Maker&Son, an upmarket furniture brand, has announced changes to its commercial model in response to the sale of the company in the summer of 2022 and related legal issues.
The company has been established to oversee the brand and manage licensing agreements in the UK and overseas. The first licensee under the new model is The Hastings Sofa Company, which has experience as one of Maker&Son’s existing manufacturers.
The Hastings Sofa Company will run the Maker&Son business in the UK & Ireland territory, managing customer orders and selling and making luxury furniture under the Maker&Son brand. This company will operate separately from The Hastings Sofa Company business. Maker&Son has stated that the appointment of The Hastings Sofa Company as a licensee is positive because it ensures that past customer orders will be fulfilled in a timely manner.
Jack Mason, Group CEO of Inc & Co, the parent company of Maker&Son, explained “In our attempt to turn the company around having inherited its substantial debt when it was purchased, we did everything we could to deliver customer orders and find solutions where delivery was no longer suitable.”
“We formed Maker&Son Licenses to act as the brand guardian moving forward, managing our license agreements, and making sure that existing customers receive the best possible option, and new customers receive the quality of product and service that they rightly expect.”
Existing UK & Ireland customers who have placed orders will be contacted directly by Maker&Son to confirm whether they would like to proceed with manufacture and delivery or explore alternative solutions. The new licensee, The Hastings Sofa Company, will work with existing supply chains and manufacturers to ensure that materials and designs are of the highest quality for customers.
Danny Cleaver, Managing Director of The Hastings Sofa Company, stated “We’re approaching this new licensing agreement as a separate venture from any of our other companies, but our experience of building a successful high-end furniture brand means we’ve already got strong plans to grow the Maker&Son brand in the UK. That will include investing in showrooms and events as well as reintroducing product lines back into the UK portfolio in response to customer demand.”
“As we invest in growing our Maker&Son team in the UK and Ireland, we’ll work with the existing supply chain and family of manufacturers to make sure that the materials we use and the designs we create together are of the highest quality for our customers. We remain committed to the Maker&Son focus, on using natural materials and all made-to-order items will continue to be made by hand by highly skilled craftspeople.”
Maker&Son is set to expand its brand overseas and is expected to make further licensee announcements in the near future. The company plans to target five global territories by the end of 2023, as part of its ongoing growth strategy.
