Ministry of Furniture celebrates CEW Award win

Ministry of Furniture, one of the most forward-thinking suppliers of loose and fitted furniture in Wales, has been named winner of the SME of the Year category at the prestigious Constructing Excellence in Wales (CEW) Awards 2023.

Ministry of Furniture, which emerged from Remploy Furniture some ten years ago, has been chosen as SME of the Year by a panel of judges at the acclaimed awards ceremony, held at the Celtic Manor Resort on Friday, June 16.

In addition to winning the SME of the Year category, one of Ministry’s most high-profile projects, Cefn Saeson High School, was also shortlisted in both the Building Project of the Year and the Integration and Collaborative Work Award categories, where Ministry of Furniture was name-checked for its contribution alongside Powell Dobson Architects, Neath Port Talbot CBC, Morgan Sindall, WSP, Corscadden Associates and Formant.

Expressing his delight at the company’s victory, Graham Hirst, Managing Director of Ministry of Furniture, emphasised the significance of this recognition and the extraordinary journey the company has undertaken since the closure of the Port Talbot-based Remploy factory. Over the past decade, it has developed well beyond its roots to sit at the top table for many sectors in Wales, including construction.

As a winner of the Constructing Excellent in Wales awards, Ministry of Furniture will now go on to the Constructing Excellence national finals, which will be held at London Marriott Grosvenor Square on Thursday, November 23, 2023.

Ministry is also proud to be a framework supplier for The National Procurement Service (NPS) for Wales, which has been set up to enable the Welsh public sector to collaborate more closely in procuring goods and services.

Graham Hirst, Managing Director, Ministry of Furniture, said:

“We are delighted to have been named as winner of this prestigious award and would like to thank Powell Dobson Architects for the nomination. This is a recognition of the journey the company has been on for the past decade – and the substantial progress we have made.

“Our extensive presence in the education, workplace, and construction sectors for loose and fitted furniture, combined with our reputation for reliability and innovation, has positioned us at the forefront of the industry. We are also committed to embracing and leveraging the principles of the circular economy, which our customers greatly appreciate. We thoroughly enjoyed the awards ceremony – it was wonderful to spend time amongst such inspiring individuals and hear about so many innovative projects – and we appreciate the recognition from CEW as a testament to our growth and success. We now look forward to attending the national finals in London in November!”