Corporate liveryman spotlight: Martin Napper

Our corporate members and corporate supporters represent some of the most significant companies from across all sectors within the UK furnishing industry.

Corporate membership provides opportunities for leading businesses from the trade to support our charitable activities, get involved with civic events and network with other members.  Each corporate gets to elect three representatives to be admitted as corporate liverymen and act as the main points of contact being the business and livery.

In the third in a series of spotlight articles on our corporate members, corporate liveryman Martin Napper, CEO of Castelan Group, discusses what they have got out of membership.

What was your primary motivation for joining the Company?

Castelan has always been keen to sponsor and support good causes wherever possible and these have often centred around health and wellbeing. What we came to realise is that we were missing supporting a charity that benefited the industry that we are in, and that is where the Company provides that opportunity.

How did you first learn about the Company, and what made you consider becoming a corporate member?

Over the years, we have attended events that support the charity. It began with the FTBA shoot which was an annual event. After a few years without attending, we started again as Castelan. We were approached by Jonny Westbrooke who took us through the benefits of corporate membership, and this tied in with our desire to support a charity in our industry.

Did you have any specific expectations before joining?

Our expectations are that we can use our membership to benefit our industry, support those who need it the most and spend time with like-minded people. As well as being an excellent opportunity to raise funds, the events that we attend are a great way to maintain relationships and build new ones.

What aspects of the Company’s work or initiatives – charitable or livery – do you find most valuable?

Whilst we have our own colleague support service, it’s good to have an association with a charity that knows and understands the sector that we are in and can empathise with the types of issues facing those working in the sector. There was an assumption that the Company was there to support those who were involved in furniture manufacturing or retailing so it was great to know that it could offer additional support to our colleagues too.

Have you participated in any of the Company’s events? If so, which ones, and how have they been beneficial?

We have taken part in the Big Shots days in London and, this year, we took part in the local shoot to us in Somerset. The Golf Day in Northamptonshire has been a great event for us for the last two years with one of the team winner the top prize! We’ve used these events for team building with our own colleagues and also to invite clients to join us to further enhance relationships.

How does the Company’s mission resonate with your company’s own values?

As a business that supports the wider furniture industry, a key part of our vision is to provide innovative insurance and product service solutions that compliment the products our clients sell. Seeing what the emerging talent is creating is helpful to us in ensuring that our warranty products and services are aligned to these products.

What role do you think the Company plays in the broader furnishing industry?

The work the Company does in respect of encouraging young talent and investment in the future of the industry is crucial. Traditional skills are in danger of being lost and so the work around this area is vital to ensure great quality design and manufacture is continued well into the future. 

What networking opportunities have you found most valuable?

We wouldn’t highlight any particular event as being more or less valuable but it’s extremely useful to be able to be able to invite clients and contacts to Company events. Being part of a charitable event means that we can offer the chance to join us and to network whilst also raising vitals funds for the Company. Corporate hospitality has become less attractive in recent years and so being able to engage and support the Company has proved a useful vehicle.

Have you built any significant relationships or partnerships through the Company?

Yes – we recently started a training relationship with another major supporter of the Company. This may not necessarily have been as a direct result of contacts made at the Company but it was clear that our individual approach to doing business aligned with each other and that made the benefits of cementing the relationship that much clearer.

Can you share a memorable experience or achievement since joining the Company?

The first time we attended the National Golf Day at the Northamptonshire County Golf Club, our now chief operations officer was delighted to be crowned National Champion. What made it really annoying for the rest of us was that the event was cancelled the following year, so he was able to crow about being the champion for two years!! Great event and we returned in 2024 – sadly not with the same result.

What advice would you give a company considering joining The Furniture Makers’ Company?

Many companies support a whole host of charities – many of them being very close their hearts for reasons that are personal to the colleagues who work for them or who have suffered specific challenges in their lives. These are great and worthy reasons but we would encourage those in the industry to also consider an element of their charitable work to be put towards an industry specific charity that can directly support their colleagues. 

For more information, go to https://www.castelangroup.com/