A Government minister says he will engage with the U.K. furniture industry as it grapples with the issue of foam shortages.

Exports helped high-margin, premium-pitched bed maker Vispring posts its first top line growth in three years in 2019. And So To Bed, its co-owned sister business, also found growth.

Earnings grew on higher sales last year for the Yorkshire rugs and soft furnishings manufacturer behind the Howler & Scratch and Rug Guru brands.

Italian upholstery vertical Natuzzi will expand its retail footprint in the U.K. this Christmas amid strong demand so far this year for its Natuzzi Editions brand.

Bed manufacturing conglomerate Hilding Anders has appointed Jason Forbes to lead a major direct-to-consumer push including the creation of an 80-strong ecommerce and digital team.

The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) has stressed the need for business owners to have made their factories Covid-secure, not just to protect employees but also to prevent falling foul of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

Business model adjustments have helped drive major efficiency improvements for Abingdon Flooring, one of the U.K.'s largest carpet makers, parent company Victoria said yesterday.

The executive chairman of flooring conglomerate Victoria says he expects no let up in demand with the group to achieve meaningful organic growth into 2021 as consumers continue to invest in their homes.

Hypnos has co-developed a new eco-packaging solution and wants other companies across the furniture and bed industries to adopt it too.

Revenue fell mid-single digits for Natuzzi in the third quarter but the Italian upholstery manufacturer and retailer said the order outlook is brighter.

Bed industry executive has spent the past decade in the industry, with Hypnos and Silentnight.

Output soared as the Chinese mattress and foam conglomerate behind the Mlily brand near doubled sales in the three months to end September.

Stanley Pauley, the longtime leader and majority shareholder of foam conglomerate Carpenter Co, has died aged 93, the company has announced.

The National Bed Federation (NBF), the trade association representing the interests of U.K. bed manufacturers, will later today announce the winners of its 2020–21 awards.

Third quarter sales jumped for European ready-to-assemble cabinet furniture maker Forte but remain well down in the year so far, including the region taking in the U.K.

The National Bed Federation (NBF) is to direct consumers to their nearest NBF stockist through a new website providing advice about beds and mattresses.

Plans by Endless to invest in Silentnight back in 2011 were so far advanced that the turnaround firm had already drawn down funds, its managing partner has told a Disciplinary Tribunal investigating the conduct of advisors to the bed maker.

Silentnight, Britain's largest bed manufacturer, has extended its longstanding partnership with Panther Warehousing, the specialist two-man, white-glove carrier.

Leeds bed maker and components group Harrison Spinks says it is formulating plans to created a dedicated recycling asset in the North as part of its zero-to-landfill aims.

Belgian manufacturer Latexco has launched Suitenings, a new brand comprising bedding products and services designed to be sold into the hotels sector.

The National Bed Federation's (NBF) Green Forum — originally slated for an April dateline — has been rescheduled for December 3, 2020.

Orders placed after furniture retailers sprinted out of the first national lockdown resulted in upholstery imports into the U.K. climbing at their fastest pace in 12 months.

Half-year revenue and profits advanced for upholstery giant Man Wah Holdings in the six months to end September despite a big fall in sales across Europe.

The chief operating officer of Ercol Furniture (ercol) has left the manufacturer to complete a PhD with the heritage British brand appointing two senior existing executives to run the business on a day-to-day basis.

National beds specialist Dreams booked higher profits in 2019 as rising sales bolstered its market leadership and outweighed the impact of narrower gross margin.

Revenue jumped by a third for Jason Furniture Hangzhou Co. in the third quarter as demand skyrocketed for the Chinese upholstery conglomerate's products and brands.

The chief financial officer at Britain's biggest bed maker Silentnight says he looks forward to working with manufacturers across Europe after joining the board of the European Bedding Industries' Association (EBIA).

Recticel is to launch a strategic review of its bedding business that could result in its sale after announcing the takeover of a Swiss company that will see it further its ambitions in the technical foams segment.

Bob Eastoe has stepped down from the board at bed manufacturer Hypnos and parent company Keen & Toms Holdings after a little over 13 years with the group.

A positive swing in gross margin aided by lower input costs helped drive an uplift in profits for The Vita Group last year, newly-filed consolidated accounts in mainland Europe show.

The Vita Group has completed its Bedding Innovation Centre at Middleton in North West England, one of four new facilities across the U.K. and Eastern Europe planned for this year.

