business

North East Trade Furniture Specialist Opens New Facilities To Support Growth

A Northeast manufacturer and supplier of contract standard furniture to various trades has announced a six-figure investment in new facilities as it gears up for additional growth and expansion.

Seen as one of the UK’s fastest growing suppliers of contract standard furniture to holiday parks, hotels, student groups, build to rent, serviced apartments and Retirement villages, the HLF Group has opened a 7,500 sq. ft. head office and design centre on Whiteley Road in Blaydon, Gateshead.

This will accommodate ambitious plans as the firm looks to boost current business and develop its presence in the social housing and build-to-rent markets in the next 12 months.

The HLF Group has seen growth on the back of a strong performance since opening for business in 2018. It has tripled turnover in the past two years and is targeting £3m in revenue in their next financial year as it extends services to customers in the UK both within the leisure industry and beyond.

Supplying a wide range of free-standing furniture to many sectors, the company’s main customer area is owners and operators of holiday parks and holiday-let accommodation and includes Park Dean, Leisure Resorts, Hoseasons and Sykes Cottages.

Investment in extra capacity will allow the company, which currently employs 14 people, to develop and expand further the commercial turnkey design and support services it provides from a new larger site. The new design centre will feature 25 different room layouts along with furnishings and fabric displays, providing an improved customer experience. The idea behind the concept is to give their customers the retail experience but at a trade price.

The company also has plans to build a new warehouse in 2022, shifting its current logistics operations from Washington to a site in Blaydon, where it will be closer to the office and design centre. The move will help to support growth, enabling more stock to be held on site and boosting distribution to customers.

HLF Group’s CEO Rachel Conroy and (right) managing director Tabsheer Alam

The HLF Group’s founder and CEO Rachel Conroy, said:
“We are making the necessary investments as our customers look to change furniture more often while requiring better quality products at trade prices. Particularly in the holiday sector, customers expect the units they pay to stay in to be aesthetically pleasing and the owners need hardwearing furniture, which is compliant at a very competitive price.

“We’re experiencing strong growth across all our markets but mainly in the Retirement living and build to rent sectors; so, investment in a new design centre comes at a critical part in our planned development. It will be a big boost to the business, providing a greater tactile experience for our customers, allowing them to enjoy the full range of furniture and accessories in a creative and stylish environment.”