People by Cabinet Maker

F E A T U R E |P E O P L E B E H I N D T H E P R O D U C T S

Meet Elaine B ple eh

In the latest in our People Behind he Products features, Cabinet Maker goes behind the scenes at decorative lighting manufacturer Franklite to meet one of its long-serving members of staff, Elaine Taylor, as she shares an insight into her role. Can you describe your current job role and responsibilities? My current responsibilities at Franklite are general day-to-day customer service care and seeing through the entire export part of the business from start to ďŹ nish.

as the content of my job. lthough it is always different, there is also a routine to it and I enjoy seeing it each challenge that arises. he people you work with make a real difference in a workplace and I feel very lucky to be in an environment such as this.

How long have you been in your current role? I recently celebrated 30 years at Franklite, on 27th February, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve enjoyed every minute of being part of this great company.

What is most challenging about your role? Probably the export side of it as it changes fre uently on a day to day basis. his also makes it a lot more interesting as I always have to adjust to meet certain demands. o two days are the same!

Can you give a brief background on yourself? I have two children and three beautiful grandchildren, who I love spending time with. At the moment, my main hobby is learning to play the piano every week for minutes. I also attend a variety of social events, including limming World each week. What is the best thing about your role? Seeing the Franklite family every day as well

Can you describe your typical working day? A typical day is hard to describe as it changes day to day. However, I suppose that one thing that is consistent is that we are always busy assisting customers as much as we can. Being part of the customer service team is an essential aspect of the business and being able to maintain a high level of service

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or Name... Elaine Tayl Service er om st Cu Job role... e Company... Franklit Email... klite.ltd.uk customerservice@fran

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laine aylor with ark ancaster, former P for ilton eynes orth

is paramount to our ongoing success. I love speaking to people and being able to help them achieve their goal. Can you share something that your coworkers may not know about you? Being within the company for years, I think everyone knows everything about me!

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aQO “I SUFFER FROM PARKINSON’S AND, BECAUSE OF THIS, FRANKLITE OPERATES A DRESS-DOWN DAY ON FRIDAYS TO PROACTIVELY HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THE CHARITY.”

What are your favourite things in life? I love the elements of ature, especially ﬂowers! eeing my family and most deﬁnitely my cat olly.

eft, rank issauer, owner of ranklite td, thanks laine for her years service.

What are your future ambitions? o retire! here are three years left until my golden days! Although I will miss the people I work with a great deal.

w www.franklite.net

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If you would like to feature your staff members in our eople ehind he roducts features, email editor an Squires at dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk or go to www. cabinet-maker.co.uk and follow the link at the bottom of the home page to ﬁll in our questionnaire form.

Dress-down Friday? Franklite’s chosen charity is Parkinson’s U , which is very dear to me. I suffer from Parkinson’s and, because of this, Franklite operates a dress-down day on Fridays to proactively help raise money for the charity. ast month we raised over ! massive big thank you to everyone who donated and thank you to those for co-ordinating!

And ﬁnally, if you had to describe yourself in three ords, hat ould they be? Dedicated, driven and happy!

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What is your favourite piece of furniture you own? And why? I would have to say my piano, as it was bought from my brother-in-law as a gift to encourage me to learn to play. lthough he passed away before he brought it, he ensured that my sister took me out shopping to get one. It was his last ﬁnal gift to me.

Did you know that Cabinet Maker has been established since 1880? How long have you been reading the magazine? If I m honest, I didn t know. However, following Franklite’s debut editorial the other month, I’ve taken a keen interest in ﬁnding out what s going on within the lighting sector.

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Do you have any career highlights that spring to mind? My most recently cherish memory was in February, where everyone in the Franklite team gathered to celebrate my 30-year service and Frank (the owner) made a speech in my honour.

F E A T U R E |P E O P L E B E H I N D T H E P R O D U C T S Simon Spinks at the company’s wire-drawing line at its factory in Leeds

Meet Simon

How long have you been in your current role? I became managing director of the company when I was 25, but my family has been running the company for ﬁve generations. There are currently three Spinks in the business: myself, my father, Peter, who is on the board of directors, and my son, Dan, who is a buyer. What is the best thing about your role? Because we re a family business, we ve had the freedom to re invest in innovation and drive change in areas that we believe in. This has allowed us to build a really unique business — we make almost all the components that go in to our beds, from

drawing the wire to make the springs, to growing natural mattress fillings on our acre farm. We even make the machines that make the springs. We own our supply chain so we can constantly make changes to our processes and components to improve our products and how we make them. What is the most challenging? he fact that we re so vertically integrated means that we have to become specialists in many fields and literally fields . We have a farm, a forest, a manufacturing facility and an R&D team that makes the machines that make our components, so we need expertise across so many different areas. It s challenging but also e citing and ever changing. Can you describe your typical working day? No two days are the same and in a family

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Can you describe your current job role and responsibilities? I am managing director of Harrison Spinks — a 179-year-old bed maker based in Leeds.

ks Name... Simon Spin Director ng gi Job role... Mana inks Sp on is Company... Harr E-mail... info@ uk harrisonspinks.co.

