News

Interprint GmbH expands management team

Interprint GmbH, Arnsberg, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of decorative surfaces for the wood-based materials, furniture and flooring industries, is expanding its management team.

In addition to Hideo Yoshikawa (CEO), Jens Bauer (CFO), Robert Bierfreund (COO) and Holger Dzeia (CSO), Stephan Igel will strengthen Interprint GmbH as Managing Director from 1st July 2022.

Also acting as CBDO (Chief Business Development Officer), he will assume overall responsibility for the regional and product-related expansion of business activities as well as product management within the international organisation.

Stephan Igel is an internationally experienced manager and a proven expert in the decor industry. After studying business administration, he held various responsible management positions over a period of almost 30 years in the Felix Schoeller Group – one of the world’s largest manufacturers of photographic paper and decor paper. www.interprint.com

Fierce competition and record fundraising at Tim Bloyce Cup

The Furniture Makers’ Company’s annual charity five-a-side football tournament returned in spectacular fashion in July, following a three-year hiatus, sporting a new look and identity, with furnishing businesses battling it out to raise the inaugural ‘Tim Bloyce Cup’.

The one-day competition, which was sponsored by Ocee Design, took place at the Lucozade Powerleague Football Centre, Coventry, on Sunday 3rd July 2022.

Now in its eighth year, the tournament was renamed the Tim Bloyce Cup in 2022 to honour Tim Bloyce, a life-long football fan and employee of Ocee Design, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2021.

The event was on par with the biggest ever held, as 15 teams from furnishing retailers, manufacturers, distributors and service providers, including Celtheath, the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO), Hafele, Headlam, Hypnos, JPA Workspaces, Lee Longlands, Ocee Design and Whitemeadow, were all competing to topple returning champions Axminster Tools.

At the end of the group stage, the top eight teams progressed to the main competition’s knockout stage, while the top four teams from the bottom seven competed for the silver plate. After an hour of play, Ocee United and FC Hypnos had beaten off the rest of the competition to claim their spots in the final. Both teams gave everything they had in a hard-fought final but when the final whistle was blown, Ocee United was victorious 5:4. The tournament raised a record £6,518 for the charity. www.furnituremakers.org.uk

Castelan Group joins The Furniture Makers’ Company

Castelan Group, one of the largest providers of care and protection products and services to the furniture industry, has joined The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity to the furnishing industry, as a corporate member.

Based in the South West, Castelan Group offers national coverage through its Furniture Care Network of skilled technicians, providing a consistent service throughout the UK. The company provides and administers fully insured and compliant protection plans, first year liability and ‘in guarantee’ inspections and repairs, plus a range of products to maintain and protect furniture. Its ‘Commercial Services’ division delivers sector leading support and maintenance to the leisure, hotel and restaurant industry.

Castelan Group will be formally welcomed as a corporate member on Thursday 6th October 2022 at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London. Ian Annand, chairman; Martin Napper, chief executive officer; and Stuart Armstrong, finance director, will be admitted as corporate liverymen and personally welcomed by the Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company during an admission ceremony.

“Castelan Group are delighted to be admitted as a corporate member of The Furniture Makers’ Company,” says Martin Napper, chief executive officer at Castelan Group.

“While not a manufacturer or retailer of furniture, we have long been part of the furniture industry providing insured warranty schemes and repair and care services. Being members is a great fit for us as we have enormous experience, and data, around product performance and quality and so feel we can contribute in those areas."

Allan Brothers awarded ‘Certificate of Quality’

Allan Brothers, reputedly the UK’s oldest wood windows and doors manufacturer, has been awarded membership of the Guild of Master Craftsmen in recognition of its excellence in timber craftsmanship.

To receive the prestigious ‘Certificate of Quality and Service’, qualifying companies undergo rigorous assessment to prove that they have earned the right to be called ‘master craftsmen’ through the quality of their work, the service they provide and their high standards of customer care.

“We are delighted to receive the Guild’s ‘Certificate of Quality and Service’, which is recognised throughout the industry as a badge of modern-day excellence with values of professionalism and integrity that very much align with our own,” says Morten Bach Valsted, Managing Director of Allan Brothers. www.allanbrothers.co.uk

NürnbergMesse expands its woodworking portfolio

VietnamWood, a leading SouthEast Asia trade fair for the primary and secondary woodworking and wood processing industry, is being sponsored and supported by NürnbergMesse with immediate effect.

The organiser, Chan Chao International Co., Ltd., and NürnbergMesse announced the agreement at HOLZ-HANDWERK 2022 in Nuremberg, with their first project together set to be VietnamWood 2022.

