a ‘particularly strong year’ and the profit had marginally slipped due to increased administration costs of 10%.

The competition, promoted and organised by Koelnmesse, is specifically aimed at designers who are still studying or have recently completed their education. It is one of the most prestigious international contests for young design.

w www.bisley.com

w www.imm-cologne.com

25th January 2019 | 10

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RETAIL

aQO

MAN U F A C T U RE

Floorcoverings group expects lower profits

High street retailer reveals further closures

Floorcoverings group Headlam has confirmed that it expects to report full year sales ‘in line’ on last year although profits will be lower..

High street retailer Marks and Spencer has confirmed the next phase of store closures.

As part of its ongoing reorganisation plan, which will see the business close more than 100 stores by 2022, M&S has revealed the location of the next 17 stores to close, affecting over 1,000 staff.

The 17 stores which M&S proposes to close are: Ashford, Barrow, Bedford, Boston, Buxton, Cwmbran, Deal, Felixstowe, Huddersfield, Hull, Junction One Antrim Outlet, Luton Arndale, Newark, Northwich, Rotherham, Sutton Coldfield and Westonsuper-Mare.

According to its latest trading update in respect of the 12 months ended 31 December 2018, Headlam said that underlying profit before tax in 2019 will be in the range of £39m to £41m.

It is currently anticipated that the UK market will show further general weakness during 2019, particularly in the residential sector where the Company’s distribution business is more heavily weighted.

As a result, the Company considers it prudent to expect revenue for the current financial year to be in-line with 2018.

The closures add to the 30 stores that have already closed as well as another eight that have already been earmarked for closure too.

In line with the closures, M&S plans to move a third of its sales online with the idea to have fewer stores but in better locations.

Steve Wilson, Headlam’s chief executive, commented: “In the face of a year which presents general uncertainty, a high degree of difficulty predicting any outcome, and an anticipation of further weakening in markets due to the wider economic environment, I believe we are taking a prudent view.

“We are focused on expediting the efficiency initiatives to improve our performance going forward, irrespective of any weaker trading conditions and remain committed to providing improving returns to shareholders.”

It is understood that M&S have now entered a consultation process with affected staff and confirmed that no stores will close until this process has been completed.

w www.marksandspencer.com

w www.headlam.com

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25th January 2019 | 11

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manUFaCtUre

Shopping group reshapes board; furniture sales grow

FUrnitUre aGent shares CanCer story aFter ‘CheatinG Death a nUmber oF times’

Online shopping group Shop Direct has reshaped its executive board with an external hire, an internal promotion and new roles for two of its longest-serving directors.

Shop Direct, which operates through online brands including Very.co.uk, Littlewoods.com and VeryExclusive.co.uk, confirmed that Tommy Jordan joined the business on 14 January as financial services chief executive, while Sarah Willett has been promoted to the role of group people director — both reporting directly to group chief executive, Henry Birch.

Jacqui Humphries has become a non-executive director. Former financial services CEO, Neil Chandler, remains with the business and former group finance director, Mark McMenemy also joins the board.

The group has also reported strong Christmas trading with increased group revenue by 3.7% year-on-year for the seven weeks up to and including 28 December 2018.

Shop Direct’s performance was driven by 8.8% year-on-year growth at Very, as well as growing sales across all four group product categories including clothing and footwear, electrical, seasonal, and furniture and homeware.

w www.shopdirect.com

manUFaCtUre

FUrnitUre bUsiness set to expanD aGain Bespoke upholstered furniture business One Contracts Ltd has confirmed plans to expand again following its launch last year.

One Contracts was founded by brother-in-laws Pascal Parker and Matt Stocks at the start of 2018. The company started out of its unit at the Sutherland Institute in Longton but relocated to a larger 6,500sq ft premises on Fenpark Industrial Estate in order to cope with new orders.

One Contracts, which aims to generate turnover of £4m in the next five years, has now earmarked plans to move again to a 15,000sq ft to cope with its rapid expansion.

