Howdens Joinery, the UK’s largest supplier of kitchens and joinery to trade customers, has been awarded the prestigious Manufacturing Guild Mark from The Furniture Makers’ Company.
Founded in 1995, Howdens addresses the ‘done for you’ market, selling kitchens and joinery from local depots exclusively to trade professionals, who then install them for end-users in all parts of the UK market – owner occupiers, private landlords, local authorities, housing trusts and small developers.
Howdens supplies over 469,000 account holders, all building trade professionals, with 4.4 million kitchen cabinets, 2.5 million doors and one million worktops and breakfast bars each year, manufacturing from factories in Runcorn, Cheshire, and Howden, East Yorkshire.
In 2018, Howdens reported annual sales of around £1.5bn, with profit before tax of £239m. Howdens operates more than 690 depots across the UK, employing around 9500 people in depots, manufacturing, sourcing, and logistics.
Sponsored by Biesse Group and Lectra, the Manufacturing Guild Mark has been the mark of excellence, distinguishing Britain’s top furnishing manufacturers, since 1993. The Manufacturing Guild Mark is awarded to companies that demonstrate high standards across seven assessment criteria: design, product development and function, manufacture, human resources, financial stability, sustainability and sales and marketing.
Ben Burbidge, Manufacturing Guild Mark chairman, presented Julian Lee, head of manufacturing operations at Howdens Joinery, with the Manufacturing Guild Mark on Wednesday 12 February at the company’s Howden factory.
Ben said: “Congratulations to Howdens Joinery for successfully passing the independent audit to be awarded the Manufacturing Guild Mark. The seven criteria that each company is assessed against results in a complete check of the whole business. To pass each one is a real achievement and something all staff at the business can be proud of.”
Lee said: ‘’We are incredibly pleased and honoured to be awarded the Manufacturing Guild Mark as a mark of excellence in our manufacturing team and operations. As the UK’s largest kitchen manufacturer, we are very proud of our British manufacturing heritage and continue to heavily invest and develop our operation, people and products.
“We believe we have a fantastic culture and there is something worthwhile for all concerned with our business, we pride ourselves on the trade quality of our products, innovative design, use of materials and manufacturing processes with a continuous improvement mentality focussed on delivering for our depots, the builder and their customers.
“This award acknowledges the exemplary standards to which our teams operate in order to deliver the best kitchens and joinery products to our customer.’’
