The Manufacturing Advisory Service arranged a tour of HJ Berry, believed to be one of Britain’s oldest chairmakers. Visitors to the factory - located in the picturesque Forest of Bowland - saw how traditional manufacturing techniques can work in harmony with modern methods of production to achieve a competitive advantage in the UK marketplace.  John Woodruffe, managing director of HJ Berry, led delegates around the factory site. Before joining HJ Berry earlier this year, John worked for the Manufacturing Institute and he is now bringing his expertise in lean manufacture to the business. Already - despite the general downturn in the UK economy - HJ Berry is enjoying buoyant trading conditions.    Sustainability-savvy buyers have driven an increase in sales of commercial and home furniture, such as the Lancashire Woodlands set - made purely from wood grown in HJ Berry’s home county – by 25 per cent in the last 12 months alone.  John Woodruffe said: “HJ Berry is on a journey of continuous improvement. Being more efficient makes us more cost-effective, creating more sales, more orders and more work.” HJ Berry embraces a raft of sustainable measures in its day-to-day operations, including powering the factory’s drying kilns and heating system with offcuts from wood used to make furniture. The company first started to invest in a sustainable approach some 20 years ago – long before it became part of today’s corporate social responsibility. Under the guidance of Andrew Berry, the fifth generation member of the Berry family in the business, work started in 1994 to plant 17 species of native British trees on 20 acres around the manufacturing site. It is going to be a long wait, but in 75 years, some of the 20,000 trees will be ready to make furniture. Find out more about HJ Berry’s sustainable credentials online atwww.hjberry.co.uk ENDS

www.hjberry.co.uk Press release issued by Jane Shepherd, Shepherd PR Ltd. 01538 308685 Mobile 07985 129315