by Nicola Hobbs
Tim French has come a long way since starting out with a small work-from-home business. Now with an MBE to his name and his company, The French Group, celebrating 40 years in business on 7th July, he has every reason to look back on his achievements with a smile.
Tim set up French Joinery in 1971 in Haywards Heath before locating to new premises in Newick 22 years ago. The national shopfitting, joinery and design company prides itself on the quality of its workmanship, creating and installing unique, first class joinery for shops, hotels and restaurants.
Tim is keen to continue evolving the company to keep up with changes in the commercial market’s needs. From the traditional wooden joinery originally crafted 40 years ago, French Joinery now uses a range of different materials to meet clients’ individual requirements. “Joinery and shopfitting are like fashion – they evolve. We are using materials that clients wouldn’t have asked for 40 years ago, developing our skills to meet demand. From polished concrete and zinc, to crystal and chillies in plastic boxes, we have an ‘anything goes’ approach in order to create joinery and shopfittings that will be remembered,” says Tim.
The quality of The French Group’s work was rewarded when last year they won a National Association of Shopfitters Award for their work as main contractor on Galvin La Chapelle, top restaurant in St Boltoph’s Hall, Spital Square, London (pictured above).
The French Group created an oasis for fine dining, highlighting the beauty of the surroundings by linking the history of the listed building with the contemporary glazed link, complex bar front and outstanding chandelier. Tim is so highly renowned in the industry that on 7th July, the day of the company’s 40th anniversary, he is presenting the internationally acclaimed Restaurant & Bar Design Awards at a prestigious ceremony in Canary Wharf.
The French Group’s bespoke joinery, custom made furniture and specialist shopfitting has also attracted brands such as Zizzi, Pizza Express, Carluccio’s, ASK and Nando’s. The Managing Director of Nando’s was so impressed with the quality of The French Group’s work that they instructed them to produce the joinery for their first restaurant in the US to be shipped out to Washington D.C. As well as doing restaurant fit-outs for large international companies, Tim also likes to concentrate on local business and has fitted out Nizam and Orange Square on The Broadway, Haywards Heath, with his first shopfitting being Mill Down Toy Shop (now Idlewild) in Haywards Heath.
Tim attributes the high quality of The French Group’s work to his team of over 40 staff, many of whom have been with him for over 20 years. He has always been passionate about encouraging young talent and, after serving his National Service as a physical training instructor in the army, Tim coached athletics at youth clubs and was one of the founders of the Haywards Heath Harriers. Tim is still keen to nurture talent and The French Group have trained more than 25 apprentices over the years. “I take great pride in being able to train people and provide jobs for them. Their passion, evidenced by our staff longevity, reflects in the high standards of work we produce for our clients,” says Tim.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the company, Tim is treating his staff to listen to the sizzling soul classics of The Stars From The Commitments with VIP hospitality at the It’s Magic open air concert in Victoria Park, Haywards Heath. Tim is also planning a surprise celebration for later in the year which is expected to rival the event he threw when The French Group turned 25!
“For our 25th anniversary we transformed the workshop into a restaurant and had a black tie dinner to show off the talents of our staff,” says Tim. His team created beautiful wooden joinery to deck the walls, floor and ceiling of the workshop, transforming a machine-filled work space to a building with the interior of a top restaurant. Guests received cocktails in the main office, assuming they would be whisked off to dine in the City, but instead were taken down to the renovated workshop, pampered with a three-course meal and treated to opera performances by singers from Glyndebourne.
Tim is keen to maintain his positive work ethic and high standard of workmanship and has passed on the position of Managing Director to his son, Simon, while Tim will now act as Chairman of the company. Tim’s eldest son, Andrew, is the Design Director of Creed Design Associates in Leicester, a progressive and innovative design consultancy which is part of The French Group. Works Director, Keith Chatfield, joined Tim at French Joinery in 1972.
But things have not always been easy for The French Group. In 1987, a fire destroyed their factory and a few years ago Creed Design Associates’ premises were struck by lightning. “At the time we just got on and rebuilt everything but now figures show that only one in ten companies survive after being destroyed by fire. That shows how much our work is valued so clients keep coming back to us,” says Tim.
With French Group’s team of talented joiners and shopfitters, the interior design services offered by Creed Design Associates and the solar energy systems provided by Solar Resources, the third company in The French Group, Tim has all the resources available to take an empty building from conception to completion. “I feel great fulfilment in seeing a building being transformed from a shell to a functioning shop or restaurant,” says Tim. “We redesigned The French Group’s logo about 10 years ago to incorporate two Fs. These stand for ‘fast’ and ‘flexible’ which are key qualities needed in principal contractors and shopfitters such as us,” says Tim.
The French Group continues to support ‘It’s Magic’, the not-for-profit events company designed to uplift communities, responsible for May’s ‘Music and Dance on Broadway’ and the Katherine Jenkins concert this month. Tim is also passionate about the Purple Pinky campaign and organised Haywards Heath’s Focus on the Crocus plantings, both of which aim to eradicate Polio. ■
The French Group
16 High Street
Newick, East Sussex BN8 4LQ
Tel. 01825 723688
www.thefrenchgroup.co.uk
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