Manufacturing News
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- UPHOLSTERY
First half revenue in the U.K. and Ireland passed 2020 levels for Stressless brand owner Ekornes as the resumption of trade and store reopenings boosted the upholstery conglomerate.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Foam conglomerate Recticel reported double-digit revenue and profit growth from the business unit supplying U.K. mattress and sofa manufacturers in the first half of this year.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Karndean, the circa £91 million turnover luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring company, is to launch a first-ever television advertising campaign.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Restructuring advisors are targeting the sale of the business and assets of Whiteleaf Furniture after the manufacturer was placed into administration earlier this month.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
British furniture makers are on track to recover all of the lost revenue from a fall in exports last year with a double-digit climb in the value of goods sent overseas in the first six months of 2021.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Underlying profitability at the Lancashire bed manufacturer and furniture distributor Sweet Dreams improved in 2020/21 as it reorganised amid the ongoing impact of Covid.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
A "perfect storm" of high demand and supply chain delays could lead to never before seen cut-off dates for pre-Christmas furniture deliveries, according to the md of BFM, the trade association for British Furniture Manufacturers.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Belgian carpet maker Associated Weavers, one of the largest flooring suppliers to the U.K., saw sales decline here through 2020 but at a lesser rate than its compatriots and the overall U.K. market.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
The pandemic clipped the wings of the U.K. upholstery industry more than other furniture segments as the value of the market here last year fell to its smallest level since 2013.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Input price inflation for British furniture makers increased for an eleventh straight month in July as producers continued to wrestle with never-before seen pressures.
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- UPHOLSTERY
The parent company of Stressless brand owner Ekornes last month agreed a deal worth the equivalent of £61 million to buy out a minority shareholder.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Greenwood & Coope, the business behind the Cormar Carpet Company, could soon announce a new chief executive to lead the country's largest carpet manufacturer.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Containers shipped and trucked into the U.K. from China and Poland led to the highest-ever recorded total of upholstered furniture arriving at U.K. ports in the first six months of 2021, new figures show.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Paul Little, one of the best-known executives in the U.K. bed manufacturing industry, has joined Wiltshire's Airsprung Group as commercial director for its Airsprung Beds division.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Surging demand for floorcoverings helped Belgian and Dutch carpet makers recover lost turnover in the U.K. market in the first half of 2021, though it was Turkey and India that made the largest gains.
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- UPHOLSTERY
The group behind the Alstons, Ashley Manor, Alexander & James and AMX Design sofa businesses saw strong second quarter revenue growth against comparatives heavily impacted by the U.K. lockdown last spring.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Natuzzi is opening up its iconic showrooms at High Point, North Carolina to its compatriots, renaming the ship-shaped building as Casa Italia and welcoming in other Italian furniture companies.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Experienced home appliance executive Gareth Berry has joined the Silentnight group, Britain's largest bed manufacturer, as chief operating officer.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
British furniture manufacturers' output reached its highest level since November at the beginning of summer according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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- DEALS & FINANCE
San Marino's Colombini Group has acquired a majority stake in Bontempi Casa, the Italian contemporary living, dining and bedroom furniture manufacturer.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Furnishing fabrics, wallpaper and upholstery supplier Colefax Group doubled profits in 2019/20 despite the pandemic hitting markets worldwide.
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- CASE GOODS
Upmarket fitted furniture maker and retailer John Lewis of Hungerford says better-than-expected trading helped it reverse first half losses to return to profit in 2019/20.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Upholstered furniture manufacturer Whitemeadow has acquired what it described as a significant stake in one of its key foam suppliers.
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- DEALS & FINANCE
Northeast Italian furniture manufacturing group Calligaris has acquired furniture, accents and lifestyle company Fatboy from its private equity owner.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Hilding Anders is having another crack at the U.K. bed market, backing a new brand that will tomorrow open its fourth store in the South East with another to follow soon after.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
It is now well over a year since the transaction that divorced Harveys from Bensons for Beds and business is robust and the path to growth is clear, says chief executive Mark Jackson.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Nick Collard has joined Bensons for Beds as its first chief commercial and digital officer while the retailer is also close to appointing a new chief operating officer.