One Contracts estimates that it has turned over £1m during its first 12 months and plans to double revenues in the year ahead.

w www.onecontracts.com

retail

Furniture retailer raises Quiz Night funds Independent furniture retailer Glasswells has raised £950 in its latest charity event for the East Anglian Air Ambulance. Eighteen teams, made up by members of staff at Glasswells, battled it out for the coveted title of Quiz Team Champions 2018. Now in its twelfth year, the annual quiz was won by the furniture sales team, ‘Parker Knowledge’.

w www.glasswells.co.uk 25th January 2019 | 12

A Somerset-based independent furniture agent who had a massive part of his jaw removed due to a rare and aggressive cancer says he is well again.

Andy Gale, (right) a selfconfessed motorcycle fan and dad, can’t quite believe he took part in a major Moto Cup competition just a year after diagnosis and won — having undergone a major operation to have a steel jaw fitted.

Now the 50-year-old furniture agent, self-employed under Andy Gale Ltd, from Bridgwater, is marking his five-year all-clear of the disease by sharing his story, highlighting the importance of research.

Having bone taken from his calf along with a titanium brace fitted into his jaw, he got back on his beloved rally bike and took home the Moto Cup trophy — his way of coping with his cancer journey.

He says: “I feel I’ve cheated death a number of times but I’m living the dream now. “Everything I have today feels like a bonus and I want to show there’s life after cancer.”

Problems began for Andy when he was originally diagnosed with an infected wisdom tooth at Christmas time in 2013. When the socket didn’t heal after the tooth’s removal two weeks later, Andy saw a specialist in the January who suggested a biopsy.

The following month he was invited back to talk about the results and he knew something was seriously wrong.

“When there are six people in the room, you know you’re in trouble. I told them not to sugar coat it and they said that cancer had filled the space where the tooth had been removed.”

Andy was diagnosed with stage 4 squamous cell skin cancer in his jaw and the following month underwent a 12-hour operation.

A huge section of his jaw was removed, and he underwent plastic surgery and had a metal titanium track inserted in his face.

Andy added. “I just got my head down and got on with it. But when I came out of it, I felt a bit lost. I had focused so much on the recovery and everything else was put on hold.

“My whole focus was to get back racing. I was at a reasonable level. I’d done the Tuareg Rally across the Sahara a couple of times and took part in the British Rally Championship and won it.

But it had all been about the journey rather than the winning.

“My wife Ellie and family have been a massive support throughout all of this. It’s not just you that goes through cancer; it affects them too. Life’s brilliant now. It’s all a bonus. If it was down to ‘natural selection’, with everything that’s happened, I shouldn’t be here. So, I’ve managed to buck that, and everything is a bonus. So, if I can help anyone along the way, I will.

“I can’t forget the cancer — It’s something I see every day. I have a big scar down my neck and a steel jaw and can’t feel half of my tongue. My surgeon, Graham Merrick, did a great job.”

w www.cruk.org

aQO retail

manUFaCtUre

Online flooring retailer grows sales with physical expansion Online flooring retailer Connection Retail has reported a doubledigit growth in turnover as it rapidly expands physical presence.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March, 2018, total sales rose by 24.1% to £23.1m from £18.6m in 2017. This added to its previous years growth of 8.7% from £17.1m. Gross profit increased 48.3% to £4.6m from £3.1m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £4,599 compared to its profit of £402,771.

Its bottom line figure was impacted by the fast-tracked openings of nine stores during the year after an initial trial store proved to be successful.

The company launched its debut store in Gateshead back in January 2017 and now operates from a portfolio of 10 following its rapid expansion.

Commenting on the results within its report, the company said: “The quick opening of stores has impacted bottom line profits but it has also driven turnover growth. We have heavily invested in infrastructure and logistics to support further openings.”

Shildon-based Connection Retail operates brands including Flooring Superstore.com, Connection Flooring, Direct Wood Flooring and Grass Direct.

bUsiness aCqUireD oUt oF aDministration Independent furniture business Adventures in Furniture has been acquired out of administration, saving all jobs.

Simon Plant and Daniel Plant, of nationwide insolvency practitioner SFP, were appointed as joint administrators of Adventures in Furniture Limited (AIF) on 30 November, 2018.

