Century-old furniture maker, ercol, is a family-run business.

Based in Buckinghamshire, the name is synonymous with their signature mid-century collections as well as an award-winning portfolio of contemporary ranges crafted for modern living. The company remains true to founder Lucian Ercolani’s principles, which unite each piece; it should be well designed and beautifully made.

Thanks to the Forestry Commission’s Woods into Management Forestry Innovation Fund, ercol has been proud to partner with Grown in Britain (GiB) in a project which aimed to establish a sustainable market for homegrown ash timber in the UK furniture market – to produce a collection of their products in British-Certified ash – a fitting tribute to our beleaguered ash trees.

Starting in 2023 with the iconic Marino chair, followed by the Pebble nest and coffee tables, this project’s impact is extending further as others see what is possible – they’ve helped create a blueprint for UK manufacturing at scale.

With the right partnerships and funding, traditional craftsmanship and timeless design can survive and thrive in the modern marketplace. All while contributing to the health of our woodlands and local economies.

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Read the Forestry Commission’s article – From import to innovation; How Grown in Britain and ercol are transforming UK furniture manufacturing on their website for the full story, or you can download the abridged version in our usual case study style by clicking the button below.

We’re delighted with the results of this project and partnership, and we’re not alone.

“This stood out as a new and impactful collaboration, bringing together Grown in Britain’s knowledge of domestic timber supply chains with ercol, a family-run furniture brand renowned for producing long-lasting and iconic pieces.” – Jack Clough, Grant Manager, Forestry Commission

“As the business has grown, we’ve achieved improvements in economies of scale, closing the gap of competitiveness with imports. Home-grown timber will get more competitive as demand and investment in the supply chain grows.” – Ian Peers, Operations Director, ercol

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Right now, commercial and environmental arguments are working together to present new opportunities – if you’d like to know more about what you can do, contact us today enquiries@growninbritain.org.