Member Article

Six winners in the North West named among furniture industry’s national rising stars

The North West’s vibrant furniture and furnishings industry has been recognised in a prestigious national awards scheme celebrating the achievements of 60 of the sector’s most talented upcoming stars, with six of the UK awards’ young winners working in the region.

Launched as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, the ‘60 for 60’ campaign recognises 60 of the most accomplished and promising young people in the sector. From product designers, cabinetmakers and technical developers to logistics professionals, commercial managers and operations directors, the awards showcase a diverse range of career opportunities within the sector.

The North West winners, employed at furniture and furnishings firms across the region, were: Hannah Shore, sleep knowledge and research manager at Silentnight Group in Preston; Jordan Hargadon, new product development team leader at Silentnight Brands in Lancashire; Mark Denby, head of sales for Saxon Furniture in Bolton; Nathan Whiffing, design and technical manager at Redwood TTM in Warrington; Rollie Attard, CEO of Panaz in Burnley; and Sam Coggin, director of Coggin SOS in Preston.

For example, 35-year-old Rollie Attard, CEO of Burnley-based fabrics supplier Panaz, impressed the judges by spearheading a strategic plan to drive the future growth of the business, including recruiting key personnel in the UK and Germany, restructuring the UK sales team and establishing a London showroom.

Rollie said: “This recognition reinforces my passion for innovation and design, motivating me to contribute further to our dynamic industry. We can all craft a future where creativity meets functionality, and where every product tells a story.”

Expert judges from within the industry reviewed the submissions and selected the winners who were announced at a special ‘60 for 60’ awards ceremony held in the City of London on 5 December. Amanda Waring, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company, said: “We received hundreds of entries for ‘60 for 60’, ranging from wood working to carpet and textile design, showing not only the vibrancy and diversity of British talent, but also that the industry continues to offer exciting and rewarding career opportunities.

“We congratulate every one of our 60 outstanding winners and look forward to sharing our members’ mentoring skills and providing networking opportunities as they continue to develop their professional careers.

“While we have a long history of supporting the UK’s flourishing and world-renowned furniture and furnishings industry, and are celebrating 60 years since we were awarded livery status, we are very much a modern organisation and it is vital that we use our position to reward and recognise emerging talent in the sector.”

To find out more about ‘60 for 60’ go to www.furnituremakers.org.uk/60for60

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Robinson .