News

In September we re-invigorate our continuous improvement programme in our Production environment so we can build on empowerment and cost downs. We are keen to work in partnership also with our suppliers to find ways on mutual improvement so we have also asked suppliers what two things can Orangebox do differently/better to achieve mutual benefit.
 
This is the letter written along with individual reports issued in July to all suppliers.
 
'Dear ........................,
 
Since I last wrote to you we have thankfully seen an improvement in turnover at Orangebox. We believe this is as a result of our new showroom, new innovative product launches, growth in export and an upturn in the economy. We are confident this growth is sustainable in terms of elements we have control over but who knows what will happen with the economy and how it will affect us all in the future.  Despite this growth the market conditions are fierce as our customers are expecting ever higher discounts and exemplary service through shortening lead-times.
 
In terms of our suppliers, some have not been able to react accordingly to this growth and for sure we have seen a deteriation in their service. We have remained supportive of these suppliers but it's imperative that all opportunities are closed down on a priority basis now please. From a quality viewpoint, most have improved and ytd rejects are at 0.08% compared to 0.19% last year - well done. We are well aware of raw material and exchange rate volatility and we really appreciate your support in holding firm prices.
 
Finally please find attached your second quarter performance report. Please invest the time to review with your team and where service is less than a perfect A and you do not have zero rejects then please ensure you have corrective actions in place. Please feel to ring me at any time on these subjects.
 
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and I look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.'
 
Cheers - Les.



Product Stock Control
How do we get all the mature and new product stock balance correct and fit into the space we have?

The devil is in the detail and teamwork is critical. We have set up teams to review specific mature product material flows to control the amount of product we have in stores. Dewi has taken on the new role of the Dr and is maximising the space in our very own tardis.....

Launch of a number of new products
We are looking to launch a number of new products over the next few weeks all of which will be available to order from our 2010 pricelist. These include Cors - a modern meeting seat, Pace - a stylish upholstered chair and Elan - a range of modern occasional tables. Also launching now is our new range of Work/Meeting and Active tables. Watch this space.....

New Orangebox Showroom
With the launch of our new range of tables and the amount of other exciting new products we have launched recently, we have now out grown our showroom on Clerkenwell Road, so we are on the move....

The new Orangebox showroom, allows us to have more of our product portfolio on show and as well as being much lighter and airier the space has fantastic views across the city. We are not moving far as the new showroom is on Bowling Green Lane. Watch this space...



Orangebox Showroom opens in Dubai
Orangebox has been expanding it's business network in Dubai for some time and we have now opened our first showroom in Baniyas  Road, Dubai. Our Associate Director for the Middle East - Jason Ebbett will be based in the showroom and will be taking care of our dealer relationships in this area.

Advice and procedures on Swine Flu.
A flu pandemic (such as swine flu) has the potential to severely affect the operation of Orangebox by the impact it may have on employees and their families, public transport systems, our suppliers, our customers etc.  Pandemic influenza has the potential to affect all businesses and employers in any region, including those providing essential services on which this business relies.

For further information and advice on swine flu please download this document
Swine Flu advice for Orangebox




Orangebox launches Smart Working and Twenty4Tabling.

Smartworking is an Orangebox project that brings new value to the workplace, and
is focused on the needs of the Knowledge Worker.

Smartworking leverages the full potential of the technology-enabled office that allows us to work anywhere and the trend away from isolated work. It encompases a range of meeting, work and active tables called Twenty4Tabling.

Orangebox task chair ARA wins Product of the Year at Mixology

Orangebox task chair ARA achieves Cradle 2 Cradle accreditation
During the early stages of the design of Ara we established a relationship with one
of Cradle to Cradle’s authors, renowned industrial chemist Micheal Braungart. Throughout the development we have been working with EPEA, Micheal’s C2C organisation based in Hamburg and on launch of the ARA chair we have achieved Cradle2 Cradle Silver award for the chair.

Orangebox aquire Volume products

On Thursday 23rd April Orangebox Ltd acquired Volume Products Ltd. After building a relationship over the last two years, both companies see the acquisition as a great opportunity to combine the skills of both teams and extend design collaboration. Orangebox will retain the Volume name for the foreseeable future and the business will remain based in Huddersfield.

Orangebox International
Export continues to grow with our popular Joy chair and soft seating range now being sold out of our dealers in Australia. Our dealers in Brazil are also now stocking the Joy chair and soft seating range.

Environment
Orangebox continue to push forward on the environmental front and have recently gained FSC Accreditation in Feb'08 with X10 and Go chairs and we are looking to roll this out to soft seating and tabling in the near future.

Recycling at Orangebox
The Orangebox Stores team are making good progress on recycling. End of life chairs are returned to our factory to be broken down into various components and recycled. Chairs that are still in a satisfactory condition are donated to St. David's Hospice.

Click here for photos of the recycling process already in place within our
stores department