In the second of a new series of features, Cabinet Maker goes behind the scenes at bed maker Harrison Spinks and meets managing director, Simon Spinks, who shares an insight into his role.

business you never stop working because you never stop thinking about the business. Day to day I can be meeting customers, working with the development team on new spring machines, be in the sleep lab with the testing team or in board meetings. During the springtime it s great to visit Hornington Manor — the Harrison Spinks farm — when the lambs are being born. Our business is spread across a huge site in Leeds and there’s also the farm and forest in North Yorkshire and wire-drawing facility at British Steel in Scunthorpe, so needless to say getting to each site can be time consuming. We have the best team in the industry and I am learning to let them get on with things I still can t help getting involved with spring design and development though. I m forever changing the mattress that I sleep on at home as I test new technology, it can drive my wife a little mad. Innovation gets me

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Simon Spinks inspects a spring at the company’s factory

“I’D SEEN A SPRING-WITHIN-A-SPRING USED IN CARS AND WONDERED IF THAT TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY COULD BE USED IN A MATTRESS.”

— Simon Spinks, (right) managing director of Harrison Spinks

out of bed in the morning It’s a terrible pun but it puts a spring in my step. What would you say pulled you into wanting a career in the furnishing industry? Because Harrison Spinks is a family business, bedmaking is in our blood. I began painting bed legs at Harrison Spinks when I was 11 years old and have always had a passion for manufacturing beds. I ofﬁcially started working at Harrison Spinks full-time in 1989 and became managing director when I was 25. When I started working at Harrison Spinks full-time I started to see parallels with spring technology and car mechanics (my other passion), which really piqued my interest and that s where my passion for invention and Santiago

innovation started. What are your favourite things in life? y biggest achievement outside of the business is bringing up my family. My son, Dan (24), is currently a buyer within the business and my daughter, mily , is a very talented artist. I also love cars tinkering with them and driving them. In , I drove a ord Escort from Peking to Paris in the Endurance Rally. My interest in cars sparked the inspiration for the evolution spring system — I’d seen a spring-within-a-spring be used in cars to stop a valve bounce and wondered if that type of technology could be used in a mattress.

What are your future ambitions? We want to change the way the world sleeps. The team is working towards building a bed that can be recycled in its entirety at the end of its life —this is a complex challenge that involves removing all foam and chemicals from the product and replacing them with eco friendly, natural alternatives. urrently about per cent of the mattress can be recycled. We have started to weave our own fabric that is naturally ﬁre retardant without chemicals, and we have developed pockets for our springs that are welded together, removing the need for glue. Do you have any career highlights that spring to mind? he invention of the evolution pring System and the subsequent licensing of the technology certainly boosted our business and being awarded Millennium Product status by the design council was the icing on the cake. Buying Hornington anor farm in was a risky move but being able to grow our own ﬁlling materials for the mattresses has allowed for us to make meaningful reductions to our emissons and is well received by customers and consumers alike. Being awarded four Queen’s Awards for Enterprise is another highlight — meeting the ueen in after we won two awards was a huge honour and it was a special moment for the business. Winning two again in was incredible. We currently hold two Queen’s Awards, which we think is unique in our sector. »

F E A T U R E |P E O P L E B E H I N D T H E P R O D U C T S

Family business: Simon Spinks, centre, with his father, Peter, who is on the board of directors, and his son, Dan, who is a buyer.

If you weren’t working in the industry, what would you be doing? If I wasn’t running my business, I would be working within the IT or engineering industry, deﬁnitely something to do with inventing.

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If you would like to feature your staff members our People Behind The Products features, email editor Dan Squires at dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk or go to www. cabinet-maker.co.uk and follow the link at the bottom of the home page to ﬁll in our questionnaire form.

Can you predict any future trends that may emerge? A greater focus on sustainability will be important for all manufacturers as consumers become more aware of the products they

Did you know that Cabinet Maker has been established since 1880? How long have you been reading the magazine? I started working full-time in the industry in so probably for around years now! here have been copies at the factory for as long as I remember. Harrison Spinks was established years before abinet aker so we might be one of your longest-standing readers!