Now, SFP has completed a sale of the business and assets, saving the jobs of all 12 employees in the process and maintaining the good will of customers.

The independent £2.7m turnover company, which was established in 2013, entered into financial difficulties after realising that they had insufficient funds to cover the debts and were unlikely to obtain further funding to continue trading.

Agents undertook a marketing campaign and a valuation of the business. Following the passing of the deadline, a sale of the business and assets was completed to KJAM Ltd and all employees have been transferred.

In a statement issued to Cabinet Maker, Daniel Plant, administrator, said: “An offer has been accepted from KJAM Limited. All jobs were saved and KJAM is well placed to take the business forward. We are pleased that all employees can continue their employment following their TUPE transfer to the purchaser.”

w www.aif.london

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w www.flooringsuperstore.com

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THANKS FOR VISITING US AT THE

0800 0149672

www.bedframesdirect.co.uk Savile Business Centre, Mill Street East, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF14 9AH UK

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25th January 2019 | 13

F e a t U r e |r J b i n n i e R J Binnie first launched back in 1994

and still

thriving

Richard Binnie, managing director of R J Binnie Ltd, reects on 25 years in the trade as well as looking ahead to the next 25.

As 2019 begins, R J Binnie Ltd celebrates 25 years since the managing director, Richard Binnie, founded the business. The Leicester-based company has undergone many transformations in that time and has become a respected supplier of sewing threads, furniture components and recliner mechanisms.

25th January 2019 | 14

Back in 1994 the company was started as a small manufacturer of sewing threads, supplying local furniture and clothing manufacturers in Leicester and Nottingham.

Slowly the company grew and over time additional products were added, resulting in the wide-ranging catalogue that you now see. Whether it is zips, springs, sofa bed mechanisms, webbing, wooden feet or

metal hardware that a customer requires, it will no doubt be available from the Leicester warehouse. With a fleet of seven vans, goods are shipped out nationally, each day, to all of the key manufacturing areas.

Whilst the company looks back at the last 25 years, it also looks forward with ambition and enthusiasm to the next stage in its

For FUll stories anD Daily news UpDates: WWW.Cabinet-maker.Co.uk

“in reCent times a £200,000 investment has been maDe in new state-oF-the-art maChinery anD lUbriCation systems.”

development. The three main areas of the business activity are undergoing a process of investment and improvement, with the intention of preparing them for the next 25 years of business life.

Jigsaw Sewing Threads R J Binnie has been manufacturing sewing threads since 1994 and stocks a large range of varieties and shades to suit most sewing applications. In recent times a £200,000 investment has been made in new stateof-the-art machinery and lubrication systems. This has enabled R J Binnie to offer a product of exceptional quality and consistency that can be tailored to customers’ specific needs.

As a result of the growing reputation of the sewing thread division, R J Binnie has announced that it is now marketing thread products with its own stand-alone brand of Jigsaw Sewing Threads. It is hoped that this will help customers identify with the brand of threads that they can trust. Where you see the Jigsaw logo (pictured left) you know that you are buying into a trusted product, wherever in the world you are.

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Furniture Components Having increased warehouse space by a further 10,000sqft in the early part of the year, R J Binnie has increased stock holding of all the main lines of products.

With 50,000sqft of storage and production space, it is confident that it holds the highest stock levels in the UK trade. It is this comprehensive stock that supports the fleet of vans that deliver directly to customers each day. The sales team works closely with customers to understand what stocks will be required, to ensure products arrive on time. New products are continually introduced to give customers new ideas or solutions to problems.

R J Binnie works closely with key suppliers to enable continuity and quality. The scale of the product required enables each line to be bought at the most competitive prices, without quality being compromised. R J Binnie keeps a close eye on fire regulations and certification. All products that are required to have relevant FR certification are tested regularly, to give the customer the due diligence that they require.

Recliner Mechanisms by Motion Italia The partnership between R J Binnie and one of the world’s most innovative recliner mechanism designers and manufacturers, Motion Italia, is seeing customers have access to mechanisms and systems that offer solutions to almost all requirements.

