Past Master speaks at House of Lords event

Past Master and Chairman of the Furniture Industry Research Association Charles Vernon was one of the guest speakers at a reception held by the body at the House of Lords on Friday 17 June.

250 guests attended the prestigious annual event hosted by Lord Hoyle of Warrington which took place in the Cholmondeley Room and on the terrace overlooking the Thames.

Speeches were also made by FIRA’s General Manager, Phil Reynolds, and Lord Hoyle of Warrington.

Charles said: “As the first major event since I took the role as Chairman, I was pleased to see what a success the event was. The Association has had a busy year with 20 members joining the Association over the last 12 months, many of whom were in attendance.

“Thanks again to Lord Hoyle for hosting and to everyone involved in the organisation of the event. This event provides a fantastic opportunity to catch up with long-standing and new members, and meet our award and certification holders.”

A number of FIRA’s awards and certifications were presented on the night, including the Ergonomics Excellence Award, FIRA Gold Certification and the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP) Certification.

FIRA Gold Product Certification was awarded to:

• Kitchen doors and panels – Burbidge & Son Limited
• Zig Zag Sinuous Springs – Wade Spring Limited
• Foamflex Cushions – Recticel Limited
• Furniture Spring Range – Heico Fastners UK Ltd

FIRA Gold Installation Certification was awarded to:

• The Symphony Group – Retail kitchen, bedroom and bathroom displays
• Woodson Contract Kitchens – Fitted kitchen furniture