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What could be improved to make the industry better in your opinion? It would be great to see more companies have a greater focus on sustainability and take more responsibility for what happens to their products at the end of their useful lives. Support for retailers is important too — they are really key in helping customers ﬁnd the right mattress so they deserve our support.

use and how they are disposed of. We’re working to reduce wastage through every part of our operations from recycling left over materials at British Steel and using waste hemp as biofuel as well as looking at the products we use in the manufacture of our products to make sure they are recyclable at the end of their lives.

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What do you love about the furnishing industry? he people. We are very fortunate to work within an industry where competitors and customers alike are considered an extended family. This is a unique trait and long may it continue. We work closely with the urniture Makers charity to encourage young people into manufacturing and furniture. We recently had a large group of students visit the factory to see ﬁrst hand what we do.

“IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE MORE COMPANIES HAVE A GREATER FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY AND TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR PRODUCTS AT THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIVES.” — Simon Spinks, managing director of Harrison Spinks

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Meet Harriet

production, and giving feedback to students during educational projects/visits. In addition to this, I run THIS GIRL MAKES, a multi-dimensional project, which consists of a blog, online community and events programme. This ties a lot of my skills and interests together, like graphic design, illustration, journalism, teaching, event management, as well as designing and making things.

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Can you describe your current job role and responsibilities? I work for ercol, where my responsibilities include: supporting the design team with the development of new furniture projects and ranges, designing layouts for retailers and exhibitions, communicating feedback on prototypes with partner manufacturers, designing jigs to assist with in-house production, creating digital 3D models of components and complete designs, as well as tooling, producing technical drawings for

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In the ďŹ rst of a new series of features, Cabinet Maker goes behind the scenes at furniture manufacturer ercol and meets one of its furniture design engineers, Harriet Speed, as she shares an insight into her role.

eed Name... Harriet Sp e Design Engineer ur it rn Fu ... le Job ro Company... ercol

As I am new to my role with ercol, it is something I am very much in the process of establishing fully. I hope I can develop my skills and knowledge as much as possible during my time here. As well as designing and making, one of my personal interests is education and outreach (a huge part of THIS GIRL MAKES), so it would be a deďŹ nite bonus if I was able to try to incorporate this into my work with ercol.

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How long have you been in your current role? I graduated on 31 August 2018 and started my job with ercol on 3 September 2018.

aQO Hinny Reading Stools, 2017

What is the best thing about your role? I would say the best thing is working for a company that is steeped in history and one of the core pillars of the UK furniture industry, especially at such a young age and right at the beginning of my career. The opportunity to learn from everyone in the business, and a chance to be part of some amazing projects and opportunities, makes me feel very lucky. What is the most challenging? Although the transition from education into industry was made as smooth as possible by the amazing tutors at Rycotewood Furniture Centre in Oxford, with all the live projects and trips that they organised for the students, it doesn’t mean you’re ever 100% completely ready for the reality of working for a major business. I have already learnt some tough lessons about what’s involved in working for a commercial furniture company, and I’m sure there will be plenty more on the way. However, I feel I have learnt to have a thick enough skin to just keep going! Can you describe your typical working day? A lot of my day is CAD/computer-based, which is something I am quite new to, having come from a design and make background. However, it is a great skill to have, and something that is deﬁnitely aided by my time making. I like to think I am working in a virtual workshop! The best bits of my day are going down to the factory to speak to the other departments. As a designer maker, I particularly enjoy the back and forth of the whole production process, how one step inﬂuences Harriet’s Stool Making Course another, and considering all the details when resolving a design for manufacture. Can you give a brief background on yourself? I grew up in Northumberland, the youngest of three girls, and have always enjoyed keeping myself busy. My interest in creative projects was something that my family actively encouraged, which I know makes me very privileged. I decided to study product design for A-Level instead of art, as I was keen to gain practical skills and learn about materials and industrial/craft processes. There are very few makers in my family, so it was a whole new direction for me to explore as a career,

which has meant it has happened very organically and been very much individual to me.

Throughout my education, my motto was ‘do what you enjoy’, and good things have always seemed to come out of it. After A-Levels I studied an Art Foundation Diploma at Newcastle College, specialising in 3D Design. I found out about the BA Hons in Furniture Design and Make at Rycotewood Furniture Centre, after applying for a cabinet making apprenticeship, where I was advised to take my studies further. It was the most positive rejection letter ever!

