From then, to now 

Funky Chunky Furniture is proud to have grown from humble beginnings. Managing Director, Kevin started out in a converted garage at his former home in South Tyneside. Over the last eight years, Kevin and his garage have grown to a team of over 50 employees in a substantial manufacturing unit. However, still close to its roots, Funky Chunky Furniture remains in South Tyneside. 

The rapid growth of the business has been supported by investment in facilities, plant and a skilled and dedicated team with a real passion for what they do.

The business is always looking at ways to support that growth. Whether that’s through changing the way the workshop operates, new machinery and processes, and upskilling their workforce.

The result of this growth means that currently, the furniture manufacturer sells a range of over 300 different solid wood furniture and shelf products. Each is made-to-order in its workshop and all are designed in-house by its product designer.

The impact of a global pandemic

While the pandemic has obviously had its consequences and all businesses have had to adapt, it’s also thrown up new opportunities for Funky Chunky Furniture. Online retail, particularly for furniture and home furnishings, has grown rapidly and the business has been able to make the most of that and grow as a result.
There is no doubt that it has required some adaptations with the changes in customer demand, unusual fluctuations in the availability of raw materials, and the need to recruit many new members into the workforce to ensure that orders can be fulfilled. 

This has highlighted one of Funky Chunky Furniture’s biggest achievements, adaptability. 

A necessity of a business that is growing rapidly is that changes need to be made regularly. Whether that’s growing the team, changing processes, launching new products, and much more. As a team, everyone is on board for the ride. They are excited about what’s happening, and has a willingness to adapt and progress as the business changes. That’s quite a difficult culture to achieve company-wide, and our ability to have that has enabled us to grow far quicker than if that wasn’t the case.

Funky Chunky Furniture and Axminster 

Funky Chunky Furniture needs its supply chain to be robust, so it chose Axminster as a supplier. Axminster's ability to offer choice, quality, reliable stock levels, and next-day delivery to meet the growing order capacity was vital. 

By working with Axminster the business has been able to make changes in its supply chain. These changes have saved the business money without compromising on quality and finish. For example, Funky Chunky Furniture has changed its saw blade manufacturer to one that Axminster supplies. The Axminster team has also provided various demonstrations of a range of tools to help with the businesses' current and future process.

From Funky Chunky Furniture to the next generation of furniture makers 

Do what you do, well. Find your niche and focus your business in that area. The market is vast and it’s easier to compete if you know what you offer and what makes you stand out. At the same time, don’t be afraid of the competition, no matter how big they are. There are always opportunities to gain market share.

Funky Chunky Furniture

Workshop recommendations 

Funky Chunky Furniture's workshop favourite?  “Quite simply, the quick clamps!”

Get in touch

To arrange a visit with your regional Technical Consultant phone 0800 371822, email sales@axminstertools.com or complete this form. Find out more about our Business Services team at axminstertools.com/business.

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