Minister of State for International Trade commends Export Award winner

L-R Mike Wood MP, Philip Duggan, Rt Hon Greg Hands MP.

The Minister of State for International Trade, the Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, has commended inaugural Export Award winner Boss Design Group for its overseas market growth.

International office furniture manufacturer Boss Design was announced as the winner of The Furniture Makers’ Company’s Export Award earlier this month.

The award was presented to Philip Duggan, Export Development Manager at Boss Design, by the Minister and Dudley South Member for Parliament, Mike Wood MP, at a special Export and Growth event, organised by the British Furniture Confederation, at the House of Commons on Tuesday 11 October.

Part of The Furniture Makers’ Company’s Manufacturing Guild Mark, the Export Award was launched in 2016 to recognise excellence in promoting and selling British manufactured furniture, bedding and furnishings to overseas markets.

The award considers all aspects of how a business operates, including development initiatives, overseas’ markets penetrated, volumes, growth, techniques, long term commitment, and relevant accreditations.

Boss Design’s export activities were praised by the expert judging panel for having dramatically improved the company’s performance, growth, competitiveness, customer perception, and staff engagement.

The Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, Minister of State for International Trade, said:  “The UK furniture manufacturing sector plays a vital role in our economy and exports continue to grow, with UK furniture companies exporting more than £960m worth of goods last year – up by 23 per cent since 2010.

“I am delighted to congratulate Boss Design Group for being awarded The Furniture Makers’ Company’s inaugural Export Award. I hope this great British export success story can inspire other companies to take advantage of the world of opportunity out there and to make the most of the worldwide demand for their products, skills and expertise.”

Michael Holmes, Commercial Director at Boss Design Group, said: “We are delighted to receive this award that honours our international achievements. Our determination to make Boss Design a global brand shows no slowdown as demonstrated by our recent investment in manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, USA. We are immensely proud to be flying the flag for British manufacture in export markets, and will continue to make international growth a priority.”