FIRA International unveils new look and investment programme

STEVENAGE, UK – December 3rd, 2018 – FIRA International has unveiled its new brand identity, following the acquisition of the business by Element Materials Technology (Element) last year. This announcement coincides with significant investment into furniture testing capacity within FIRA International’s UKAS accredited facilities in Stevenage.

The new look for FIRA International now complements that of the wider Element business, bringing the organisation closer to its parent company identity.

Commenting on the rebrand, Phil Reynolds, General Manager at FIRA International said: “Since the Element acquisition we’ve been working very closely behind-the-scenes to successfully integrate our business. It has been critical for us to do this in a way that enables FIRA International to benefit from further investment to ensure that we continue to be in a position to meet the needs of all our customers, whether this be for furniture testing, consultancy or inspection and repair services.

“Within the testing business, last month we opened our newly expanded flammability laboratory, which has doubled our capacity. Previous to this, additional equipment was installed for structural testing and further expansion in this area will continue into 2019.

“We’re very excited about the new look for FIRA International and, more importantly, the benefits it will bring to our customers. The more distinctive look will also help us to differentiate between the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) and FIRA International. FIRA will retain their current purple branding and logo, and FIRA International will continue to be the service provider to the Research Association.”

FIRA International’s product and installation certification programme, FIRA Gold, also has a new look, while the technical requirements of the scheme remain unchanged. The same applies to the FIRA Ergonomics Excellence Award, which has also undergone a refresh.

FIRA International also confirmed that the introduction of its new brand identity does not affect the validity of existing test reports, assessments or certificates previously issued, and customers can continue to use these documents as before.
Anyone from across the furniture industry who wishes to see first-hand the new look at FIRA International and the results of the expansion programme, is invited to attend the Open Day being held at the UKAS-accredited facilities in Hertfordshire on 21 February, 2019. Full details are available from www.fira.co.uk/training.