Pictured: Collyer & Co production director, Phil Dawn; cabinet maker Adam Balai and managing director Steve Collyer.
Co-owned by Steve Collyer and Phil Dawn, Collyer & Co has been building bespoke kitchens and cabinets from its Nottingham workshop for over four decades. Here, we explore the company’s specialist offering, and exciting plans to diversify ...
In 2016, Steve Collyer reached out to Preston Bissett to commission a series of wardrobes and cloak cupboards. Impressed by the quality of the craftsmanship and service, Steve’s vision for something new began to take shape.
Having recently sold his financial services business with a view to retiring, Steve had always harboured an interest in exploring a completely new craft. When it became clear that Preston Bissett’s owner was looking to retire, Steve saw it as the perfect chance to embrace a new challenge. A deal was agreed, and in 2020 the business was re-branded as Collyer and Co – marking a new era for the company.
A bespoke approach to cabinetry
Unlike other companies, Collyer and Co. doesn’t have standard designs or sizes. Everything is made in the company’s Nottingham-based workshop in line with the client’s exact requirements, creating unique pieces for every room in the house.
For Steve, the beauty of Collyer & Co’s approach lies in its ability to provide complete customisation. Whether an architect wishes to incorporate a metal column clad in walnut to match a kitchen design or create intricate, one-of-a-kind pieces, Collyer & Co. has the skill and experience to deliver. This level of precision and personalisation has earned the company a reputation for excellence among discerning clients.
Meet the team behind the craft
Central to the company’s growth and success has been the strength of its workshop and the skilled team that drives it. Since 2020, Collyer & Co. has made significant investments in state-of-the-art Felder machinery, enabling the team to handle every application with precision and efficiency.
However, it wasn’t just about the equipment. Steve recognised the need for an experienced leader to manage the production process following the previous owner’s retirement. Enter Phil Dawn, who was brought on board to oversee operations and now owns 50% of the business.
Phil’s expertise, coupled with the talents of Adam Balai —formerly of DeVol — and Eddie Granger, a specialist sprayer, has proven invaluable. Steve, meanwhile, has focused on the creative side and customer relations. Together, they’ve created a formidable team, committed to delivering top-tier craftsmanship and a seamless customer experience.
“Collyer and Co will be looking to expand its workforce again this year, following a hugely successful 2024 that saw sales increasing by more than 20 per cent, and a record number of hand-crafted cabinetry projects completed in prestigious homes across the East Midlands, London and the South West,” says Steve.
Diversifying the business
Hoping to build on this success in 2025 and beyond, Collyer and Co. has recently appointed digital marketing and PR agency, Tank, and brand communications agency, Warbox. The two agencies are working on a marketing strategy that capitalises on Collyer and Co’s excellent brand awareness within the architectural and interior design worlds, in order to build a bigger pool of connections.
Whilst Collyer and Co still works with many consumers, all introduced via happy clients, the business has found that responding to direct client enquiries – while rewarding – can be rather time-consuming, often involving several site visits, with just a one in three strike rate.
The team felt that investing time in this process went against their ethos of wanting to keep costs low and wished to channel efforts into producing and installing brilliant cabinetry.
By concentrating on collaborations with architects and interior designers who already understand the price point, and who only introduce potential work when they are comfortable it will proceed to installation, Collyer & Co. looks to renew its focus.
A profitable business model
Key to this success is Collyer and Co’s business model. Rather than operating a traditional showroom or employing a large sales team, the company keeps overheads low, enabling it to offer high-end cabinetry at a more accessible price point.
Rewarding projects
Collyer and Co. tends to work in prestigious properties and the team is particularly interested in those projects that present a real challenge in terms of design and execution.
Their current project does just that. “The team is working in a very large Grade 2 Listed farmhouse where planning restrictions mean the existing fireplace (which is open on two sides and splits the kitchen in half) has to stay,” explains Steve.
“As a result, a 3.2 metre island unit that passes through the fireplace has been designed and built. Understandably, the client wanted to see a mock-up before proceeding – which we were happy to provide – but so far it’s been a resounding success!”
Looking to the future
While Collyer & Co.’s future is bright, there’s no denying that personal challenges lie ahead. Steve has recently been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), a condition that, while moving slowly, will ultimately result in his early exit from the business. Despite this, Steve remains optimistic about the future of Collyer & Co., and he’s confident in his co-owner Phil’s ability to take the business to new heights.
“Phil is brilliant,” Steve says, “and he deserves the opportunity to build a very significant business for him and his family.”
With Steve’s vision and ingenuity at the company’s heart and Phil at its helm, Collyer & Co. is ideally positioned to continue its legacy of craftsmanship and superb customer service.
