James Hudson, Commercial Director at Gallery Direct, shares his insights into the industry, why strong design is always thriving and what’s next.
Let’s start with you, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
I was born and raised in High Wycombe, where I had sawdust in my hair from a young age, sweeping factory floors. Frank Hudson & Son Ltd was founded by my father and grandfather in 1956, making furniture for major London hotels and Harrods. I am married to my wonderful wife Debbie who has been by my side for almost 31 years, raising our beautiful children Amy and Jack almost single-handedly while I travelled the world and worked in factories, a true team effort and I could not do my job without her unwavering support.
What is your current job role and main responsibilities?
My current role is Commercial Director at Gallery Direct, having stepped down as Sales and Furniture Development Director 3.5 years ago due to ill health. I now focus on a few key accounts, with my main focus being on designing and creating interior and exterior furniture, which means a lot of overseas travel which I really enjoy. We have great management teams at our overseas sites who are a joy to work with, plus I love seeing different cultures and great food, and there’s nothing like getting your hands dirty in factories between the product and the skilled workers in the factory – I would have hated doing all of this over Zoom calls during lockdown.
Why did you choose to work in this industry?
I didn’t choose to work in industry, industry chose me! I wanted to work in construction restoring old buildings or the military, but in the end I did all three. My dad woke me up on my 17th birthday and said he needed a hand in the factory with the Christmas rush – I intended to stay for Christmas and 41 years later I’m still in industry. I got my fill of restoring old houses as I climbed the property ladder and I got my fill of the military by enlisting in the 5th Battalion Royal Green Jackets Reserve for about 7 years.
Who is your favorite person in the industry and why?
I am a people man and I believe that good work is all about people first, then good design, quality and price. I am very fond of the Gallery team and the people who make this industry so enjoyable for me. I could name a huge list of people I admire but the ones that stand out for me are my brother Tom (aka Tombo) who I have worked with for almost 35 years through Frank Hudson and now Gallery (the perfect man to be on a desert island with because he is the Bear Grylls of our industry, hence the nickname), Mark Benson who has been my travel companion and travel buddy as well as a great designer for 15 years, and Peter Delaney who is the hardest working and dedicated man I have ever met as well as having a great eye for detail in design and business.
Have there been any special moments during your career?
There have been many special moments in my career that have been an exciting journey. I travelled to Indonesia in the early 90s with my older brother Tim, not knowing where we would end up, but from the trip we created a wonderful company Frank Hudson Ltd which we successfully sold to Gallery in 2014. This was another special moment as I was then able to test myself outside of a family business and focus fully on my passion for making and selling furniture without the constraints of running a business – it was the best decision I could have made and I enjoyed the journey immensely.
What do you like about your job?
I love creating products and seeing them come to market. Getting great value for our customers and then getting rave reviews at shows, with a full order book at the end, is great, and knowing that our customers have new and exciting products to sell to their customers is a win-win.
What time is the alarm set for?
I’ve varied my alarm times according to my travels. I now live in North Devon, so if I’m heading to the head office in Up Country, my early rise time is 5.30am. If I work from home, my office is next to my bedroom, so 7am is the norm unless I want to go on an early morning boat trip in the estuary, which is a great way to start the day before work. However, some of my best business ideas have come from waking up at 3am in a moment of inspiration – funny enough, my wife is never happy to discuss the idea at that time of the morning!
What is your favorite piece of furniture and why?
My favourite piece of furniture is the hand-carved mirror which was one of the first pieces my grandfather trained in in the early 1920s. He went on to become a skilled woodcarver and a great businessman, restoring many sculptures to great London homes after the Second World War, as well as the famous Red Lion sculpture in High Wycombe High Street in 1954 – it still stands today!
What do you think is the trend in the industry at the moment?
Organic shapes are in vogue right now. Natural materials, such as marble, are very strong and beautifully textured woods. Gallery boasts a variety of designs and looks across the industry – we don’t follow a particular trend but want to give our customers a range of styles to suit any interior.
What would you like to change in the industry?
Our industry has survived and thrived through thick and thin, and one of the benefits of being in this industry for so many years is that I’ve seen it all – the best and worst of what economic challenges have thrown our way, not to mention Covid. I believe that as long as we continue to create strong designs that are good value for the sector we’re targeting, we won’t need to change a thing.
Can you share your vision for your future plans?
Gallery has been very busy developing new products to bring to market and that’s the best job in the world. We had a great launch of our living and dining product in January, so we’re creating bedroom collections to complement it, as well as other exciting new lines focusing on beautiful veneers and textured woods. We’ve also been working on new outdoor collections ready for 2025, giving them that all-important Gallery touch. These will launch in July at our @Home event.
What do you enjoy doing most outside of work?
My hobbies are endless – I play all sorts of sports and I’m not good at any of them! Living in North Devon by the sea, I love all things water (surfing, rowing, sailing, kayaking), as well as cycling in the hills of Devon and beyond. In fact, I’ll be cycling from Normandy to Paris, leaving on Monday 24th June to raise money for Help for Heroes. The ride, which is being held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and Armed Forces Day, will cover 400km in four days, so it’s no easy task, but it’s well worth it for such an amazing cause. Any donations would be greatly appreciated by the charity to support our heroes who have sacrificed so much for us and our country, so please visit my Just Giving page (https://www.justgiving.com/page/james-hudson-bikeride) and make a donation – 100% of the donations I receive will go directly to Help for Heroes with the trip being paid for entirely by me.
What might no one know about you?
I ran the London Marathon at the age of 39 in just over four hours. I loved it but I wouldn’t do it again as I couldn’t walk properly for three days afterwards!
If you had a different career, what would it be?
I’ve already mentioned restoring old houses and military liaison, but to be honest there’s no other job I’d rather do than the one I’m doing now, it’s a real passion.
If you were a piece of furniture, what would you be?
What a tough answer! I know the Worshipful Company motto is “straight and strong,” so I guess that’s me—I’m loyal, honest, and want to please everyone, like a really old Labrador! But if I had to pick a piece of furniture, I’d say the Gallery’s Craft Extendable Dining Table—straight and strong, flexible and functional, but also stylish!
www.gallerydirect.co.uk
Five fun questions
If you could hack any computer, what would be your question?
Anyone who knows me will know that I have a job that involves operating a computer let alone hacking into one, but if they were around in the 1940s, Winston Churchill’s computer would be awesome.
What amazes me every time I think about it?
How can you video call someone else in the world from a tiny phone – I can’t believe how far technology has come.
What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done?
Buying my wife a big diamond ring on holiday after 10 years of marriage. The ring I bought her for our engagement was a bit small, so when we went to Aruba and the dollar was worth £2.10 it seemed like a good idea – I always like to get good value!
What is the most important thing you own and why?
My favourite thing to own is my modern classic 2009 Land Rover Defender – perfect for Devon trails and putting surfboards in the back.
What is something you thought was cool when you were young but isn’t cool now?
My first car was a Beetle and I put wide wheels, fins for the rear windows, a front spoiler on it, plus speed stripes and a Cherry Bomb exhaust system! It only had a 1300 engine, but I thought it looked pretty cool!