R J Binnie can stock and assemble to customers requirements. It has a showroom with a selection of upholstered motion furniture that can demonstrate what is possible with the mechanisms, and provide inspiration for design and development teams. There is a constant stream of new products and variants to keep the customer at the cutting edge of design.

Above: Sofabed Left: Recliner mechanism Below: Grey textured fabric

Across all sides of the business R J Binnie is committed to giving the customer the best possible service. By being a trusted partner it can take the worry out of component supply.

2018 has seen additions to the R J Binnie sales team. Dominic Clarke has joined as sales director, bringing a wealth of sales experience to the company. Matt Plant has also joined as Southern area manager and is welcomed on to the team by Barbara Binns, key accounts, and David Anderson, Northern area manager. Supported by its internal customer service team, they are ready to respond to all enquiries.

w www.rjbinnie.co.uk 25th January 2019 | 15

F e a t U r e |k e e n & a b l e The company has seen rapid growth since its 2016 launch

keen to

DELIVER Chris Knight, managing director from Keen & Able answers questions on the growth of the business for Cabinet Maker.

You recently moved into a new distribution centre. What was the reason behind the expansion?

In the last few weeks, we have moved into our new head office and national distribution centre in Northampton, supported by a new strategic regional hub in Manchester. Due to rapid growth, we were increasingly finding our operations held back by the size of our old distribution centre. We were in the position to have to turn down new customers, and in order to maintain our growth and offer new 25th January 2019 | 16

value-adding services, such as drop-shipping and storage, we can confidently take on much larger premises. As such a young business, it’s incredibly exciting to be growing so rapidly.

How much investment has gone into the move?

As part of the move, we are investing in creating 50 new jobs. We are also committed to investing ÂŁ1m in brand new and larger vans, which again increases our capacity and

ensures more efficient routing. The greenbranded vans are a huge investment in the visibility of the brand as it starts to break through. Through the investment in the new distribution centres and the vans, we can save up to one million road miles per year.

How has the business grown in the last few years?

The company was only set up in 2016, so to be expanding to two new facilities totalling 63,000sq ft two years down the line

For FUll stories anD Daily news UpDates: WWW.Cabinet-maker.Co.uk

“embraCinG teChnoloGy Can Give Us valUable eFFiCienCies in CommUniCation, stoCk manaGement anD roUte planninG.”

is unbelievable. The key has been to focus on what we can do best — delivering and installing beds with the outstanding customer service that is expected, but sadly not delivered, in much of the logistics industry.

Our training programme has been critical in ensuring that our polite and courteous delivery teams maintain high standards — sporting an “excellent” rating on Trustpilot and an average of 98% customer satisfaction through our own surveys.

2018 was a fantastic year for us, which is reflected in the fact that we’ve achieved a 233% increase in sales YTD. What challenges have you faced?

What has been a particular highlight so far?

By making sure our customers always come first, we have built a strong reputation and demand for our services has been so high that until recently we have had to turn down new business.

A highlight was getting the keys to the new Head Office / Distribution Centre in Northampton, and walking in and seeing the huge space.

Thankfully, we have grown to a point where we can now confidently take on the two new facilities, and talk again to all those we’ve so far been unable to help.

The growth itself has its own challenges though. Our team have always been tight-knit and their proactivity and natural helpfulness has been absolutely fundamental to achieving such high levels of customer satisfaction.

As we have grown, we have obviously needed to integrate new faces into the mix whilst ensuring we keep the excitement, positivity and customer-focused ethos at the heart of everything we do. The move itself certainly would have been impossible without the team pulling together so effectively.

How have you overcome these challenges?

The clear focus has always been to put the customer first and training has been crucial to keeping standard high. We’ve invested heavily in training to give our delivery teams the very best tools to surprise and delight the customer at every turn. We spend far more time and resource on training than most other providers, ensuring that our delivery teams are the best in the business. Our reviews and ratings speak for themselves.

We’ve also listened to what our customers want, with new added-value services such as disposal, out-of-hours delivery, and communication at every point.