Sales of residential products and rugs helped mitigate continued weakness in the commercial sector at flooring colossus Balta Group in the third quarter of 2020.

National bed specialist Bensons for Beds is adding extra headcount to its Huntingdon workforce to help meet rising demand.

Kitchen vertical Wren has opened its first showroom in the U.S., bringing up a centenary of stores including its U.K. showroom network. It follows the earlier announcement of a first U.S. manufacturing plant.

West Midlands furniture manufacturer Boss Design has strengthened its board of directors with two senior hires, including the former CEO of office furniture and equipment group Bisley.

Only a third of British furniture manufacturers have so far passed on rising input costs to their customers despite the overwhelming majority being landed with price hikes by their suppliers.

Harrison Spinks has agreed a partnership with The Fine Bedding Company to offer hoteliers a complete package of complementary mattresses, duvets and pillows.

Upholstery producer Man Wah Holdings has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Feng Guohua as chief executive officer (CEO).

U.K. and Ireland revenue continued to recover for Norwegian upholstery giant Ekornes in the third quarter putting it close to even for the year so far.

Upstream supply chain issues are to blame for a rapid increase in the price of foam according to Recticel, the Belgian industrial conglomerate and a major supplier to U.K. sofa and mattress makers.

Flooring conglomerate Victoria says the imminent lockdown in England will make little material difference to its business in the long run, adding that its factories will remain open and continue to accept and deliver orders.

The owner of the direct sales manufacturer and retailer Adjustamatic Beds sustained a six-figure deficit last year but says it has traded profitably in 2020 despite the pandemic.

Cashflow at North West bedding company Trendsetter Home Furnishings was healthy despite pressure on margins resulting in the business recording a bigger accounting deficit in 2019–20.

Revenue growth in Europe and other international markets helped counter weaker domestic demand at flooring conglomerate Mohawk Industries in the third quarter.

The keys to the Sealy U.K. factory will be formally handed over to their new owners this morning (Oct. 30) while a general manager to run the Aspatria operation will arrive early next week.

Third quarter revenue climbed by more than a third for Tempur Sealy International, the world's biggest bedding company, as it enjoyed its most profitable period since the business was created.

Ministry of Furniture (MoF), the privately-owned Neath company that emerged from Remploy Furniture back in 2014, has undergone a corporate reorganisation and rebranding process.

Furniture manufacturer Whitemeadow will move its upholstered bed frame production early in 2021 after taking a new facility that will also provide the scope to consolidate its manufacturing operations across fewer factories.

It is counter-intuitive that on the day we reported that September saw record-breaking furniture retail sales, we also reveal that some British manufacturers may have to temporarily close their factories.

One of the leading sources of foam for Britain's mattress and sofa industry says it is doing everything possible to make good the current problems but its hands are tied until its own supply chain finds solutions.

Temporary foam factory shutdowns will prompt U.K. upholstery and mattress plants to close according to the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM), which is urgently seeking clarification from the supply chain.

The head of the body representing the European foam sector has said it is "not good" for the industry that it is currently unable to satisfy high demand because of upstream supply chain issues.

Carpet and flooring conglomerate Victoria is to raise up to £175 million through a preferred equity investment to bolster its armoury to buy up more of its rivals.

Invesco, the international money manager whose multi-year strategic saw it build a major stake in Victoria, has lined up deals that will see it sell its remaining shares in the flooring designer, maker and distributor.

Furniture manufacturers' prices were higher for a third straight month on an annual basis in September in data yet to reflect a tsunami of raw material cost pressures incurred by U.K. producers.

Jarrow cabinet maker and retailer Funky Chunky Furniture says it plans to grow headcount even further as it strives to keep pace with rising customer demand.

Bensons for Beds has paid tribute to the British suppliers behind its new Rollo by Slumberland mattress programme which it says has become the most successful launch in the retailer's 70-year history.

The group behind the Spaceslide bedrooms brand says its cash headroom is currently larger than it was pre-Covid thanks to additional financing facilities as well as strong post-lockdown trading.

Molteni&C, the designer furniture and lifestyle company, has formed a collaboration with the ultra-premium brand of consumer products giant LG Electronics.

Recliner giant Man Wah Holdings has not given up its attempt to take control of HTL despite the already-completed sale of the leather upholstery colossus back to its founder.

