Fabian Busteau, Website Product Manager at JB Commercial Group, talks about the company’s historic achievement as well as how it has adapted following major changes since Brexit and Covid.
It is often said that businesses must be nimble, able to adapt and constantly evolve to navigate through good times and uncertain periods. For contract furniture supplier JB Commercial, the company has strived to achieve all three attributes to not only secure the business for the future, but also deliver growth, all while keeping it in the family.
This year – actually this month – marks a special milestone for the Irchester-based company as it reaches its 20th anniversary. Starting life from a home office in 2004, JB Commercial is now led by the children of its original founder and has grown into a company with a turnover in excess of £1 million.
“My parents founded the company in 2004,” says Fabian Busto. “Now they’re basically retired and me, my brother (Dominic) and my sister (Francesca) are running things. We’re all running different aspects of the business and it’s worked out well. It’s been a slow and steady transition, which I think has been very helpful.”
As part of this transformation, the company had to adapt to Brexit and then Covid, which presented a number of challenges but also opportunities, as Fabian explains: “At the beginning of 2020, we had to adapt to the changes that Brexit would create. “. While looking at the new opportunities it can bring.
“A key part of the first was the new regulations that were introduced, specifically exporting to neighboring countries. We had to evolve our process to ensure we adhered to the new standards while not passing on any undue stress to the customer. We are proud to say that the team has been able to adapt And continue the first class service we are known for.
However, there was a much bigger challenge looming on the horizon. The Covid pandemic and the ensuing lockdown severely impacted the business model and devastated the hospitality sector. “We found the ability to change the way we work for a ‘new normal,’” continues Fabian. “We took a risk with a small team and moved operations in-house to ensure our standards remained high, while we could keep our colleagues safe.
“New products had to be incorporated into our catalog, especially the necessity of protective screens and devices to make everyone’s workplaces safer. As people across the country returned to work, we continued to introduce new solutions to aid in this process while helping the hospitality sector recover. We have helped In new projects aimed at launching the market, our interior design department has been involved in refreshing projects across the country.
Navigating unprecedented times for the wider industry, JB Commercial has continued to implement changes, bringing production of some of its products back to the UK. “The last 12 months have been difficult to judge,” Fabian revealed.
“This year so far has been one of our busiest yet, and last year was quieter than usual. Like any family business, things often have their ups and downs – and fortunately, we’re able to react very quickly to things because we’re working remotely.” Absolutely and we can move things around when/if we need to.
“We plan to replenish our signature furniture range with items made in Poland. We stopped using Poland in this range of goods shortly after Covid/Brexit, due to the amount of paperwork and costs combined with uncertainty about life after Covid, but we We found a factory and a solution and everyone got training on the relevant protocol so we’re working on that scale as we speak. It’s been very popular, so we’re looking forward to bringing it back.
“Furthermore, we have found that our solid marble tops (finished in the UK) are selling very well. Our UK made sofa beds are also gaining traction, which is very positive.
As previously mentioned, October marks their official 20th anniversary, and Fabian added that the company will be offering a special discount to mark the occasion, while also reflecting on the journey so far: “It feels great to be part of such a big achievement. Looking back to when I was a kid As a kid helping out with warehouse/office work and assembling my first office chair when I was about 8/9 years old after school (under supervision of course!), I never would have imagined that I would be here today running things with my siblings.
“It’s an amazing feeling and I’m so lucky to be a part of something that has held up and grown given the turbulent few years we’ve all had! We’re excited for the future and looking forward to celebrating our anniversary as a team. Here’s to the next 20 years and beyond!”
www.jb-commercial-furniture.co.uk