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Why is being a ‘green business’ important?

As a specialist delivery company, we have a responsibility to ensure we impact the environment in the smallest way possible.

Our routes are planned as efficiently as possible with well-maintained fleet. The combination of our new distribution centres and the larger new vans will save up to one million road miles every year.

As we are trusted to come into customers’ homes, we are able to ensure all packing materials and rubbish is taken away after delivery and recycled. We also offer recycling of the mattresses and beds we remove — ensuring 100% landfill avoidance.

What is your view of the current furniture markeplace?

The furniture market has a range of requirements. We serve manufacturers such as Simba and Otty w hich offer speed and convenience, requiring instant availability and fast delivery.

Others, such as Hypnos and Vispring, have personalised bed designs that involve different shapes and sizes, and more focus on installation. We’ve found that through a mix of customers we can offer efficient and timely loads, with each need catered for.

When it comes to technology, why is this an important aspect of the business?

Embracing technology can give us valuable efficiencies in communication, stock management and route planning. Through our systems we can track every order at any point, ensuring there is complete visibility and security. Customers can bulk-book deliveries, and track their drop-shipping and storage digitally, and we can integrate these with our own systems. We can offer out-of-hours delivery slots to the consumer and communicate with them throughout the process so they can know exactly when to expect us.

What’s next for the business?

We’re ambitious and intend to continue growing at the same rate. We won’t give too much away regarding our plans, but we plan to maintain our outstanding customer service whilst growing our base. For a long time we’ve been restricted on the customers we can take on, so strangely we’ve been turning down new business.

Now we will have the space, the vans and the capacity to take advantage of all of those exciting prospects and opportunities. With an additional 70 staff across both locations to support our activities, we expect 2019 to be as fun and exciting as 2018!

w www.keenandabledelivery.com

25th January 2019 | 17

F EAT U RE |n a t i o n a l b e d f e d e r a t i o n

Recycling survey

The National Bed Federation (NBF) has started work on a comprehensive national survey on the fates of used mattresses in the UK.

This is the third report the NBF has commissioned and follows on from two previous reports in 2014 and 2016 and a study of component recycling in 2017 — all compiled independently for the NBF by internationally-respected environmental consultants Oakdene Hollins Jessica Alexander, NBF executive director, explains: “We are asking as many retailers and manufacturers as we can to participate in the survey so our data base can be as comprehensive and accurate as possible.

The better the data input, the more rigorous the report’s findings and the better our future policy planning can be.”

Having a good indication of the mattress recycling rates in the UK has been an important step in understanding the scale of the problem of mattress disposal and informing the NBF’s ambition to drive improvement in recycling rates and reduce waste.

The first two surveys actually indicated a diversion from landfill rate of just 13% of 25th January 2019 | 18

What happens next to used mattresses is under the spotlight new mattress sales in 2015 — and this was actually a decline from the 2014 estimate of 16% — largely due to a reduction in the

number of mattress recycling facilities.

However, the 2017 components survey, while on a smaller scale, indicated that the rates

for Full stories and daily news updates: WWW.Cabinet-maker.co.uk

aQO

had picked up significantly again.

The new survey is aiming to gather data aimed at calculating the percentage of new mattresses collected for recycling and energy recovery by local authorities, commercial and retail sectors for the fiscal years 2016-17 and 2017-18.

It will also aim to provide a review of takeback schemes, identifying good practice, and a review of end markets of the materials recovered.

Jessica added: “Government has made it clear in its waste and resources strategy, published just before Christmas, that it is intent on implementing regulatory and economic initiatives to tackle avoidable waste — and that textiles, mattresses and furniture are firmly on the agenda. The same is true for the other devolved administrations too — with mattresses due to be banned from landfill altogether in Scotland in 2020.

on coming up with solutions to reduce and manage waste ever better and promote resource efficiency in future in ways that will work equally well for government, business and consumers.”

If you would like to take part in the survey, contact the NBF at info@bedfed.org.uk before 1 February.

w www.bedfed.org.uk

“This work will enable us to engage actively and intelligently with all the administrations

NBF Statement on Government’s New Waste and Resources Strategy The National Bed Federation has welcomed the Government’s new waste and resources strategy.

ensure high standards of good practice are encouraged and followed.

