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naughtone is ten: interview with matt welsh

naughtone is ten: interview with matt welsh

As naughtone hits it’s 10th birthday, we speak to naughtone’s Sales Director Matt Welsh about all things naughtone.

matt-BWMost pivotal year and why?

l would say 2015, following our successful 2014 sales year. lt’s given us confidence to invest in increasing our sales team, widening our sales reach and focusing on becoming a globally accessible organisation. We have invested further into our products, rounding off our portfolio and identifying the gaps in our product offering. Ensuring we have a fantastic, exciting but really usable portfolio. A focus on growing well, not just going everywhere and failing, but investing into the infrastructure of the business enabling us to not only sell but deliver products.

We don’t follow.. We speak to our clients and find out what they are looking for and which products don’t exist.”

Who does naughtone cater for?

We aim to provide products and options to cover most sectors, from hospitality, healthcare and retail to education and commercial office.  We try to offer enough options to cover most types of project.

Blyth---interior-shot-with-special-fold-table-and-viv-chairsHas this changed in the last ten years?

Prior to me joining the business l can’t really answer for Mark and Kieron’s direction of the company but since l joined we’ve set a very clear objective for our sales approach and we have stuck to that come hell or high water and it’s paid off. We aim to cross sectors, we aim to offer options to suit specific requirements. That is unique.

Does that make naughtone stand out from its competitors?

lt gives us a unique approach to flexibility. Offering simple customisation options as a standard – which is very unique in the marketplace. We don’t follow. You can definitely see where a lot of our competitors are getting this inspiration from, we sit back from the market and look at what we feel it needs. We speak to our clients and find out what they are looking for and which products don’t exist. That’s how we set a lot of design projects internally. We look for what’s not out there!

rhymenaughtone designs, manufactures and sells furniture. ls that unusual?

lt’s probably slightly unusual. Many people in the market say they do those things, once you scratch beneath the surface it becomes quite obvious that they either don’t design, or they don’t manufacture. The fact we do everything is quite unique. We have a very strong design team, Our manufacturing facility is equipped with an artisan skill-set that l think is unrivaled, and we have a very focused sales team who understand the brand and how to get the most out of the marketplace.

“…Our manufacturing facility is equipped with an artisan skill-set that I think is unrivaled.”  

Any surprise market success?

l wouldn’t say any of our success has been a surprise. We thoroughly plan any new ventures, any new markets and how we approach them. However, sometimes the speed with which they take off is a fantastic surprise.

Any plans for market expansion?

We are going to continue our global growth. We don’t want to be seen as just a British brand, we want to be a brand that makes its furniture proudly in Britain but is available globally.

Any favourite naughtone projects?

l can’t name one in particular but l get really excited by the high tech brands and the leaders in culture and commerce like Nike and Coca-Cola.  The high tech brands like Facebook, Amazon, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn – are pushing the boundaries of what an office may look like or should look like – their move away from cellular systems and desks to very informal collaborative working is inspirational. Our client list makes us all immensely proud.

Always chair in linkedin NYCWhere do you see naughtone in ten years?

lt’s difficult to say as the market and our business is changing so quickly but our aim is to stay ahead of the curve and continue to enjoy it!

Find out more about naughtone turning 10 in our June newsletter. Subscribe via our homepage.

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