Jonathan Hindle – Interview
Being Master of The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers and CEO of contract furniture manufacturer KI were jobs that sat happily side by side for Jonathan Hindle. With his tenure as Master now finished, he talks to Emily Martin about the twin roles, and what he hopes still to bring to his championing of British-made furniture
I first met Jonathan Hindle when I was a design student exhibiting in a work-inprogress show, in the showroom of contract furniture maker and supplier KI along with my course mates. Even as a post-graduate student I still had no real idea about how the furniture industry worked, and the exhibition was my first experience of showcasing design work within a 'corporate' environment. I was eager to capitalise on the opportunity, so I left a notebook out for 'valuable' feedback.
Needless to say it was pretty pointless, quickly filling with inappropriate messages from friends, but I do recall one important interaction. 'Tell me about the inspiration behind your project,' Hindle said during the private-view evening. A conversation followed herewith and, for the first time ever, I realised just exactly how important it is for students to have open dialogue with and exposure to industry members. Nevertheless it was easy to identify with Hindle's genuine enthusiasm for the subject matter, which could only manifest from a passion for the industry.
He certainly gave me the best feedback I could have expected from the show. Fast-forward a few years and we meet again. 'I joined the Furniture Makers Company in 1997 and was quickly encouraged to get involved,' Hindle tells me. 'I then sat on many committees including those for design, training, membership and communications.' As well as his day job as managing director of KI, Hindle has also completed a term as Master, or head - an elected position for a year for the The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers, to give it its full name (but generally known as the Furniture Makers Company, or the Livery). It is a role that reflects many years commitment to the Livery's work. 'The main reason I joined is that I have a passion for the industry, which is a prerequisite for members. It is a chance for members to give something back to the furnishing industry and it raises hundreds of thousands of pounds each year, for its many charitable causes,' he explains.
As well as sitting on the Court of The Furniture Makers Company, and various boards and committees of industry trade associations, Hindle is also a chartered designer, liveryman and Freeman of the City of London. Initially training as an architect, he practiced with leading practices that included Michael Aukett Associates and Heery International and worked on projects for IBM, Boots, Sainsbury's, Merrill Lynch, Citibank and Esso.
For nearly 20 years for KI Hindle has built up its UK and Continental European operations, as well as managing the development of the company's wider EMEA and Asian operations. 'The roles at KI and Furniture Makers complement one another, but much of the latter commitment is out of hours,' he explains. 'The network of industry contacts within Furniture Makers are often business partners involved with KI's supply chain or are leaders of companies from where valuable advice and experience can be gained.'
Contrary to what some people may think, the Furniture Makers is not an ancient guild but founded in 1963, making it the 83rd of the 109 Guilds to date. Hindle founded the Design Guild Mark in 2007 and is most recent Guild Mark Award for the Livery. Awarded for the British design of furniture, it now serves as widely recognised testimonial for designers and manufacturers in the UK. The Furniture Makers also has a Manufacturing Guild Mark, which is independently assessed to symbolise best practice in manufacturing processes and standards by British furnishing manufacturers.
'I suppose some people can't look further than the Livery gowns and see it as a very traditional, or even old, organisation only supporting craftsmanship or hand-made furniture,' says Hindle. 'This is simply not true; in fact the Design Guild Mark contradicts this idea completely. In essence the Livery gowns are simply uniform, only worn at formal events, and identify the different members of the company as well as reinforcing its value as a membership organisation. Otherwise it's a very similar setup to a conventional company with its board, which is similar to a Livery Company's Court.'
Present at the launch of the Modern Book British Furniture, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Furniture Company, was Jonathan Hindle (far left) in his role as master, with author Lesley Jackson, chief warden Paul von der Heyde and liveryman Cherrill Scheer
As well as supporting the ongoing strategic work of the Furniture Makers, Hindle's role as Master has allowed him to have great impact on key areas of personal interest. Coming from a design background has kept him focused on the investment in design, through promoting British design and manufacturers as a primary source of supply to for the UK industry. In the same vein he is keen to showcase KI as a prime example of a leading company of 'strong values and a commitment to design investment' along the business benefits that can result. 'By on-shoring manufacture, KI has evolved from a predominantly sales-orientated distribution hub for a global company to being a British manufacturer producing 90 per cent of its local and wider EMEA product needs,' says Hindle.
The resulting changes have secured a number of significant projects for KI last year, including Amazon, Facebook, Etihad, Ernst & Young and ITV. Notably KI's education division has also experienced significant growth in the UK through the introduction of the Postura+ chair range - and selling more than 300,000 units last year in the UK alone. KI also continues to invest in many leading designers and design studios for its new collections and is currently developing designs with Giancarlo Piretti, Craig Jones and Paul Brooks for its future UK/Europe portfolio.
'The UK is home to some of the rising global stars of design and they are currently being engaged by enlightened international manufacturers. UK furnishing companies who are growing and exporting are all distinguished by their investment in design. During my year as Master I have sought to introduce the UK's furniture manufacturers to the leading design studios,' he says.
Supporting and promoting design and manufacture is just one of the few avenues the Furniture Makers Company actively supports. As a registered charity, it pledges to 'provide support to every facet of the industry' extending support right through to retired workers. Nevertheless Hindle is keen to highlight key support needed by British design education. 'After spending a majority of my career heading up business in the industry I realised furniture and furnishings were not immediately thought of as a good career prospect, yet we contribute £20bn to the country's GDP and employ more than 250,000 people,' he says.
Aware of the lack of design-career guidance offered in secondary schools, and concerned with an emptying talent pool, Hindle set about introducing a number of schemes, programmes and prizes aimed at rewarding furnishing design excellence and raising general awareness of the industry. 'We are also encouraging practical training through apprenticeship schemes for young people who would otherwise struggle to gain meaningful employment, as well as increasing the number of bursaries for design students, at both BA and MA levels,' Hindle adds.
A key partner in the set up of the National School of Furniture (NSF), the Furniture Makers is seeking to widen the NSF's reach by encouraging colleges and universities to come under the group's umbrella. With the Livery's Young Furniture Makers membership making an active presence through social media sites, Hindle introduces young designers and makers to industry members and enrol s them onto internship and mentoring programmes to develop greater commercial awareness. 'I believe this ambitious and wide-ranging strategic plan sets out our vision, mission and values, along with clear measurable objectives required to ensure the industry is ready to meet the challenges of the coming decade,' he says.
Nurturing young talent into industry is a rewarding experience, but it is something Hindle also feels duty bound to do. Member Katie Walker, a graduate of the Royal College of Art, has probably given the company one of its proudest moments of late. She won the Furniture Makers Company competition to design and make a high chair for baby Prince George, and represented the Furniture Makers at Kensington Palace when her chair was presented to the Duchess of Cambridge. It was no doubt a delight to see where nurturing young talent can lead to.
KI's Postura Plus high-impact resistant polypropylene.chairs were specified for the Ballyfermont school
My meeting with Hindle draws to an end with the need for him to attend another meeting before heading off to the USA and Middle East - a frequent journey he makes in his KI role. Before leaving though he hands me a copy of the new book Modern British Furniture Design Since 1945 and says: 'This is one project that I am extremely proud of. I led a group of Furniture Makers Company's members as sponsors and commissioned this book, published by the V&A. The museum believes it to be the only authoritative work on this subject covering this period.'
The book, with the Taperback chair (Jack Stafford, 1956) on its cover, is issued to commemorate the Furniture Company's 50th anniversary and recounts the stories of British design entrepreneurs and other creative alliances, from 1945 to the present day. It is available to buy from book stockists.
