Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
As a multi-generational business, established nearly 170 years ago in Birmingham, KitchenCraft has invested in its roots with a new purpose-built warehouse and office facility on the outskirts of the city.
The 250,000sq ft building is located at The Hub, a business park developed by IM Properties. Around 200 jobs are moving from KitchenCraft’s current site in Garretts Green with all stock being consolidated into one warehouse from multiple sites currently in use.
The facility was opened by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Mohammed Azim on September 4, with local business leaders, company partners, suppliers and customers in attendance.
KitchenCraft said: ‘As one of Birmingham’s most successful companies, we design and develop over 7,000 cooking, dining and serving items, supplying major department stores, independent cookshops and online retailers in over 80 countries worldwide.
‘With a number of leading brands including MasterClass, Colourworks, Chef’n, Mikasa, La Cafetiere and Built in their range, the company states that every household in the UK has at least one of its products.’
KitchenCraft is owned by Nasdaq-quoted corporation Lifetime Brands Inc. Rob Kay, chief executive officer of Lifetime Brands, commented: “It seemed only fitting that we design our own new home to reflect our business values, with adequate provision for growth and development of the company over time.”
KitchenCraft managing director Matthew Canwell added: “We are a service driven business with customer service meaning everything to us. Our new home has been designed to fulfil that proposition in a way which we could not have previously achieved.
“It includes a 10,000sq ft showroom where we can inspire our customers with product selection and display, an enhanced product testing facility and in-house design and photography facilities – all supported by a state-of-the-art warehouse to enable a faster order turnaround for our retail customers. This has been our dream for a good few years.
“The site not only keeps our roots in the Birmingham area but one of the Hub’s biggest selling points is that it’s less than three miles from the city centre and just 10 minutes from New Street Station by train – and because this is KitchenCraft’s national distribution hub, it has great motorway access: just minutes from Spaghetti Junction. So whether its staff retention, accessibility for customers or great transportation links, the Hub ticks all of our requirements.”
L-R: Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Mohammed Azim with KitchenCraft managing director Matthew Canwell
