There's few things more quintessentially British than the beautiful Chesterfield sofa.
But a Honley-based family-run company is taking the recognisable brand of furniture worldwide, thanks to international partners in Sweden, Germany, the USA, Japan, and more recently, Australia.
In fact, as far as career highlights go, husband and wife duo Clare and Steve Laidlaw, of Distinctive Chesterfields, cite the day they signed a franchise agreement with Japan – the first franchise – as one of their proudest moments as a company.
After all, the 25-strong firm was born from extremely humble beginnings, starting life at Honley’s Enterprise Works workshop and offices back in 2007 with a modest staff of just two – Steve and his father Bob.
But while the company is certainly soaring above many of its competitors for the moment – adding three more furniture brands to its Comfy Sofa Ltd portfolio and having just agreed to supply Chesterfields to this year’s X Factor contestants’ house – business hasn’t always been easy.
“I think the most difficult task we faced was figuring out for the first time how to engage a new, foreign market,” says Clare, adding that there were plenty of things the young couple – Clare aged just 30 and Steve, 31 - could have done differently in the early days.
“We were perhaps a little naive to the cold face of business, but the lessons we learned have enabled us to become a stronger team - both professionally and personally,” adds Steve. “We have had to make redundancies in the past when things got hard – through no fault of our own. We just went at it too fast at the beginning but we’ve certainly learned the hard way.”
Now running a hugely successful apprenticeship scheme, the workshop team overseen by Clare and Steve largely consists of young workers keen to make an impression and learn a new – and often overlooked – skill.
“Many people today buy imported goods, but a high volume factory struggles to replicate the attention to detail which goes in to each piece here in our workshop.” adds Clare.
Steve continues: “As a company, we get a great deal out of running an apprenticeship scheme, but it is directly proportionate to the amount of effort we put in. It’s really satisfying to see a young person grow within this environment – as a person and a craftsman. Typically, an apprentice will take around two years to complete their apprenticeship, then around another three years before they will earn the title of master upholsterer.”
The team, which includes a handful of upholsters, buttoners, studders (those who hammer in the distinctive studs into the back of each Chesterfield), finishers (in charge of finishing and checking the final product) and packers is predominantly male, with two female machinists to balance out the ever-growing testosterone levels.
Tom Stringer is the longest-serving workshop member. Starting as an apprentice upholsterer, he’s worked his way up and has now completed each level of the scheme, meaning he’s fully equipped to take on anyone’s job in the busy workshop.
It’s certainly a thriving business, with up to 50 sofas being handcrafted from scratch each week and customers dropping in to take a look at the products on offer before making the decision to add a piece of iconic interior design to their home.
In the office, Mark Denby is in charge of UK sales calls with Ruth Olbrych doing the same over in the US. Thirty-two-year-old Greg Wood splits his time between the UK office, answering calls from Click4Beds customers or driving across the country to deliver orders, while Richard Oakley, the company accountant, keeps on top of the books.
While the traditional-looking Hampton is one of Distinctive Chesterfields’ most popular standard products, Steve says the company does take on a “heap of custom projects”. These have included a 38ft electric pink Chesterfield for an Italian nightclub, a collection of sofas made from artificial grass for Channel 4’s annual festival T4 on the Beach and a rabbit-print Magic Eye-esque design in pale blue and white.
The latest? A couple of stunning red leather “Belchamp” sofas – due to be spotted in the house where this year’s X Factor contestants will spend their time between all-important rehearsals and the live shows.
Of course, most people would baulk at the idea of working so closely with their partner, but not Steve and Clare – who first met as teenagers at Honley High School, getting together a year or so later and remaining a couple since. The couple married back in 2005 in Cyprus and Clare later went on to work as a childminder with Steve selling contract furniture for a year or two before taking the plunge to set up on his own.
The couple agree that while they thought there’d be plenty of rows in the early days of the business, it really hasn’t turned out that way. “I think mutual respect for each other in our respective roles is key,” says Steve, “And in many respects it can help – you tend to empathise with one another when having to work late or in the more stressful times, more than if you were to work in separate organisations.”
Today, along with Distinctive Chesterfields, Click4beds.co.uk and Timelessbeds.co.uk make up the couple’s furniture portfolio, with new site comfysofa.co.uk following soon.
With four furniture brands on their hands and an expanding international reach, the couple have certainly got their work cut out.
So what are Clare and Steve’s tips for success? “Follow your heart,” says Steve. “If you feel passionate about something enough you will find a way to make it happen. And just go for it – always better to be a failed trier than a successful talker, I reckon!” Clare agrees, saying you should always “go with your gut instinct” where business is concerned.
In five years’ time, Clare and Steve would like to see the brands gain much wider exposure, both here and abroad. “I’d like to have seen the business grow – especially Comfy Sofa,” says Clare, “I’d love us to be a bigger version of what we are now, with more prominence.
“I think he initially set out for world domination to be honest.” As far as franchises in Japan, the USA and Australia go, the company really isn’t far off.
Work: Furniture manufacturer
Site: Long Lane, Honley
Phone: 01484 663294
Email: clare@distinctive chesterfields.com
Website:www.distinctivechesterfields.com