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- CASE GOODS
Fitted furniture maker J&J Ormerod (JJO) says demand is running at double-digit percentages ahead of pre-Covid levels and that it has emerged stronger from the pandemic and ready to invest.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Historic bed manufacturer Relyon has disclosed the full ownership makeup of the business for the first time, with the man who led the summer 2020 buyout holding a majority shareholding.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Dudley upholstered furniture manufacturer ACL has agreed new debt finance that will support its product development plans including the launch of a recliner line.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Burnley bed maker Sweet Dreams has paid tribute to its customers as it retained its title as Best Bed Manufacturer (Value) in the Interiors Monthly annual awards.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has handed KPMG and one of its former partners heavy fines and severe reprimands for their conduct in relation to work ahead of the prepack sale of Silentnight to investment firm H.I.G. in May 2011.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
The Furniture Industry Research Association has published new guidance for companies in the upholstery and mattress sectors with regard to understanding and complying with chemical regulations.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
BFM, the association of British Furniture Manufacturers, has lined up online seminars for its members to be delivered by experts in patent law and dispute resolution.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Harrison Spinks, the family-owned Leeds beds and components manufacturer, has promoted Chris Townsley to operations director for its beds division.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Leggett & Platt (L&P), the global components conglomerate, says the acquisition of Irish foam and beds group Kayfoam Woolfson will be a benefit for its customers across Europe.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Dreams, Britain's largest beds retailer, is now officially part of Tempur Sealy International, the world's biggest bedding company announced Monday night.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
North West workplace furniture maker Senator International continued to remain profitable despite seeing a forecast pandemic-related drop in turnover crystallise last year.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Regulators have approved the takeover of Britain's largest bed specialist Dreams by Tempur Sealy International (TSI) with completion of the deal now just days away.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
The pandemic impacted revenue and costs for workplace and home office furniture giant Bisley in 2019/20, resulting in losses widening. Cash generation remained strong.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Weak exports hampered the recovery of West Yorkshire commercial carpet maker Burmatex in the first half of 2021 though stock market listed parent company Airea did report a return to profit.
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- UPHOLSTERY
West Yorkshire adjustable furniture and mobility aids manufacturer Drive DeVillbiss Healthcare reported lower sales last year as sales to the retail sector were adversely impacted by the pandemic.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The CEO of foam company Recticel said it is difficult to predict when raw material challenges will normalise and cautioned customers that this may yet result in further price increases.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Double-digit wholesale growth negated falling sales at Kettle Interiors U.K.'s retail division in 2019/20, though rising costs weighed on the cabinet company's profits.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
The U.K. arm of diversified furniture fittings and ironmongery giant Häfele Group found profit growth last year despite a double-digit decline in revenue because of the pandemic.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Employees of Lebus, one of the largest sofa makers in the U.K., now own 100 percent of the Lincolnshire manufacturer after its shareholders decided to sell the business.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
GNG Group, the West Yorkshire maker and supplier of foam-based products, has launched its first ever line of carbon neutral certified mattresses.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Sales and profits declined at Brighouse fabrics supplier Mobus last year but the company said it is well placed to prosper amid a changing landscape in the upholstery sector.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Howdens, the trade kitchen and joinery products supplier, says it now believes there is the scope for 900 U.K. depots, 50 more than previously targeted.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Richard Moore, executive director at Associated Carpet Group (ACG), is to leave for a new role in the U.K. floorcoverings sector after 16 years with the buying organisation.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
A return to more normal margin levels boosted profits for the company behind LPD Furniture in 2019/20 with its furniture division achieving big sales growth despite the pandemic.
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The luxury interior design and furnishings group behind the Morris & Co brand has cited post-Brexit demand for British-made goods among three positive sales drivers this year.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Revenue declined at Harrison Spinks in 2019/20 amid the impact of the pandemic but the Leeds mattress and components manufacturing group continued to generate cash and remain profitable.
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- UPHOLSTERY
The debt repayment schedule agreed with creditors of Celebrity Motion Furniture is progressing as planned as the rise and recline chair maker continues to emerge from the problems of former associated companies.
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One of the U.K.'s largest decorative lighting suppliers took a large six-figure bad debt charge following Laura Ashley's closure last year, while the pandemic exacerbated the impact on profits.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Upholstered furniture manufacturer Whitemeadow has hosted its first external Open Day as it looks to attract a new generation of home grown talent into the industry.
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- UPHOLSTERY
The CEO of Sofa Brands International (SBI) says the upholstery manufacturing group has seen a strong and sustained bounce back since the end of the first lockdown last year.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
South Yorkshire bed company Aspire Furniture has taken a large warehouse near Leeds as it puts in place the foundations for planned growth over the next few years.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
June saw even larger double-digit growth in annual input costs for U.K. furniture makers with a shift in the main raw materials affected, according to figures out Wednesday.
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The U.K. arm of French designer furniture label Ligne Roset recorded a fourth straight loss in a year where revenue declined as a consequence of pandemic disruption.
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Living, dining and bedroom wood cabinet imports have reached never-before seen levels in the first five months of 2021 despite well-publicised supply chain challenges.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
2019/20 figures for Dewsbury based G-Tuft, part of the Victoria group for just over two years.
