NHS furniture deal is welcome boost for group

Carleton Healthcare, a new division of the Pontefract-based firm which makes furniture for the commercial, educational, residential and kitchen markets, has designed chairs, lockers and over-bed tables for hospitals.

Paul Hodgkinson, healthcare development manager, said: "We see exciting opportunities for the business in this new phase of our growth.

"Since the business was founded more than a century ago, we have built a great reputation for producing quality products in the commercial, educational, residential and kitchen markets.

"But the range of chairs, lockers and over-bed tables that we are launching this month is a new departure for us and one that we expect to contribute significantly to the group's continued growth."

Carleton, which has an annual turnover of 18m and employs 150 staff, started life as Wilkinson's Furniture in Bradford in the late 19th century and moved to its Pontefract manufacturing site in 1928.

It used to be a leading supplier of the wooden panelling for the classic Morris Traveller car.

Mr Hodgkinson said: "We have worked for a long time with the NHS, supplying residential furniture for key workers' accommodation used by nurses and doctors."

He added: "It's been a great challenge for us to develop a new range in a limited period of time. We're ready to launch nationally now and are excited at the prospect of growing our healthcare division."

He added: "We have already won a number of orders regionally but we are now taking the new healthcare division to the next level with the roll-out of our products to customers nationally."

Alongside furniture for hospitals and medical centres, Carleton Healthcare also designs and produces furniture for medium-secure mental health facilities.

Mr Hodgkinson said: "Hospital furniture needs to be robust, easy-to-keep hygienically clean and suitable for the needs of a wide range of patients and their visitors.

"We are very keen to work more closely with the healthcare industry to find professionals who will support us in designing our furniture. These professionals know what they need and their insight is vital to us."

With new standards for cleanliness in hospitals expected soon, Carleton believes its new range of furniture will assist hospitals and their cleaning contractors in maintaining high hygiene standards.

Mr Hodgkinson said: "Proper cleaning will always be the most important safeguard against cross-infection.

"But we have sought to support cleanliness in health units by ensuring our products have an anti-bacterial coating that will kill 95 per cent of the bacteria known to exist. This gives added peace of mind to professionals, patients and their families at a time when hospital hygiene is under the spotlight."

Mr Hodgkinson added: "Our in-house design team means we can develop innovative designs to tackle problems that health professionals may encounter with the furniture in their facilities."

Carleton Furniture Group

Carleton Furniture Group was founded, in Bradford, in 1874 by WH Wilkinson.

In 1923, a new site was established in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, manufacturing the timber parts for Morris 1000 Travellers.

In 1975, Wilkinson's product manufacturing evolved to become the UK's first office furniture system designer.

In 1993, Wilkinson's Furniture acquired Lucas Office Environments and formed Carleton Furniture Group specialising in the design and manufacture of corporate and contract furniture.

Since being acquired by its management in 2001, Carleton Furniture Group has continued to grow, recording year-on-year growth of more than

15 per cent.