Dreams awarded prestigious Manufacturing Guild Mark
Dreams has been awarded the prestigious Manufacturing Guild Mark by the Furniture Makers’ Company.
Howard James, operations manager of Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) International, presented the award today to Michael Dingwall, Director of Production and Quality, and Ian King, Operational Excellence Manager at Dreams’ Bed Factory in Oldbury, West Midlands.
The Manufacturing Guild Mark has been Britain’s top furniture and furnishing manufacturers’ mark of excellence for over 30 years and is given to businesses demonstrating exemplary standards in manufacturing, design, product development and function, human resources, sustainability, financial stability and sales and marketing. To be successful, companies must pass a rigorous audit, independently reviewed by the FIRA.
The award follows the formal welcome of Dreams as a corporate partner of the Furniture Makers’ Company earlier this year. As a corporate partner, Dreams is connecting with some of the most well-respected companies in the industry, both contributing its expertise and broadening its knowledge.
Dreams’ Oldbury Bed Factory is home to a 250-strong team of craftspeople, including five apprentices, spanning quilting, sewing, fabric cutting, upholstery, tape edging, mattress tufting building and frame and drawer assembly.
These bed experts apply their craft and care to meticulously make Dreams’ range of market-leading and award-winning products, including:
- Over 1,000 mattresses a day
- Over 700 divan bases a day
- Over 200 headboards a day
All of which use quality materials sourced in Britain, including local black country wool.
Today over half of the mattresses Dreams sell are handmade at the site before being delivered to bedrooms in all corners of Britain and Northern Ireland.
In-depth skills training is central to Dreams’ high-quality products and manufacturing standards. Dreams’ tape edgers, responsible for the process of bringing mattress edges together, are trained for six months before they’re deemed fully competent. Tape edging is one of the most skilled jobs in bedmaking – in part because it requires walking backwards while working. Dreams employs 18 Tape Edgers at Oldbury who each walk 7.5km a week on average – that’s 375km a year.
The Bed Factory sits at the heart of Dreams’ West Midlands operations hub. In total, Dreams employs over 500 colleagues in the West Midlands across its bed factory, three distribution sites and eight retail shops.
Paul Solly, Chief Commercial Officer at Dreams, said: “Having recently become a corporate partner of the Furniture Makers’ Company, we’re thrilled to have been accredited with the Manufacturing Guild Mark. This accreditation is a real testament to the expertise of our craftspeople and the high standards we maintain throughout our business. At its core, Dreams is committed to providing premium products that meet our customers’ needs. Being awarded the Manufacturing Guild Mark cements this promise and recognises our success in doing so.”
Daniel Mesecke, Chairman of The Furniture Makers’ Company, said: “It’s fantastic to see Dreams be the latest company to receive the prestigious Manufacturing Guild Mark, underscoring Dreams commitment to excellence, craftsmanship and innovation in the bed retail sector. Congratulations to Dreams on this well-deserved recognition, we look forward to witnessing your continued success and contributions to the furniture & furnishings industry.”