“With our trade fairs in Germany, India and now Vietnam, our customers have access to the leading platforms in the key markets for woodworking and wood processing,” says Petra Wolf, Member of the Management Board, NürnbergMesse. “VietnamWood is a top-level trade fair in the South-East Asian market, and it offers us major potential for growth in our existing woodworking events network.”

Following a break in 2021 due to Covid-19, the 14th edition of VietnamWood will take place at the SECC-Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City from 18th - 21st October 2022. The series will then resume its normal schedule in the autumn of 2023. www.nuernbergmesse.de/en

Furniture industry shifts focus towards sustainability

The UK’s furniture industry is prioritising environmental issues – but many are struggling with the complexities and need more support.

In a survey of the industry conducted by the British Furniture Confederation, two thirds of respondents stated that sustainability was a top three management priority – but for a third it was not. Just over half – 55% – thought the industry was doing OK on sustainability – while 21% thought it was not.

Costs, other challenges, customer demand, competition, government, management or simply not knowing where to start were all stated as reasons holding companies back from doing more yet, with 62% saying they needed more help – in the form of more collaboration, guidance, financial support and even consistency of approach. 92% wanted trade associations to provide more leadership and support.

Some of the more detailed findings were revealing. 44% of respondents are accredited to ISO 14001 – but 46% are not and 10% did not know about the standard. Even fewer were aware of the industry’s own sustainability scheme – FISP, the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme – launched over 10 years ago. 23% had not heard of FISP; 39% had joined or were considering joining FISP, while 38% were not.

Companies are already quite active on the waste front, nevertheless – with 80% already measuring in house waste and 97% recycling waste. 58% had set reduction targets but only 73% know the end destinations of their recycled waste. 73% are having their packaging collected for recycling, while 82% are purchasing packaging with recycled content – no doubt driven by the requirements of the new packaging taxes.

“It’s evident from the results that those who participated in our survey are already actively engaged in a sustainability agenda – but a lot more needs to be done,” says BFC chair, Jonathan Hindle. “For far too many companies, it is obviously still a low priority.”

Industry conference to inform HR professionals on welfare support

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is inviting human resource professionals working in the trade to a free one-day conference this September to learn about the charity’s welfare support and how it can benefit the lives of employees who might be struggling due to the cost of living crisis.

The ‘Welfare Matters’ conference is taking place on Wednesday 28th September (10am – 3pm) at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London. The conference is specifically targeted at HR professionals or anyone in a furnishing business that oversees people management.

Delegates will learn about the charity, the various grants it can offer people, the communication tools available to disseminate information and much more. The charity also plans to launch a new free service that will support workers struggling with mental health issues. In addition, the conference will provide HR professionals with an opportunity to network with peer equivalents at other businesses during lunch.

“The cost of living crisis continues to deepen and with inflation at its highest level for 40 years and energy bills set to rise in October, an increasing number of families around the country will be feeling the pinch and worrying about their finances,” says Jonny Westbrooke, CEO of The Furniture Makers’ Company.

“As the charity for the furnishing industry, we have been supporting the welfare of people working in the trade since 1903. We help furnishing industry people by providing financial grants and practical, useful advice.

“Traditionally, human resource departments have helped communicate our message to employees at their company who they know to be struggling. We want to connect with as many HR professionals in the industry as possible, and the Welfare Matters conference will be an opportunity to bring them together so they can learn about the charity and ask questions about the service.

“Delegates who attend the conference will also be the first to learn about a new free mental health support service that we’ll be launching in the autumn.”

Register free now: https://bit.ly/ WelfareMatters2022

Alternatively, HR professionals can sign up for more information about the charity’s welfare support here: https://bit.ly/ WelfareInformation

Armac Martin champions employees for International Women in Engineering Day

Armac Martin celebrated the expertise of its female employees on International Women in Engineering Day.

With manufacturing remaining a typically male-dominated industry, with just 11% of the UK manufacturing workforce made up of women, Armac Martin is proud to employ 36 women across all departments, making up 32% of employees.

Armac Martin recognises the importance of shining the spotlight on women within the industry, inspiring and paving the path for future generations to consider careers in both manufacturing and engineering.

“At Armac Martin we recognise the challenges women face when entering the manufacturing industry, and work to make manufacturing an accessible and equal sector for all,” comments Richard McGrail, Commercial Director at Armac Martin.

“We aim to increase our percentage of employees who are women within the business and encourage them to inspire future generations to get involved in the manufacturing sector.”

Firm prices and steady imports in early Q2, reports TDUK

Steady demand and increasing operational costs ensured that timber prices and import volumes remained firm in April 2022, according to the latest TDUK statistics.