The report specifically mentions mattresses, stating that manufacturers could have to pay for dealing with those that are sent to landfill in order to encourage more recycling.

“We believe that, ultimately, a well-designed Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme is the most likely solution and we are keen to work with government on that.

Said Jessica Alexander, executive director of the National Bed Federation: “We welcome the announcement and the opportunity to work with the government on reducing the number of mattresses going into landfill.

“The NBF has its own Circular Economy Committee, which recently announced a target to divert 75% of mattresses from landfill by 2028.

“We would like to achieve this sooner but the average mattress is replaced every 10 years.

“We have also been working with mattress recyclers, retailers and local authorities on a Register of Approved Mattress Recyclers to

“If we are going to increase the rates of recycling immediately (they are currently about 15%), costs will inevitably increase and who should pay for that is an important question.

“It is too early to say how much and by what mechanism, but one thing we will be looking at is how mattresses are designed and constructed to make it easier to disassemble and recycle them ­— which might mean costs aren’t in the end any more than they are now.

“This work will enable us to engage actively and intelligently with all the administrations on coming up with solutions to reduce and manage waste ever better and promote resource efficiency in future in ways that will work equally well for government, business and consumers.”

“And it’s not just about end of life management — some of our members have been working on designs with the most sustainable materials and some even have their own sheep whose wool is used exclusively for mattresses.”

25th January 2019 | 19

F e a t U r e |e m m a m a t t r e s s Benjamin Quiroga-Rivera, British co-founder of bed-in-a-box brand Emma Mattress, speaks to Cabinet Maker on its future plans after a very successful 2018.

Bedding into the

UK

Emma Mattress launched in the UK in 2017

Last time Cabinet Maker caught up with Emma Mattress, the brand was building momentum after securing an exclusive partnership with sofa retailer DFS as well as growing within its markets. And it’s fair to say that the business continued on an upward trajectory as 2018 came to a close.

Emma recently reported its biggest grossing quarter in the UK since its launch in 2017, turning over £9.4m between 01 October – 31 December 2018, an increase of 170% yearon-year for the quarter.

Boosted by a strong Boxing Day performance, Emma Mattress’ Boxing Day sale saw the bed-in-a-box brand selling one mattress every two minutes during the 12-day promotion, generating £4.4m from the discounting event.

Emma Mattress’ UK revenues remained strong throughout the year, ending with a 246% growth in turnover year-on-year and contributing towards parent company Bettzeit Group’s annual revenues of €79m.

Some pretty beefy statistics to digest, as Benjamin Quiroga-Rivera, British co-founder of Emma Mattress, explains a key reason behind its constant success. “We have been very pleased with the results so far with our growth strategy for the UK Bed-in-a-Box (BiB) market. Our core focus on R&D, product 25th January 2019 | 20

Sales have grown by almost 250% quality and marketing efficiency are paying off and we expect this strategy to also deliver an exciting 2019,” he said.

“Our key driver has been our continued focus on R&D, product quality and marketing efficiency. Removing hype from the BiB market, and avoiding the pitfalls associated with pleasing investors, has meant that we have been able to focus on our core pillars for growth and produce sustainable and incremental results.”

The proof seems to be in the pudding — or perhaps the unboxing — as Emma’s return rate was just below 10% during 2018, with the business already in motion to reduce this further, and Ben revealed: “We are seeing some promising results so far with reducing this even further by using methods, including introducing unique approaches to reducing foam variation.”

Ben also revealed that its pure foam Which?

For FUll stories anD Daily news UpDates: WWW.Cabinet-maker.Co.uk Best on Test Emma Original has been the brands strongest selling product, closely followed by the Emma Hybrid. The Emma Original launched in the UK market in June 2018 and has seen impressive growth. Key features include a new foam combination for superior breathability and durability, as well as benefiting from a new cover with openpore cell structure technologies to improve air circulation.

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Emma aims to stay ahead of the game

So what does Emma have planned for 2019?

