The wholesaler born out of Teesside-based retailer Barker and Stonehouse has opened a new warehouse and showroom in Middlesbrough.
Baker Furniture, which supplies other retailers including ScS, Cox & Cox and Next, has invested in the new space following successful lockdown trading when demand for home furnishing boomed.
The 50-strong firm is now targeting £26m turnover and exports of £7.5m to Europe this year, following turnover of £17.1m in the year to March 28, 2021.
Read more: Deloitte recruits for 25 Tees Valley jobs
It also follows a successful year for Barker and Stonehouse which saw turnover of £76.1m and operating profits of £5.2m in the same period.
Baker had applied to the Tees Valley Capital Grant Scheme but following its profitable trading it was able to self-fund the move.
This week, Tees Valley Mayor Houchen visited the new Baker Furniture premises where he met managing director Mark Callaghan and warehouse manager Stephen Wilson along with Baker Furniture chairman Richard Barker, Richard’s son and managing director of Barker and Stonehouse, James, and financial director Peter Soakell.
Mr Houchen said: “Barker and Stonehouse is a UK institution that had its beginnings right here in Teesside before going on to become a massively respected and recognised household name with stores across the country.
“Baker Furniture is yet another success story, shipping its furniture across the globe from a logistics base in Middlesbrough. I often point out how Teesside helped to build the world with structures like the Sydney Harbour Bridge having its roots here - now the world is built, we’re helping to furnish it as well.
“Baker Furniture’s growth is inspirational and is providing good-quality, well-paid jobs for local people in everything from design and retail to logistics. It was great to visit, speak to Mark, Richard, James and more and see first-hand their new warehouse and showroom which I’m sure will serve the firm well for the future.”
Mark Callaghan, managing director of Baker Furniture, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Mayor Houchen to officially open our new premises here in Middlesbrough.
“Using state-of-the-art technology, the new warehouse has twice the storage capacity of its previous unit, despite occupying a site just 40% larger. And our world class showroom allows us to replicate a genuine exhibition experience for our visiting UK and international customers.
“The Tees Valley has a world-class reputation and we’re proud to be growing our business here, where it all started more than 20 years ago.”
You can join the BusinessLive North East conversation on LinkedIn and Twitter
