Gary Broom, Sales, Marketing & Design Director at Sherborne Upholstery, talks about company investments, sustainability, new products and why powered furniture is continuing to be a popular choice with consumers.
Sherborne Upholstery has been a family run business for 94 years working independently and funding itself through good and tough times. Well-known and respected in the furniture industry and renowned for comfort and quality at an affordable price, Sherborne aims to be the company retailers think of first when they are looking for a partner to work with to help their business flourish. A testament to its ongoing success, Sherborne was crowned ‘Best Supplier for Customer Service’ in the Big Furniture Awards 2024, as voted by the industry.
“Our mission at Sherborne is to continue giving quality designed products, with excellent after sales service and on time deliveries by our own drivers,” says Gary. “We’re not here just to make furniture but we engage with our retailers and give them the easiest and best experience we can, from order, to delivery, to after care. It’s what we have always done and what we will always strive to do. This recent award win highlights this and we’re delighted to have been voted for this particular award.”
For 2024, the year so far at Sherborne, as like with many other furniture manufacturers, has been tough. However, the continuous investment within the business, across in personnel, plant and products, Gary revealed that this has allowed the company to “weather this storm” of economic uncertainty. “As with all businesses you have to keep on top of your management structure and we have had some restructure in the last year or two, bringing forward younger fresh thinking personnel who have lifted the expectations internally and brought some real energy and ideas to their roles.
“It’s great to see the dynamic change in the company for the better, knowing going forward we are in a stronger position for whatever the future throws at us and as people move on there are great options to keep the company moving forwards from within.
“This year has been tough for most furniture manufacturers, ourselves included, but years of investment and strategic planning have allowed us to weather this storm and be prepared for the upturn, which hopefully is just around the corner. There are always challenges in the furniture industry, this is just another one that you need to meet head on and find the best way to come out of it stronger. After 94 years in the industry, I like to think we have always adapted and found the right path to continued success.”
Gary also highlighted that keeping skills within the company, and industry as a whole, is key to continued development and prosperity. “As older more experienced people are retiring, engaging with younger staff, showing them what a great industry the furniture trade is to be in, ensures they are getting the training they need to develop skills, both physically and mentally, to see the pathways available to them. It’s something we take very seriously at Sherborne.”
Another area Sherborne prides itself on as a company as continued product development, in line with current and future product demand and trends. Gary revealed that powered furniture has become “so much more popular” in recent years, which is one of the areas of the industry Sherborne excels at, with the company recently launching its new Cloud Comfort 3 motor recline, lift and tilt action product.
“This allows the user to find so many more comfort positions, so they can really relax and just let the world sweep by,” Gary says. “As this is a Sherborne product you will find it is available on all our lift and rise products. To put that into perspective, we now have 15 ranges of risers, mainly in a choice of four sizes, available in single, dual and tri actions, with over 200 fabrics and over 25 leathers. That equates to a choice of over 40,000 individual combinations! Now, that’s mind blowing enough, but when you put into the mix these are all available in three weeks, now that’s a choice we give to our retailers to be proud of.
“To continue the powered theme, we have added a head tilt function this summer to one of our bestselling models, The Roma. I’m sure this will be a great success and give our retailers even more options to the customer to finalise that precious sale. The trend going forward as I see it is options, be that action movement, powered lumbar, head tilts, heat, charging points – everyone one wants that little bit of extra comfort and choice on their furniture.”
From products to plant investments, Gary also revealed a number of areas the business is continually improving across the factory. “When retailers get the chance to take time out and come to the factory, they always go away impressed by the reinvestment we make as a company and the friendly vibe around the shop floors. We are investing heavily in lifting benches for all our upholsterers, assemblers and packers to help make their environment a better place to work.
“All our woodworking machines have been upgraded over the last several years along with our CNC cloth and leather cutting machines, with a total investment of over £2 million in these areas. We are very proud to produce our own frames and cut and sew our own leather inhouse, which bring jobs and prosperity to the local area.”
Another key area of investment at Sherborne is sustainability, which Gary says has become a “watch word” for all industries. For Sherborne, being a sustainable-led business has always been a core focus, which has seen many investments over the years. He explained: “We are proud to say we have been pro-active as an individual in this area for many, many years, investing in solar panels, reducing energy consumption via led lighting, boiler efficiencies, using waste products to heat the building, re-cycling card, plastic and other materials.
“Our Hardwood is from sustainable sources and we are always looking to reduce our carbon footprint where we can. Every new vehicle we buy meets the new legislations and have been brought with the health and well-being of our drivers in mind. Also, where possible, our reps’ cars are electric or hybrid. I like to think we are investing in the right areas for a brighter future.”
