ADAM AIKEN, SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER
A furniture company that was on the brink of disappearing a year ago has had a new lease of life – and is about to open a second shop.

Ian Robinson, who founded Furniture By Design (FBD) in 2003, says he saw the light last year when he realised that the below-standard products his business was churning out threatened the very existence of the company.


Last autumn he was on the verge of calling it a day but decided to risk everything, and the gamble seems to have paid off.

Turnover was £60,000 in 2012-06 and £94,000 in 2013-07 – but this year, having invested thousands of pounds in new machinery, Mr Robinson is expecting to smash through the £150,000 barrier.

FBD – which formerly traded as Pine By Design – makes and sells furniture at its base in North Burlingham, off the A47 between Norwich and Acle.

“I think it’s probably fair to say that for our first three years, the furniture we were producing was not good enough in terms of quality, and we weren’t getting repeat custom,” Mr Robinson said.

“But since we made the changes, we have been constantly getting repeat custom – and we haven’t had a single complaint about anything we’ve produced.

“We have focused on quality and that has made all the difference. If the quality isn’t there, it doesn’t sell.

“People do want the quality, and they are finding that what is being produced in places such as China is nowhere near the standard of British-made stuff.

“I firmly believe that Chinese imports are ruining the furniture industry in England, and some of the imports are horrible.”

He added that it was a myth that Far East manufacturers were able to churn out cheaper goods of the same quality as those made in the UK, and he was confident that his Norfolk-produced furniture could fight off the competition and enable FBD – which makes shelves, cupboards, wardrobes and tables – to expand across the region.

The Lowestoft shop will open this Sunday, and Mr Robinson said he was hoping for big growth over the coming years.

“I would like to continue expanding and the aim is to open a new shop every year,” he said.

“We also have plans for a bigger factory in North Burlingham and there is no reason why we can’t build on our recent success and expand across the region.”