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- UPHOLSTERY
The growth in sofa shipments to the U.K. slowed in the spring as retailers came closer to unwinding late 2020 orders and were left with only digital sales channels to replenish them.
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- CASE GOODS
Major U.K. cabinet maker Symphony built cash and remained profitable last year despite taking a large Covid-related hit to its top line.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Lower operating costs helped West London upholstery manufacturer and retailer The Sofa & Chair Company narrow losses last year despite the pandemic impacting sales.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Foam and sprung mattress imports jumped 90 percent on 2020, new figures show, with the total for the year to date now almost matching comparable data for 2019.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Carpet imports rocketed in the spring with the cumulative total for 2021 now overtaking comparable data for 2019 for the first time this year.
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The southern Italian sofa manufacturer behind the Digiò Leather Sofas brand will launch a new upholstery programme here next week as it looks to build on rapid growth following its reintroduction to the U.K. market last year.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Supply chain challenges continued to impact U.K. furniture makers at the end of spring with manufacturing turnover still well down on pre-pandemic output.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Brintons, the heritage U.K. carpet maker with operations across the world, says it is over delivering against revised financial forecasts as its global hospitality, gaming, cruise and residential markets reopen.
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The circa £170 million timber group that runs businesses including wood based panels supplier Hoffman Thornwood has been sold to private equity.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
The number of furniture, furnishings and flooring companies filing for insolvency in the U.K. continues to fall sharply as a result of strong consumer demand and Government support measures.
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- DEALS & FINANCE
The Vita Group, one of the largest suppliers to the U.K.'s upholstery and bedding sectors, has acquired Technical Foam Services, a foam conversion business based in Corby, Northamptonshire.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Pike Textiles, the Cambridgeshire based sampling solutions specialist, has become a member of trade association the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM).
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
The value of stock market listed fitted and freestanding cabinet furniture vertical John Lewis of Hungerford jumped sharply on Monday. The company said it doesn't know why.
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- CASE GOODS
Sigma 3, the South Wales based manufacturer and retailer of kitchen, bedroom and home office furniture, maintained seven-figure profits despite the pandemic hitting sales last year.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Retailers have fewer than three weeks to enter the National Bed Federation's (NBF) annual Bed Industry Awards, which are scheduled to return in a physical format at the Bed Show later this year.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Consumer home show Grand Designs Live will this autumn host The Great Sleep Quality Experiment 2021 — where major bed brands will showcase their products in what has been described as the U.K.'s biggest blind mattress test.
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Bensons for Beds said its decision to grow the headcount at its Huntingdon factory by 13 percent is a response to rising demand, with the retailer and manufacturer concurrently adding more warehouse capacity.
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The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) has put its members at the heart of its revamped website, providing them with an enhanced digital presence for their products.
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One of the U.K.'s largest makers of upholstered furniture for the leisure industry incurred a first-ever loss last year as its principal market was among the hardest hit by Covid.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Britain's bed industry will be required to demonstrate how it will handle product recalls as a result of the latest update to the National Bed Federation's (NBF) Code of Practice.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
National kitchen retailer Wren booked double-digit gains in both revenue and profit last year while a decision to invest in inventory proved judicious and helped negate supply chain issues that hurt rivals.
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- UPHOLSTERY
International trade in upholstered furniture ticked up last year despite Covid-19 wreaking havoc through the supply chain, limiting the ability for manufacturers to produce and retailers to open stores.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Tempur Sealy International (TSI) and Leggett & Platt (L&P) both have long track records in the U.K. bedding market but their importance will be elevated further following deals for Dreams and Kayfoam Woolfson respectively.
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The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) will begin a hunt for a new managing director after Nick Garratt announced his intention to step down at the end of 2021.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Flooring conglomerate Victoria has agreed to buy multichannel U.S. smooth flooring distributor Cali Bamboo Holdings for consideration totalling $76.1 million (£55.1m) in addition to the paydown of debt.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Bed manufacturer Harrison Spinks has donated dozens of mattresses and divan bases to a pioneering new development in its home city that will positively support homeless people as they move back into communities.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Sofa fabrics supplier Mobus has paid tribute to md Ian Bostock following his decision to retire, saying he made a huge contribution and that it will look to build on his legacy.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Investment firm Sun European Partners has agreed to sell fitted bedroom and home office furniture retailer Sharps to funds advised by Epiris, a London based private equity investor.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The National Bed Federation (NBF) has told the Government a sector-specific Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme will work better than adopting a one-size fits all approach in its response to a consultation that will have widespread consequences for the furniture sector.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
U.K. tax authorities have refunded just over £1 million in VAT as restructuring advisors continue to work on the estate of the predecessor company to Silentnight, whose business and assets were sold in a prepack deal ten years ago.