The Yorkshire group behind bedroom brand Spaceslide recorded a bigger deficit in 2019 after a decline in performance at its co-owned kitchens business Optiplan.

A key cog in the U.K. upholstery supply chain that lost out following the failures of QFC, Multiyork and Ultra more than recovered all that revenue and more in the year to March 31, 2020.

It is unlikely that people will go back into the office in the same way as they did pre-pandemic according to a new report that has implications for the residential furniture sector.

Weeks of zero takings during lockdown won't prevent the majority of bed and mattress retailers hitting their full year revenue targets according to a poll by the National Bed Federation (NBF).

Ready-to-assemble cabinet maker is a supplier to retailers such as Argos and employs nearly 70 people at its South Yorkshire factory.

A South Wales furniture maker with worldwide revenue north of £90 million has expanded into the residential sector with the launch of a comprehensive design-led home office and living collection.

Insolvency practitioners say efforts to recover a seven-figure debtor balance from one of the U.K.'s largest retailers of upholstery after the failure of a major British sofa manufacturer are over.

Walker Greenbank, the interior furnishings manufacturer and distributor, will simplify its structure by rebranding as Sanderson Design Group later this year in a move it says better reflects its activities.

A multi-million pound investment from a co-owned property company has supported a turnaround plan at a diversified group whose business units include smooth floorcoverings brand Atkinson & Kirby.

Bedding manufacturer, distributor and licensee Comfy Quilts found growth in 2019–20 buoyed by increased demand from an online retailer with whom it has familial ties.

Upholstery vertical DFS has joined the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) in a move that sees it become the largest single member of the national trade association.

The Italian group that makes furniture under licence for a series of high-end lifestyle brands spanning Fendi Casa and Bentley Home has strengthened its leadership team.

British furniture manufacturers continued to narrow the year-on-year production deficit as they brought employees back from furlough, new Government figures show.

Balta, the Belgian carpet and flooring conglomerate, said year-on-year third quarter profits will come in higher as a result of lower fixed costs and significantly improved margins.

"The premium innerspring segment in the U.K. market is not being fully served," said Tempur Sealy International CEO Scott Thompson as the Kentucky conglomerate announced that — together with its joint venture partner — it is buying back the U.K. Sealy brand rights from Silentnight.

Innovation paid dividends for Yorkshire chair specialist HSL with the group recording a six-figure corporation tax credit despite achieving pretax earnings north of £2 million last year.

Britain's mattress supply chains are under unprecedented pressure as demand outstrips the ability for factories to make products fast enough, according to the National Bed Federation.

Tempur Sealy International says it will "develop, expand and reposition" Sealy products in the U.K. after agreeing a buyback of the brand rights in a joint venture with the Dyer family, its longtime Asia-Pacific partner.

Specialist furniture vertical HSL said four years of investment in its manufacturing operations paid dividends as it upped the volume of product leaving its own factory last year.

Specialist furniture vertical HSL found the sweet spot in 2019 as its 59-store retail network and home consultations delivered top and bottom line growth.

The production company behind a new business investment television show is calling for furniture makers who may be interested in participating to contact them.

Shortages of foam and particle board are reducing production capacity and driving costs up, according to the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM), which says retailers should brace for price increases.

The Vita Group will next year begin producing foam created from polyols derived from recycled mattresses after agreeing a collaboration with chemicals giant Dow.

U.K. revenue for Hästens Beds jumped almost a third last year as the high-end Swedish mattress maker continued to finance its growth here.

Rauch Möbelwerke, the German furniture manufacturer with a big U.K. presence, has named Markus Jansen as its new international sales director.

Flat product sales and a decline in service income hit profits at Blackburn carpet maker Cavalier last year but the business still doubled its year-end cash reserves.

National retailer Bensons for Beds is to bolster its Cambridgeshire manufacturing plant after investing in a state-of-the-art quilting machine.

Upholstery fabrics supplier Mobus continued to build out revenue in the first full year following a management buyout and ahead of its move to a new West Yorkshire warehouse this year.

Egger Group, the wood-based materials conglomerate with a big presence in the U.K. market, has acquired a minority stake in an Italian company that makes decorative facings for furniture.

Mattress giant Tempur says it is expecting a stronger second half than initially forecast in the U.K. after demand outperformed once the country emerged from lockdown.