Ben said: “Continued investment in our strategy with a strong focus on improving the customer experience at every point of the journey.”

A straightforward objective, although the company was quick to point out that the boxed mattress market may change in the year ahead, in the form of consolidation, heeding a warning sign for other bed-in-a-box brands to learn fast.

“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,” Ben outlined.

“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 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.”

Focusing on its own brand, Emma Mattress has gone from strength-to-strength with no signs of slowing down any time soon. The company is also keeping ‘a close eye’ on potential trade shows that could help boost business further and achieve its long-term vision.

“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.”

But for now, Emma relies on its two key concepts that stand it apart from others in what has unboxed to be a popular — perhaps overcrowded — marketplace.

Ben shared Emma’s success story: “Our business success and competitor differentiation rests on two pillars; product quality and marketing efficiency. We believe

Boxing Day saw consumers buy one mattress every two minutes

this is a much more lasting strategy to superior products and creating a brand people trust. Our strategy might seem less aggressive given our less comparative funding, but we have outgrown almost all competitors in our space. So, we see this as a confirmation our unique approach is winning favour with consumers.

“We also have unparalleled access to consumers’ sleep feedback. We ensure that the feedback loop is closed by continually collecting sleep data and feeding this directly in to our R&D. “The results do speak for themselves. The Emma Hybrid has been named Best Buy June 2017 by Which? and the Emma Original is currently the Which? Best on Test 2018.

Investing our focus and resources to product quality has helped fuel our growth, both top and bottom line, and we are excited for the what 2019 brings.”

w www.emma-mattress.co.uk

25th January 2019 | 21

F e a t U r e |r o s s i n i

NEW STYLES For the

NEW YEAR Luigi Segreto, export manager at Italian upholstery manufacturer Rossini, highlights new launches for 2019.

After what has been a busy year for Rossini, the Italian upholstery manufacturer doesn’t plan on sitting down for too long, as the company has equally been busy in preparing launches for 2019.

Luigi Segreto, export manager at Rossini, revealed: “The overall business of 2018 has been good as our figures show an increase compared to the previous year. This is due to the fact we have, and are still, expanding our markets and gaining shares, as well as investing in attending new exhibitions.

This has expanded the visibility of the 25th January 2019 | 22

Rossini has launched a number of new leathers

For FUll stories anD Daily news UpDates: WWW.Cabinet-maker.Co.uk

No Brexit fear at Rossini

company, especially in the Chinese, Korean, French and, of course, the British markets.

“We are approaching 2019 with a lot of new ideas and enthusiasm, and our very first event of the year will be the Cologne show. We believe this will help the company to expand its markets further, as well as gaining new customers worldwide.”

Rossini launched a number of new styles during the German event, with the business continuing to deliver its ethos of well-designed concepts and product development. Luigi continued: “New styles and leathers were launched during the above event to satisfy the various demands from international markets.

“We are always focusing on developing new ideas and bringing in new concepts.

We still keep in mind our key pillars of the Rossini philosophy, which are products and customer relationship, along with offering a high standard of service. We are steady with our lead times of eight weeks after the date

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“we are always FoCUsinG on DevelopinG new iDeas anD brinGinG in new ConCepts.” of the receipt of the order.”

With 2018 behind the business, the shift in focus continues on to the year ahead with Rossini targeting maximum energy on the Cologne show in January, whilst adding that it will definitely show in Milan and Shanghai as well.

2019 could also be the year Rossini exhibits at a UK destination as it continues to explore the possibilities of other trade shows.

Luigi said: “As previously stated, we are continuing to maintain our momentum of growth and rise to any potential challenge that comes our way, as the various markets are changing very quickly and we need to be ready and prepared to meet their requirements.

“We’re not afraid of Brexit at all; trade will still continue as it was. We are excited for what the future holds. Our business has no restrictions in terms of geographical areas, so all countries are open to order and import Rossini products.”

w www.rossinisofas.it

New style table

Rossini looks to build on expanding its markets 25th January 2019 | 23

proDUCt promotion|sherborne Sherborne Upholstery made an enormous impact at The January Furniture Show with a huge display of electric riser recliners, including the new Malham and Virginia designs and the recently-introduced Albany. To enhance its appeal even further the exciting new option of an Adjustable Lumbar Support was launched, which is available on Express Delivery across the entire range of riser recliners in both fabric and leather.

