Huddersfield company Ruddiman Furniture changes ownership

Jun 16 2009 By Henryk Zientek

A FAMILY firm set up in Huddersfield more than 40 years ago has been sold to a Hong Kong-based manufacturer.

Ruddiman Furniture has been bought by Origin Red, which manufactures furniture, garden tools and bathrooms.

Both companies have worked closely together for the past 15 years.

The acquisition provides a foothold in the UK for Origin Red, which was founded in 1991 and has factories in Hong Kong and China.

David Ruddiman, chairman of Ruddiman Furniture said the deal left him free to focus on his new online trading business, Your Department Store, which provides independent furniture retailers a fully-managed e-commerce website.

"It’s an incredibly exciting move and the timing is absolutely right for both of us," said chairman David Ruddiman, who has worked for the past 33 years for the family company.