New M D for Furniture Manufacturer H J Berry

One of Britain’s oldest furniture manufacturers, HJ Berry Ltd, has appointed a new managing director.
The company, based in Lancashire’s Forest of Bowland, has recruited John Woodruffe, a Preston-based executive with a successful track record in manufacturing, to the leadership role.
His appointment represents a break with tradition for the company, which has seen a member of the Berry family at its helm since it began to produce furniture in 1840. Mr Woodruffe is the first leader of HJ Berry outside the family for five generations.
The business, which produces quality furniture for the residential, care home and leisure sector markets, remains firmly in family ownership.
Mr Woodruffe, 43, of Walton le Dale, is a specialist in innovative manufacturing techniques and joins the company from the Manufacturing Institute, the North West’s regional advisory service.
He said: “Over the years, HJ Berry has carved out an exceptional reputation for craftsmanship and service, coupled with a forward-thinking vision in areas including sustainability and staff development.
“It is a genuine British manufacturer with a proud past and a bright future and I’m delighted to take the managing director’s role at this exciting time in its history.”
HJ Berry is believed to be the oldest chair manufacturer in the country.
The company has a strong focus on sustainability, with initiatives including powering the plant with offcuts from wood used in the manufacturing process and sourcing materials from as close to its base as possible. It also has a policy of only using British-grown oak and other woods for its furniture.
Located in the picturesque village of Chipping, part of its factory is based within a mill once used by a pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, Sir Richard Arkwright.
The site still retains a waterwheel which powered the plant up to the 20th century.
www.hjberry.co.uk
ENDS
Based in Kirk Mills, Chipping, Preston, HJ Berry manufactures furniture for the commercial and residential sectors.
www.hjberry.co.uk
Press release issued by Jane Shepherd, Shepherd PR Ltd.
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