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Revenue fell last year for the owner of four well-known British kitchen brands including Chippendale, but costs fell at a faster rate as the group returned to profit and repaid all outstanding bank borrowings.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Consumer price inflation for furniture and furnishings reached its highest level since late 2016 last month as retailers passed on the effects of rising costs through the supply chain.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
The Vita Group has joined the Furniture Makers' Company, the furnishings industry charity and City of London livery company, as a corporate member.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Mattress supplier Mammoth has backed the Pickstar Rugby Players Association 2021 Awards by sponsoring the England Men’s Player of the Year category.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Britain's bed industry is ready to move forward, says the National Bed Federation, which at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) vowed to continue to put sustainability at the heart of its activity.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
U.K. furniture production continues to recover from the pandemic but turnover across the sector still remains short of comparable data from two years ago despite high demand.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Imports of carpets climbed four-fold on last year and were up more than a third on a two-year basis as retailers and distributors looked to satisfy rising demand among end users.
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- UPHOLSTERY
The soft furnishings supplier behind the ILiv brand found margin expansion as it mitigated the impact of a double-digit pandemic-influenced fall in sales last year.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
U.S. bedding and components conglomerate Leggett & Platt has acquired Kayfoam Woolfson, the Ireland based foam producer and bed manufacturer behind brands including Kaymed.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Pent up demand meant comparable orders almost doubled for DFS as the retailer emerged from lockdown, with online business remaining high but returning closer to pre-Covid levels.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Demand continues to be high despite supply chain constraints according to the md of Lebus Upholstery, one of the U.K.'s largest sofa manufacturers.
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- UPHOLSTERY
The U.K. represents a big market opportunity for European companies as producers in the Far East are grappling even tougher supply chain issues than are being experienced here, according to upholstery producer Nicoletti Home.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
A West Yorkshire mattress, bed and headboard maker will begin taking new orders again from Friday as it recovers from its factory being partially destroyed by a fire earlier this year.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Employee numbers at a small-to-medium sized upholstery producer in the North East doubled in the period leading up to and including the early months of the pandemic.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Tempur Sealy International, the world's largest bedding producer, has chosen a 130-acre site at Crawfordsville, Indiana as the location for a previously-announced domestic foam-pouring factory.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Upholstery brand Arlo & Jacob has launched a new programme called the Ready Made collection as it looks to take advantage of a surging housing market part-fuelled by the stamp duty holiday.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Losses widened at the group behind the rise and recline chair and adjustable beds brands Middletons and Oak Tree last year though it built increased liquidity through cash management.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
An already thin base of U.K. standalone bedroom cabinet makers was further depleted by the insolvency of two North West furniture companies earlier this spring.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The National Bed Federation (NBF) has announced the categories for its 12th annual industry awards, including a new category — the NBF Retail Champion of the Year.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
A marked channel shift to online meant fitted furniture retailer Sharps saw no negative impact on orders from its shops being shut in the first quarter. It said profits benefitted from lower store costs.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
A new Legal Hub for British furniture manufacturers launched Monday offering legal and business advice on subjects such as health and safety, employment, tax, contracts and data protection.
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Symphony Group, one of the U.K.'s largest furniture manufacturers, is to invest in a large dual-purpose production warehouse adjacent to its existing factory at Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Beds specialist Bensons for Beds has appointed Ian Shepherd as chairman, replacing ex-KPMG md Chris Howell who has stepped down after nearly two years with the retailer.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
The value of furniture imports into the U.K. may have risen in the past decade but new data indicates that buyers are coalescing around fewer, larger manufacturers as a result of global consolidation.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
A combination of selling price increases and supplier negotiations have helped flooring conglomerate Victoria shrug off the impact of rising input costs in a period of never-before seen growth.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
SATRA Technology Centre will host a Technical Forum for domestic furniture this summer where it will highlight proposed changes to industry standards and legislation and provide an opportunity for delegates to give feedback ahead of their implementation.
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- DEALS & FINANCE
Danish ready-to-assemble furniture makers Tvilum and Steens have built on ownership ties first formed three years ago with the former acquiring the latter for undisclosed terms.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Tempur Sealy International, the world's biggest bed company, has agreed to acquire U.K. bed specialist Dreams in a takeover worth an expected £340 million.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
FIRA International is conducting a review of its furniture inspection and repair business but says no definite decision has been taken regarding the outcome, rendering closure talk premature.
