Hello friends and supporters

In this issue we update you on our latest news about the company and our exciting plans for the rest of the year.

Fair Trade Furniture – a new chapter

I have been trying for some time to find someone to take over the reins of Fair Trade Furniture so that Prue and I could take life a little easier and get on with a raft of other projects…

Well I am very pleased indeed to announce that we have now found just such a person in the form of Mike Clark who as of January 16th is the new owner of the company. Here we are having just signed the contract, both looking rather excited!

Mike is very keen to build on everything we have created and achieved in the last 16 years, and wants me to stay involved after the handover in a non-executive capacity. In his words “The business had strong appeal: with a great product that people love, an impressive emphasis on service and the personal touch, and putting great value on all the stakeholders in the business – which aligns with the values we have also aimed to live by in my own company ApplianSys”.

Mike will be playing a director role on a part time basis, while his sister-in-law Jane and her daughter Mel (both Clarks so you can see this is also going to be a family affair!) take over the day-to-day running of the business from Prue and me. Here they are getting comfortable in our lovely high-backed Semarang chairs.

At this point the plan is that Jane (shown left) will be concentrating on sales, customer relations and partner development… while Mel (shown below) will focus on marketing, social media and admin. They are now working very closely with Prue and me to consolidate all the learning they have been doing behind the scenes for the last 3 months.

More from the new team in our next newsletter. But in the meantime the important thing is that business continues as usual!!

Outdoor Semarang

I mentioned last time round that an Outdoor version of the Semarang range was in development. Well this has been proceeding at pace and we will be showcasing these exciting new products from the Spring shows onwards.

The design will be exactly as per the indoor Semarang range but will feature an attractive waterproof and mould-resistant fibre for the weaving, and the mindi wood will have a marine-grade varnish to protect it from the elements. Prue and I are in the middle of selecting a range of attractive outdoor-suitable fabrics for discussion with Jane and Mel.

If you are potentially interested in the outdoor Semarang products we would really appreciate getting some pre-launch feedback to help tune our final product decisions. So if you are happy to help us with this research, we will send you a little questionnaire with a pack of information (and this will unlock a special introductory price offer); just click this link.

Exciting plans for more shows…

Part of our plan for growth is to expand our presence at the spring and summer shows. The final programme is still under discussion but will definitely include Malvern Spring, Hampton Court and the new RHS show at Wentworth Woodhouse in South Yorkshire.

However our other big news is that we have finally been allocated a stand at Chelsea in May…

So we are busy planning and fine-tuning our final stand design… all very exciting. It will be a great opportunity to showcase the new Outdoor range as well as some of our indoor classics. Mike has asked me and Prue to run Chelsea so that the others have one less new project to learn. It will no doubt be a hectic week, but will form a fitting finale for our last show performance!

Here is a sneak preview of our stand design for Chelsea, courtesy of our garden and stand designer Jonathan Bloore.

Also, bargains in our Sale Corner

If you like a good deal, there are some excellent bargains in our Sale Corner.

We have created a number of chair and sofa deals which combine customer returns or ex-display cushions with older or 2nd quality stock. Shown below are a super ex-display Jogya sofa with very cool striped cushions (available for £1495, down from £2300), and a previously enjoyed Semarang set comprising 2-seater sofa, matching chairs, side-table and footstool in remarkably good condition for £2000 (current value over £5500)…

Let us know if either of these are of interest…

And finally…

We have been so busy with getting the deal agreed, organising the handover and setting in place an intensive training programme that our feet have barely touched the ground since November.

But we are gradually adjusting to our new reality and the fact that in due course we will have time for other projects and for a more relaxed work/life balance. In particular we are looking forward to more time down at the beach with the grandchildren. Here are 4 of them posing as lifeguards! What a hoot!

So that’s all for this time folks…

If you have any ideas, questions or comments about any of the above, I will be very pleased to hear from you. You can reach me by phone (07801 380793) or by email.