Vita, one of the big three foamers and a key partner to the U.K. mattress and upholstery sectors, said it drew down on a credit line earlier this year to provide maximum operational flexibility.

Mattress giant Tempur Sealy International has promoted Tobin James amid a raft of appointments including a strengthening of its senior leadership team in the U.K.

The eponymous founder of Italian upholstery company Natuzzi says the U.K. is among its priority markets as it looks to bounce back after the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Italian sofa maker Natuzzi says it could outsource some of its production in Eastern Europe having completed a similar process in the Far East to combat tariffs.

Stakeholders spanning furniture and bed retailers, manufacturers and an MP have coalesced around the British Furniture Confederation's (BFC) month-long campaign to promote British-made furniture.

Ilkeston based Belfield Group added foam and fibre products manufacturer Clinchplain to its roster of furnishings-related companies in an unheralded deal that completed in the days before lockdown.

The Belfield Group, owner of Westbridge Furniture, Tetrad and one of the U.K.'s largest mattress factories, booked higher consolidated profits in 2019 despite a fall in group-wide revenue.

A Chinese fitted furniture and kitchens conglomerate with sales equivalent to £1.56 billion is opening a first U.K. and European showroom, near Manchester.

The BFM Fabric Show London 2021 will take place as scheduled next year as long as indoor events are permitted, organisers have said.

Production struggled to keep pace with demand at the height of summer as U.K. furniture factories reopened to a surge in orders.

John Lewis of Hungerford, the premium kitchens, bedrooms and furniture vertical, says it has been trading at record levels for a number of months.

Lockdown hasn't shunted Lebus Upholstery off course as the Lincolnshire sofa maker looks to build on double-digit growth achieved last year. Order intake and volumes are currently ahead of 2019.

The long wait ends today as furniture shows recommence with the autumn edition of Long Point, the swish trade-only event held in showrooms the length of the East Midlands.

The Senator Group, the North West furniture giant, is proposing up to 174 redundancies as it braces for reduced demand for new and replacement workplace furniture.

Furniture prices at the factory gate inched forward last month ahead of manufacturers facing the impact of a spike in raw material prices this autumn.

Italian furniture group Calligaris has for the first time disclosed the detail behind its late autumn 2019 buyout of high-end lighting company Luceplan.

Calligaris Group, the contemporary Italian furniture maker whose products are sold in over 100 countries worldwide including the U.K., says the medium-term outlook is positive despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Man Wah Holdings, owner of the Cheers recliner brand, has built a mammoth new factory to bolster production in the Chinese market.

The British Furniture Confederation's Buy British Furniture Event goes live this weekend amid a heightened public desire to support home-grown producers.

Britain's furniture and bedding retailers should brace for imminent price increases with sofa and mattress makers here coming under intense raw material price pressure, particularly for foam.

Prestige upholstery producer Kingcome Sofas says it was on track for mid single-digit sales growth when the virus hit the U.K. earlier this year.

Upholstery imports continued to decline at the height of summer, but the drop-off was the narrowest since the start of the year.

The rate of decline in carpet imports narrowed in July as goods from far-off nations made their way into the U.K. in higher volumes while those closer to home still struggled.

Middleton Bespoke Joinery, a custom joinery and furniture maker, has been awarded the Manufacturing Guild Mark from The Furniture Makers’ Company, the furnishing industry charity and City of London livery company.

Sir Terence Conran, the founder of Habitat and Britain's highest-profile furniture designer, has died at home in Berkshire. He was 88 years old.

The Chinese furniture group that has owned HTL International since 2016 is planning legal action after the leather sofa maker was sold under its nose against its wishes.

The founder of Far East upholstery producer HTL International has bought back the business after agreeing a takeover deal that takes it out of judicial management and back into private hands.

Ulster Carpets, one of Europe's largest flooring manufacturers and a major supplier to the cruise ship sector, has entered a formal consultation process that could lead to up to 70 job losses.

Longtime Bensons for Beds executive Mark Cort has been appointed managing director at Jay-Be, the West Yorkshire folding bed, mattress and sofabed manufacturer.

Flooring conglomerate Victoria said demand has recovered in all its principal markets with trading resilient since it last updated the market in July.

Woodbender, a family-owned and run South African cabinet maker specialised in handcrafted made-to-order solid bentwood furniture, is launching into the British market.

