Richard Fishenden has seen demand for his iron craft range, including lighting, curtain poles, kitchen racks, door handles and bracketry, grow by 30% over the last eighteen months as consumers look to tap into the ‘traditional feel’ of his creations.
‘Made By The Forge’, the business he has run with his wife Juliet since 2006, now employs five people and has recently teamed up with British designers Anthony Dickens and Chris Eckersley to develop designer lighting and furniture.
The firm has tapped into support from the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP) to help it lay the foundations for its long-term growth and to identify a number of new roles that will make it more efficient.
Says Fishenden: “Our passion for quality is our inspiration to produce useful products that will last a lifetime, but also add real character to the home. You can even see the individual hammer marks made by our blacksmiths, making every item unique.
“We moved into an old country cottage that meant we had plenty of home décor projects to undertake so we decided to put my skills to the test and produce a range of traditional wrought ironwork.”
He continues: “Word quickly spread and we started to supply other people and, now, over a decade on, our products are on sale in Heals in London and through our website.”
Made By The Forge secured a 30% increase in sales last year and is expecting to increase this figure further in 2018 after receiving expert advice from the Manufacturing Growth Programme.
MGP growth manager Daren Booth adds: “Richard and Juliet complement each other’s skills and this has created a very successful brand with lots of opportunity to grow.
“Our role was to provide a clear strategy that gave them more time to focus on what they do best, as well as addressing a number of challenges, including attracting new staff and finding new routes to market.
“We are delighted to see the support is already making a difference and are looking forward to the launch of further new products in 2018 and a new focus on working with more architects and specifiers.”
MAIN IMAGE CAPTION: (l-r) Richard and Juliet Fishenden