Softwood witnessed a strong start to Q2, with volumes reaching 608,000m3 in April 2022. Despite being 18% lower than the record import level seen in April 2021, this is one of the highest totals in the last five years.

Hardwood imports have been strong, with 2022 January to April totals 19% higher than the corresponding period in 2021. Steady demand was also seen for plywood, particleboard and OSB sectors in April.

Despite the significant price pressures seen in 2021 largely abating, trade disruptions from rising interest rates, logistics and freight, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have kept the price situation tight in early Q2 2022.

“According to the CPA’s latest forecast, the private housing and RM&I sectors are likely to slow considerably in the coming months as the cost-of-living crisis begins to bite,” says TDUK Head of Technical and Trade, Nick Boulton.

“This will disrupt the steady timber import patterns seen so far in 2022, with demand for softwood, in particular, likely to slow in Q3 and Q4. “Despite slowing demand, continued price pressure is to be expected as high-interest rates, inflation and logistical costs continue as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The impacts of the RussiaUkraine conflict will also become apparent in the coming months as the market feels the impact of UK and EU sanctions. This will be seen in the hardwood plywood sector as imports of birch plywood from Russia begin to cease."

BSW crowned Jewson’s Supplier of the Year

BSW Timber has landed several industry awards, as the UK sawmiller goes from strength to strength.

After scooping two awards at the Jewson 2021 Supplier Conference & Dinner in Birmingham, BSW Timber followed up with another trophy at the Wood Protection Association (WPA) 2022 Awards and Conference.

At Jewson’s belated awards – cancelled in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic – BSW Timber scooped gongs for ‘Best Overall Supplier of the Year’ and ‘Best Sales Support of the Year.’

“We are honoured to receive these awards which we feel reflect the efforts of the entire BSW sales and operations teams as we’ve strived to support Jewson in their sales growth strategy,” says Neil Horton, sales director for national accounts.

“We worked collaboratively with the category team to react to the unprecedented demand throughout the pandemic to ensure branches received the support they needed.”

At the WPA Awards, held at the Windmill Hotel, Coventry, BSW Group Marketing Manager James Brennan collected the Trader of the Year Award on behalf of BSW Timber. The recognition was a just reward for BSW’s “outstanding customer service, marketing initiatives and good trading practice”.

It is the third year running that BSW Timber has collected a WPA award, having claimed the Treated Wood Campaign Award last year, and the Innovation Award for IRO Timber in 2020. www.bsw.co.uk

Blum posts 2.6 billion in turnover at year-end

Fittings specialist, Blum, has recorded an 11.6% increase in turnover for the 2021/2022 financial year ending 30th June 2022, representing a growth in turnover of 266 million euros on the previous year.

“Consumers were again drawn to the homing and home improvement trend which remained strong during the last year,” says Philipp Blum, MD of Julius Blum GmbH. “The demand for fittings has stabilised at a high level.

“The last business year has again proved to be a challenge due to the ongoing COVID pandemic and war in Ukraine. This makes the 11.2% increase in turnover all the more pleasing.

“This year’s increase in turnover is partly due to a growth in sales volume and partly due to the price adjustments we had to make because of the dramatic rise in costs.”

The family-owned business also added 644 employees to its headcount last year, taking staff numbers worldwide to more than 9,422. 6,981 of these employees are based in Austria.

Blum has invested a total of 224 million euros in its main production facilities, specifically in its plants in Bregenz, Hoechst und Gaissau. “This is where we develop our products and production methods, where we create most of the added value,” explains MD, Martin Blum.

“To overcome global supply chain challenges and reduce our ecological footprint, we will expand our global production network – in Europe and internationally,” he continues.

Another major milestone is the completion of a new plant in Shanghai. First production lines have been put into operation and Blum has been assembling hinges for the local market since early April. The manufacturer of fittings will also have additional production space at its disposal at its Polish subsidiary from 2023.

In the past financial year, investments worldwide totalled 339 million euros. For Martin Blum, one of the most important investments is in the training of skilled professionals.

“Our programme of vocational training and ongoing education is designed to stem the shortage of skilled workers," he says. "We train 400 apprentices worldwide, 363 of whom in Vorarlberg. "We’ve pulled together and come through despite another challenging year which put enormous pressure on our organisation. That wouldn’t have been possible without our extraordinary team.” www.blum.com

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Industry raises £30k for charity at annual Big Shots event

The industry came out in force in July for Big Shots, the annual clay pigeon shoot organised in aid of The Furniture Makers’ Company, raising £30,000 for the charity.