What pulled you into wanting a career in the furniture industry? I have always wanted to be an artist of some kind, but one who was able to sustain a living. To me, furniture seemed the logical way of expressing my creativity, but in a relevant and useful application. People will always need furniture, so I ﬁgured it was a safe bet for a career pathway. Yes, the industry is changing, but learning and developing with it is what I hope will keep it exciting. Before studying at Rycotewood Furniture Centre, I had my hopes set on pursuing a career in ﬁlm and media, but I found the people in the furniture industry were a lot more like-minded, and feeling part of a supportive community is something that is really important to me. »

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What are your favourite things in life? A quick list: Having a good catch up with friends. Visiting the farmers’ market on a Saturday. Watching a ﬁlm at the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford. Going to gigs, and making art and music with friends from the Young Women’s Music Project. The view of bridges when the train crosses over the River Tyne, as it pulls into Newcastle central train station. A good game of squash. Starting a new notebook/sketchbook. Bonﬁre night. What are your future ambitions? Another quick list: To put together Volume 2 of THIS GIRL MAKES. To visit the workshops of other craftswomen in other countries around the world. To progress onto an MA programme for both my personal and professional development. To continue to learn and develop my role at ercol. To keep up my making skills by setting up a workshop or home studio.

Do you have any furniture industry icons you admire? This was one of the reasons I founded THIS GIRL MAKES, as I had very few female role models whilst I was studying. Now there are so many to choose from! But honourable mentions are Dr Lynn Jones, Ray Eames, Alice Blogg, Heather Scott and Brogan Cox. Do you have any career highlights that spring to mind? The biggest highlight so far would have to be getting my ﬁrst job with ercol. However, whilst studying, notable highlights were: Attending the 2017 LINLEY Summer School, Winning Best in Show at the 2018 Young Furniture Maker’s Exhibition, hosting the 2018 Rycotewood degree show at Heals in London, and setting up THIS GIRL MAKES. What is your favourite piece of furniture you own? And why? When I was growing up, my dad had a piece of furniture called ‘Corkey’s Cabinet’. It belonged to his Great Uncle ‘Corkey’, and he kept his comic book collection in it. I remember it having an amazing smell and having lots of secret compartments.

As a child, it was so exciting to rummage through it; you never knew what you might ﬁnd! Unfortunately my parents sold it when they were having a clear-out, but it had such a lasting impact on me that it inspired the ﬁnal piece that I made as part of my degree at Rycotewood Furniture Centre. I think the thing that attracted me to it was the fact that it had belonged to someone who wasn’t alive anymore; it was an object that carried a lot of stories and sentiment.

A hand-cut marquetry design inspired by THIS GIRL MAKES. (Photo credit: Mark Reeves)

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“HAVING A BETTER GENDER BALANCE WITHIN FURNITURE WOULD MAKE IT A BETTER INDUSTRY.”

Instead, I would opt for the word ‘movement’ because it is inherently political and, therefore, carries more purpose or meaning. I think the sustainable living and wellness movements are really important, because they are about promoting a healthier and happier planet through the objects we buy and use. Can you predict any future trends that may emerge? I think the amount of alternative materials we’ll be seeing will continue to increase. Finding alternatives to plastic is critical, and should offer consumers more exciting products. Did you know that Cabinet Maker has been established since 1880? How long have you been reading the magazine? I have been aware of the magazine since I started at Rycotewood Furniture Centre. There were always copies in our break room, which we could look through when we were waiting for the kettle to boil.

What do you love about the furniture industry? I love how approachable everyone is. Especially with the development of social media platforms, like Instagram, it is so much easier to reach out to other designers and makers, and feel part of a community.

If you weren’t working with furniture, what would you be doing? Probably off making a ﬁlm somewhere… And ﬁnally, if you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be? This Girl Makes!

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If you would like to feature your staff members in our People Behind The Products features, email editor Dan Squires at dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk or go to www. cabinet-maker.co.uk and follow the link at the bottom of the home page to ﬁll in our questionnaire form.

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What industry trends are you seeing at the moment? In all honesty, I hate the word ‘trend’, to me it implies disposability, shallow fashions and unconscious consumerism. I appreciate that following trends is necessary to stay relevant as a company and maintain consumer interest, but I believe design should respond to human needs and solve problems, making ‘following trends’ somewhat irrelevant.

Above: Corkey’s Cabinet, 2018. Harriet’s award-winning collector’s cabinet Left: Hexagon Stools made by participants on Harriet’s stool-making course Below: THIS GIRL MAKES A Table, made during the 2017 LINLEY Summer School

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What could be improved to make the industry better in your opinion? It probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone that I would say having a better gender balance within furniture would make it a better industry. This is something I have tried to unpick through THIS GIRL MAKES. It is such a systemic issue affecting education, training and employment, but having a balanced industry would lead to a better variety of ideas and as furniture is such a historic industry, I think it would help bring it up-to-date and make it more attractive to young people.

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