Alexander Rose has enjoyed prominence in the high-quality outdoor furniture market for almost 20 years. Although traditionally a supplier for high-end retailers, the company has recently expanded into the contract sector – and already has some upmarket hospitality projects under its belt. Hospitality Interiors’ Katie Sherry speaks to Alexander Rose’s managing director, Borge Leth, and head of design, Alan Morley, to discuss the company’s current innovations and future aspirations …
Alexander Rose is renowned for producing traditional designs with a modern twist. The Broadfield range, for example, features a classic English bench design with curved back slats, and this marked a turning point in the manufacturer’s history.
“We are known for being the first company to put lumbar support in garden chairs and benches,” explains Borge. “Now the Broadfield is our bestselling bench. Although it is more work – it takes one minute to create a straight slat and 10 minutes to create a curved slat – almost all other outdoor furniture manufacturers now have a similar design in their collections.”
Another design for which Alexander Rose is well known is its ring-top table, which was developed in the late 1990s. This design has recently been introduced into the company’s new hardwood range, Roble. The roble wood is sourced from the manufacturer’s managed forests in Bolivia, and is FSC certified. “Roble wood is comparable to teak with regard to its structural qualities, and has a durability of 25 years,” says Alan.
Alexander Rose originally produced furniture in iroko timber, and has since expanded its product offering to include pieces constructed from a range of other high quality hardwoods, including mahogany and teak.
“Working in this sector is more fun and challenging than what we have been involved with before, and offers more of an opportunity to produce bespoke designs.”
Borge Leth, managing director at Alexander Rose
A move into a more contemporary style of furniture then led Alexander Rose to introduce different materials, including steel and woven rattan. Woven furniture has to be hand made, and is done so in the company’s factory in Cebu, the Philippines.
Founded five years ago, the factory allows the local economy to prosper by providing employment with fair wages and allowing the skill of traditional craftsmanship to pass onto the next generation. Healthcare and education schemes also benefit approximately 250 people in the local area.
Alexander Rose’s base in the UK works closely with the factory in Cebu to ensure a high level of quality and service, as Alan explains: “We have control over the production and quality of the furniture and we get very involved with factory visits to maintain excellent working relationships. Having our own factories allows us to integrate our own knowledge and experience, which can ultimately be seen in the quality of our products.”
Borge adds: “We tell them what to make and when, which improves our lead times and flexibility. This means that if the customer orders too late then we can accommodate that. It’s also really useful for the manufacture of bespoke items.”
In an extra effort to reduce lead times, 90% of everything in the Alexander Rose catalogue is held in stock at the company’s Burgess Hill warehouse.
Placing emphasis on eco-friendly initiatives in the manufacture of its furniture, over 95% of the company’s timber is FSC certified. In addition, Alexander Rose was one of the LOFA members involved in implementing the Made Aware scheme, which ensures sustainability from the first stages of manufacture to the end of the product’s lifespan.
“Alexander Rose has, over the last few years, been implementing many environmental improvements in the manufacturing processes of our furniture – for example, recycling the synthetic rattan waste to make plastic feet for our dining sets,” says Alan. “We use recycled cardboard for the boxing of all products and have also stopped the use of non- biodegradable Styrofoam, previously used for internal packaging.”
As well as the environmental benefits, the scheme offers a financial advantage, as Borge explains: “It never started out as a cost-saving exercise, but it turned out that way thanks to the reductions in packaging and transport costs.”
The company’s focus on sustainability extends to the lifespan of its products – most of which last for up to 30 years, even when kept outside all year round. This, according to Borge, is “an interesting selling point” in what he deems a “waste society”, in which many people are happy to buy a sunbed that lasts for two to three years before throwing it away.
However, the durability of Alexander Rose’s furniture remains one of its main points of interest, and undoubtedly adds to the products’ suitability for the contract sector – an area that Alexander Rose is rapidly branching into.
Borge comments: “The contract market is not one that we have spent much time on in the past. However, we have recently employed a dynamic young contracts manager, Katy Heasman, who is doing very well.
Contract projects currently account for 7-10% of the company’s turnover, 90% of which is in the UK. There are plans to expand and potential to go further afield. “The contract market offers more of an exciting opportunity to produce bespoke designs,” says Borge.
Alexander Rose has supplied furniture for several luxury five-star hotels, including Chewton Glen in Hampshire and Stoke Park in Berkshire. Products from the company’s Manila range of woven rattan furniture added a contemporary touch to Chewton Glen’s new eco treehouses, while its bespoke designs offered an exclusive option for Stoke Park.
A variety of new product ranges well suited to the contract market has been launched for 2013. The Portofino collection, for example, is an elegant and modern furniture range constructed from mild steel with a high-specification powder-coated finish.
“The Avant range of stainless-steel furniture, launched over 10 years ago, is still extremely popular for the high-end modern option,” says Alan. “We have introduced compact laminate tops for the tables that have recently become the latest trend for smooth tough surfaces designed for heavy usage. There are bistro tables for cafes and modular square and rectangular tables for unlimited configurations.”
The company’s Pine range has also been upgraded to deal with the demands of contract applications. As Alan explains: “Our contract FSC pine picnic tables have thicker tops than our standard models for extra strength. The pine range is sold mainly to pubs, and is therefore exposed to extreme heavy use, so we gave it some extra muscle to deal with it!”
Alexander Rose’s outdoor furniture is well suited for the contract market, thanks to its durability, mix of traditional and contemporary styles and the environmental concerns with which it is designed and manufactured. With such a foundation, Alexander Rose is undoubtedly set to make an impression on the demanding and diverse hospitality sector.