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- DEALS & FINANCE
Recticel, the Belgium foam conglomerate and a key supplier to U.K. sofa and mattress manufacturers, says the €755 million takeover approach by rival Greiner is nowhere near high enough.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Dewsbury guest bed, mattress and sofabed maker Jay-Be said it had a solid year in 2019–20 thanks to the can-do attitude of its colleagues. It added that it is on track to deliver a record top line this year.
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- DEALS & FINANCE
An early spring prepack deal that saved seven showrooms trading as In-Toto Kitchens left creditors facing a multi-million shortfall.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
Now is the time for the furniture industry to shine with consumers expected to pivot discretionary spend to other areas and activities before too long, according to the md of The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM).
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- UPHOLSTERY
Higher delivered sales, a disposal and judicious cost management helped Italian upholstery conglomerate Natuzzi return to profit in the first quarter of 2021.
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- UPHOLSTERY
The managing director of one of the country's largest sofa manufacturers says keeping everybody working through the latest lockdown has proven correct, with it unwinding its order book and demand surging since stores reopened.
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- UPHOLSTERY
The world's largest leather processing business and a key cog in the global upholstery supply chain says it has developed new technology enabling it to produce leather that inactivates bacteria and viruses, including Covid-19.
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Raw materials and other furniture makers' input costs are rising at their fastest pace in almost 13 years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Direct-to-consumer mattress brand Simba Sleep says it enjoyed a record first quarter while one of its private equity backers has exercised an option to invest further funds that will be used to expand internationally.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Delivered revenue jumped more a third in the first three months of the year for upholstery group TCM Living, though rising sales costs owing to supply chain challenges weighed on profits.
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- DEALS & FINANCE
A slew of private equity bidders are said to have been shortlisted as a sale of mattress company King Koil China nears a potential conclusion.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
The organiser of the Manchester and January Furniture Shows is launching Reveal, a new trade ecommerce platform that aims to deliver a permanent digital shopfront for industry retailers and suppliers.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Foam supply giants Greiner and Recticel could unite after the former said it was planning a takeover approach after already agreeing to buy more than a quarter of the company from a third party. Officials will meet Monday to discuss a deal.
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- UPHOLSTERY
The U.K. arm of upholstery conglomerate La-Z-Boy said it had performed very strongly in a challenging market even if the pandemic overshadowed the last knockings of its just-reported financial year.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
A series of newly-formed entities signpost the biggest change in Silentnight's structure since H.I.G., the U.S. investment group, took control of the bed manufacturer a decade ago.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Silentnight joint group md Neil Anderson is to become chief executive at the U.K.'s biggest bed maker with the company's executive chairman one of two senior figures who are stepping down.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Year-on-year foam and sprung mattress imports rose 11 percent in the first quarter of 2021 on higher shipments from Turkey and China. They remain down on a two-year basis.
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- UPHOLSTERY
U.K. upholstery imports surged at the end of the first quarter on a mix of higher demand and annualising production problems in China because of the pandemic last year.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Manufacturers in Belgium, the largest source of foreign-made carpet sold in the U.K., ended a barren run stretching back to September 2019 at the end of the first quarter.
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- UPHOLSTERY
The unwind of pre-lockdown orders wasn't enough to keep revenue positive in the U.K. for Stressless brand owner Ekornes in the first quarter of 2021 as the lockdown prevented an immediate building on full year growth here for last year.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Furniture manufacturers across the U.K. delivered their first annual rise in output in more than 12 months in March, according to new official figures published yesterday.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Belgian carpet manufacturing conglomerate Balta has raised prices in response to input cost inflation and has warned flooring customers that more may follow.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Italian upholstery vertical Natuzzi has hired a former McKinsey consultant as its new CEO with current incumbent and founder Pasquale Natuzzi to become executive chairman.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Britain's bed industry is warning of further prices rises and extended lead times as it grapples continued cost pressures and reduced availability of raw materials, says the National Bed Federation (NBF).
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
North West mattress maker and foam converter Comfortex maintained its circa mid-single digit net margin in 2019–20 despite the impact of the pandemic.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
A switch to manufacturing personal protective equipment for the NHS was among the factors helping mitigate the impact of customer store closures during the pandemic for bed manufacturer Millbrook.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
Four key European furniture and bedding trade associations have united to express their concern over the conflicted response across the EU to the coronavirus pandemic, saying it has created added uncertainty and difficulty.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
The CEO of major foam company Recticel says chemical raw materials supply remains constrained and the situation will endure longer than previously anticipated.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The Spanish owner of bed maker Vispring and bedroom retailer And So To Bed has adjusted the ownership structure of its U.K. bedding interests.
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