Tempur Sealy International says it will source 100 percent renewable electricity for its U.S. and European manufacturing operations as part of a deeper commitment to reducing its global environmental footprint.

Intellectual property disposal follows the collapse of the £1.6 million turnover Bedfordshire upholstery manufacturer earlier this year.

The company that controls the Axminster Carpets manufacturing business has revised upwards the value of its investment properties after a series of successful planning applications.

Swedish beds conglomerate Hilding Anders has divested a key part of its French business, selling a €40 million turnover mattress maker to a CEO-led management buyout.

Enterprises from across the U.K. and international bedding industry have agreed to become the first-ever individual award category sponsors of the National Bed Federation (NBF) awards, whose 2020 winners will be announced this autumn.

Upholstery manufacturer Nicoletti Home says it has boosted production capacity at its Italian base to ensure surging demand for products doesn't mean customers will have to compromise on pre-Christmas delivery timeframes.

The North West upholstery producer behind the Timeless Chesterfields brand is calling on other sofa makers to follow its lead so that traditional skills aren't lost to British industry.

Lancashire smooth floorcoverings supplier Havwoods says it has adjusted well to the Covid-19 situation but warns it could take a year and a half for revenue to be restored.

Mattress and bedding manufacturer Duvalay has plans to further build out its business now that it has completed its move into the West Yorkshire factory it bought last year.

Upholstery fabrics and soft furnishings show Proposte will take place in the north of Italy from April 19–21, 2021, exhibition organisers have announced.

One of the world's largest mattress manufacturers and a longtime Sealy licensee is close to a rescue of the Sealy U.K operation at Aspatria in a deal backed by the U.S. based brand owner.

Paul Little returns to the beds industry today (Sep. 1) by becoming group managing director at CPS Group, a key partner to the U.K. beds and furnishings sectors.

Mandated store closures left bedroom chain Sharps bereft of sales in the three months to end June but it still generated cash from operations and recorded a skinny profit at the adjusted EBITDA line.

The winners of the eleventh edition of the National Bed Federation (NBF) Bed Industry Awards will be announced late autumn with the trade association having now revealed the categories for this year's programme.

Upholstery fabrics supplier Mobus is finalising its move to a new West Yorkshire warehouse HQ that effectively gives it twice the stock space and will deliver upgraded service levels for its customers.

The Norwegian owner of recliner brand Stressless reported revenue in the U.K. and Ireland down by almost 36 percent in the second quarter as mandated store closures impacted trade.

Local lockdowns impacted sales and eliminated profits for the carpet giant Balta in the first half of 2020 but the Belgian conglomerate still managed to generate cash.

German bedroom supplier Wiemann is to showcase an upgraded programme of finishes and options for its popular Monaco VIP range at three separate U.K. furniture events this autumn.

The bounceback is well underway with U.K. furniture retailers having already recouped much of what was lost from when the Government mandated retail and factory shutdowns earlier this year.

Demand has rocketed since the Buoyant Upholstery factory reopened but its md Mike Aramayo says the surge has brought with it fresh production headaches.

Savoir, the bed manufacturer whose products retail for an average price of £25,000, will celebrate the simple pleasures of being in bed as part of a new advertising campaign about to go live.

Tempur Sealy International, the world's biggest bedding company, is building a new factory in the U.S. with a target opening date of Q1 2021. It will be one of three opening within a six-month period.

Mattress manufacturing at Huntingdon will be at the core of Bensons for Beds transformation, the retailer says, with it yesterday launching its inhouse Slumberland brand into the roll up space.

Factory and customer closures meant revenue was down sharply for TCM Living, owner of the Alstons, Ashley Manor and Alexander & James brands, in the second quarter of 2020.

Spinks, the spring and comfort technology company, has promoted commercial director Darren Marcangelo to managing director. He will also take a seat on the group's main board.

Retailers have reacted warmly to new product plans at South West bed maker Relyon following its takeover out of administration in a deal led by its former CEO earlier this month.

U.K. sprung and foam mattress imports increased on an annual basis in June, ending a barren year-on-year stretch dating back to September 2019.

The value of wood cabinet imports shipped to the U.K. in the first six months of 2020 is down just over a fifth on last year, a less severe decline than those seen in all other big-ticket furniture categories.

The Furniture Industry Research Association is launching a series of recorded training sessions on key regulations that impact stakeholders in the furniture sector.



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