Member Article

Another four recruits as Richard Grafton Interiors continues to expand

Fast-growing Yorkshire interiors, architecture and design business Richard Grafton Interiors, which has showrooms in Harrogate, Ilkley and Wetherby, is continuing to expand with another four recruits joining the 25-strong team.

Ellie Severn joins as ecommerce and marketing assistant having previously worked for local property developer MODA where she assisted with administrative and marketing work. In her new role, she will be working alongside recently-promoted brand director Charlotte Grafton to further develop the business’ social media platforms and build its ecommerce platform to become a ‘fourth showroom’ for the business.

Catherine Fryer takes up the role of project coordinator, joining from Asda’s head office in Leeds where she was a home textiles buyer. She will assist Richard Grafton Interiors’ 11-strong team of designers with the coordination and fulfilment of architectural and interiors projects, ensuring the company’s standard is consistent as well as improving communication across all of its showrooms as the business expands.

In addition, Michelle Wilson will boost the business’s accounts function. AAT qualified, she will work as an accounts assistant, helping the existing accounts team with day-to-day invoice management and purchasing for all interiors and architectural projects, having held similar roles in the hospitality sector.

Finally, Shaun Sutton joins the Harrogate team as warehouse assistant, having worked in warehousing across various sectors, most recently in interior design and retail. With further growth expected, he will support the business’ warehouse manager and be responsible for all showroom stock and ecommerce orders.

“With our ability to offer all services and products under one roof, we’ve enjoyed an extremely busy 18 months as increasing numbers of people have turned to us to manage their home renovation projects, large and small,” explains Richard Grafton. “We’ve seen a move to more project-led work with a growth in demand for our bespoke cabinetry and bathroom installations in particular as we have become better known for this type of turnkey work.

“The showrooms also remain very popular, and, with the addition of our successful e-commerce platform, we now need to invest in people to ensure we have the right team in place to support our designers and front-of-house advisers and to facilitate our next phase of growth.”

Charlotte, who is working closely with Richard to drive business strategy, added: “We’re targeting 20 per cent year on year growth and, as we continue to expand, it’s vital that we have the necessary infrastructure in place for the business to operate more efficiently while also delivering the high quality of service our customers have come to expect.

“The skills of our four new recruits will be a welcome boost with Ellie helping drive our online presence, Catherine supporting the designers’ interiors and architectural projects, Michelle strengthening the accounts team and Shaun adding to our warehouse function. By investing in strengthening the team now, we will be in a solid position to support future growth, driven by our showrooms and ecommerce offering.”

Headquartered at the Richard Grafton Interiors showroom in The Ginnel, Harrogate, the business has evolved from providing fabrics and soft furnishings to offering a complete service with its team of designers, spatial planners and installers providing full architectural design and project management. Since launching in March 2012, the business has grown from seven staff to a 25-strong team, including 11 designers working across its interior design and architectural divisions.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Kilmurray .