The fundraiser, which is supported by Furniture Village, took place on Wednesday 6th July and was held at Holland & Holland in Northwood, Middlesex, one of the UK’s premier shooting destinations.

Around 140 industry colleagues from companies including Blum, Burbidge Kitchens, Castelan Group, Crofts & Assinder, Harrison Spinks, Hypnos, Furniture Village, Ocee Design, Panaz, TMJ Interiors and Whitemeadow were in attendance, making up 34 teams.

After breakfast, Jonny Westbrooke, CEO of The Furniture Makers’ Company, welcomed guests before Tony Attard OBE DL, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company, signalled the start of the 100-bird competition by firing Holland & Holland’s antique

cannon. Each team then leisurely made their way round eight stands, set in the estate’s 60 acres of picturesque open countryside.

Once the final clays were shot, guests were able to relax and chat during the lunchtime drinks reception before sitting down to a hearty three-course meal in the club house.

The fun-packed day finished with a charity auction and raffle, followed by the results of the shooting competition, with the awards being presented by Dr Ranj, television personality and Furniture Village sleep ambassador.

“As always, Big Shots demonstrated why it’s such a popular event with so many in the industry,” says Jonny Westbrooke, CEO of The Furniture Makers’ Company. “It was wonderful to welcome new and returning faces to the event, where they got to enjoy the first-class shooting grounds and then network with their fellow guests."

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JJ Smith & Co announces key staff changes

Martin Smith, managing director at JJ Smith & Co has announced that he will be stepping down from his role. Also signalling his phased retirement from the company is sales director, John Stanley. Martin and John, both born on 23rd August 1957, are third generation family members that have worked for the company for 39 and 46 years respectively.

Martin Smith joined the company as the company accountant in August 1983. On arrival, he introduced the first computer to the business, which had up to that point prepared its accounts in manual ledgers.

In the 1990s, he was appointed as MD and was responsible for a period of controlled expansion, underpinned by increasingly sound finances. In the late 1990s, Martin was able to spend less time on the management of the company and moved into sales, whilst retaining his role as MD. He used his accounting knowledge to see that an opportunity existed for the justification of optimising crosscuts, in particular to increase both productivity and yield to make this equipment financially beneficial for customers. This led to the company becoming a market leader in such machines – a position it has retained for many years.

Around 2000, he was responsible for the company’s move into the offsite construction industry, which culminated in the setting up of a joint venture Modular Building Automation bv. This market segment is now the largest of the areas the company is active in.

John Stanley’s journey, meanwhile, started in 1976 with an initial role training in the tooling and spare parts departments, mainly to gain knowledge of machinery operation for the joinery and furniture industries. In 1977, the company was appointed exclusive UK importer for SCM machines manufactured in Italy and he was appointed sales manager for all the equipment. After spending two months in Italy training on the SCM machines, the wide range became a huge seller over the coming years and the company’s turnover rose exponentially with sales of classical machinery and more specialised edge-banders, beam saws, moulders and CNC routers.

Additional equipment from other major worldwide manufacturers was added over the next five years and became a mainstay for the company’s continued growth to this day.

John was appointed sales director in 1986, making him responsible for the purchasing and selling of all used machinery for the company. This led to worldwide travel, visiting customers and attending global exhibitions. During the early 90s he negotiated and completed the largest order in the company’s history at the time – the supply and installation of a complete furniture factory to Sytvytkar in Russia which took JJ Smith technicians five months to install and commission.

On stepping down from a fulltime role in September this year, John will remain in the business assisting the next generation of the family (his son, Ian, being one) in the run-up to the company centenary celebrations in 2023.

Whilst stepping down from the day-to-day management of the business and retiring from the position of MD, Martin will also still be involved part time in the business, maintaining an oversight role for the larger offsite projects.

As a third-generation family member, he has been keen to retain the business within family ownership and has sought to promote suitably qualified family members over the years. He is pleased that his daughter, Dr Rachael Baker, is able to take over as MD.

As a fitting gift to a keen beekeeper (and past president of the British Beekeeping Association) Martin was presented with beekeeping equipment produced by one of JJ Smith’s customers, EH Thorne (Beehives) Ltd.

“On behalf of everyone at JJ Smith we are incredibly grateful for the phenomenal dedication to the company that Martin and John have shown over the past 4 decades,” says Rachael. “Through their careful and courageous leadership JJ Smith has grown into an internationally recognised business and I am honoured to be part of the team that aims to continue that work into the future.” www.jjsmith.co.uk

Martin Smith with his daughter, Dr Rachael Baker