Representatives from the BFA announced the new name at a press reception held today (21 Nov) at the Furniture Makers’ Hall in London.

Increasingly, the BFA has successfully moved from solely representing manufacturers to include a broader audience – all with a commitment to supporting British made goods.

These include suppliers to the trade including components and services, furniture retailers, designers and educational bodies and businesses, which are all housed in the three categories of membership, Manufacturer, Supply and Retail.

Phil Spademan, Chief Executive of the BFA, said: “With the changing nature of the industry and more recent expansion of membership, we felt it was the right time to change the name of the organisation to reflect the broader range of businesses in our industry and Association. 

“The title British Furniture Association provides a catch-all description of the new markets we operate in, without any change in our fundamental position to represent those organisations committed to supporting British furniture, from design, manufacture and industry engagement, right through to the sales. 

“We look forward to exciting times ahead and to continue being the voice of a diverse, exciting and vibrant industry.”

Nick Garratt, Chair of the BFA, said: “The move to the new title of British Furniture Association from the British Furniture Manufacturers marks the start of a response to feedback and engagement with industry that began in March this year.

“The BFM was founded in 1947 and since its formation, the industry has changed substantially. The number of manufacturers has declined and consequently manufacturing membership of BFM is now much smaller than it once was.

“Businesses in the industry are now much broader with vertical integration blurring the lines of traditional business models. Retailers have moved into manufacturing; manufacturers have moved into retail and in some instances, manufacturers have acquired downstream suppliers.

“The membership of the Association had already changed to reflect the broader needs of the industry.

“The long-established Supply category has grown substantially, and the industry and organisation has seen the benefits of bringing suppliers and manufacturers closer together.

“The more recently launched ‘Retail’ category is also expected to continue to grow. 

“As an organisation there are many benefits of scale.  A key part of our objectives include lobbying Government. The bigger our scale - the more companies and types of companies we represent.

“There are also purchasing benefits through representing a bigger membership group, and while BFA is a Not-For-Profit organisation, like many businesses, growth is required to maximise effectiveness.

“Increasing membership numbers and turnover will also enable us to develop the benefits and services that we offer, as well as spreading fixed costs across a wider membership.”

Phil Spademan added: “We felt that the name change to the British Furniture Association provided a great opportunity to share news about our achievements to date, and plans for the future.

“We are blessed to represent a superb industry and we are proud to be the voice of the sector in the UK.

“The Association has a great team, and a strong and robust governance structure, to ensure we can deliver a wide range of meaningful services and support for our members.

“It’s been a pleasure to produce this report and share details on the some of the landmark developments undertaken and set out the Association’s bold and ambitious plans for the future”.