Furniture maker wins gold

By Dita De Boni

A Wellington-based furniture maker is hoping gold will attract the world's office outfitters to throw out cubicles and mammoth grey filing cabinets and become "free".

Formway Furniture, which has been making furniture in the capital region for over 40 years, has just nabbed two gold medals at the World Trade Fair for Interior Design in Chicago for pieces from their "Free" collection of ergonomically-friendly office furniture.

The double win, a first for any New Zealand furniture maker, was awarded for Formway's "Alternative Office" and "Computer Support" furniture range, which is made in a variety of contemporary veneers, laminates and colours.

The company exports 40 per cent of its entire range of furniture to Australia and hopes the win will boost exports there as well as open doors to the US market.

From sales of $420,000 and a staff of 12 in 1981 when the company was bought by the current owners, Formway now employs 170 people in three plants - two in Wellington and one in Sydney - and has annual sales of around $25 million.

Design consultant Mark Pennington says the win is "delightful and amazing" for Formway but also signals the fact that New Zealand design and manufacturing companies have the ability to compete successfully in a global forum.