The attractive new Virginia Recliner/Suite was also introduced, together with four new cover ranges and two modern and sophisticated new sprung mattresses to offer even more comfort on their Adjustable Bed range.

w www.sherborneupholstery.co.uk

Malham Royale

Albany

ABOVE: Virginia RIGHT: Dorchester

25th January 2019 | 28

ClassiFieD

TO ADVERTISE A JOB PLEASE CONTACT KACEM Q 01223 846825 m KACEM@CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK

North West South East South West East Anglia

The Furniture Makers’ Company the furnishing industry’s charity

WE CAN HELP YOU

Things don’t always follow the design

Life

There may be times you need

have in mind

often throw some curve balls

We will always be there for

The Furniture Makers’ Company has been supporting the welfare of employees in the interiors and furnishing industry for more than 100 years. If you or someone you know is in need of financial support, let us help. Visit our website www.furnituremakers.org.uk/assistance or contact 020 7256 5558

This advertising space was generously donated by Cabinet Maker magazine in support of The Furniture Makers’ Company’s welfare campaign.

The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers’ Charitable Funds incorporating the Furnishing Trades Benevolent Association is a registered charity in England and Wales (no. 1015519) and a registered company (no. 02759359) in England and Wales

Welfare FX half page.indd 1

25th January 201915:12 | 29 12/10/2017

LAST WORD BRIAN HARRISON, FOUNDER AND CEO OF AVORD

“Unless somethinG ChanGes, bUsinesses will be ForCeD to CUt Corners, anD this will inevitably mean there are more Data breaChes.“

The shockingly high cost of protecting against cyber attacks has been revealed, with the manufacturing industry forking out around £2.12bn annually to combat the growing threat of data breaches and system outages. Research from AVORD reveals that 89% manufacturers have seen an increase in the number of data breaches over the last five years. Opportunistic consultancies are being blamed for inflating the price of security testing in the UK, with many manufacturers being charged inflated prices to conduct tests on their critical assets. And with increasing fines for manufacturers found to be in breach of industry regulations, the cost of hacking can be huge.

Consultancies taking advantage The findings put the spotlight firmly on the security testing market, which is dominated by consultancies who provide services to businesses, sometimes at twice the daily rate of an independent tester — often referred to as ethical hackers. With 77% of UK businesses claiming the cost of testing is too expensive, there is a clear demand for change.

A surge in cyber crime Worryingly, 40% of manufacturing companies have battled an online security breach in the past 12 months, which have directly hit their bottom lines through costly fines and loss of business. However, with cyber threats constantly evolving and changing, nearly three-quarters said that approving the target and regularity of testing is the biggest difficulty when it comes to cyber security.

Over the past five years, the majority of companies have seen a major increase in the number of data breaches — one in five reported an increase of between 11% and 20%, while more than half reported up to 10% more data breaches.

SASSY HOME FURNITURE TO GO SPRING FAIR 25th January 2019 | 30

The true cost of cyber attacks As new emerging technologies are deployed, and applications increasingly underpin core business processes, firms across the UK claimed that cyber criminals are creating new ways to exploit vulnerabilities, which is putting increased stresses on them at an already challenging time. The impact of breaches in the past 12 months has been widespread, with 85% experiencing a fine from regulators and 78% reporting a loss of customers. Almost all companies confirmed that the breach was at least partially due issues in the security testing process.

A new era in security testing Unless something changes, businesses will be forced to cut corners, and this will inevitably mean there are more data breaches and system outages. AVORD has been designed to disrupt the current security testing model by cutting out the costly ‘middle-man’ consultancies and allows businesses to directly manage and engage security testers. This means that whereas industry currently pays up to £1,100 per day for cyber security testing, that cost will be reduced to approximately £600, collectively saving UK businesses around £3bn annually.

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