Manufacturing Today Issue - 251 August 2026 | Page 182

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
the showroom and the customer’ s home.
“ Everyone the customer has made contact with wears an HSL uniform, drives an HSL van, and treats the furniture with a little bit more pride than a third-party courier might.”
Customers then experience the same brand, service standards, and accountability through installation as they do during the buying process. Adding to the value, installation crews demonstrate the products and make sure customers feel comfortable using them before they leave.
Growing people
As HSL grows, people stay at the heart of its long-term strategy. The company has hired more staff across the business and introduced workforce planning tools to ensure staffing aligns with production needs. At the same time, it continues to invest in apprenticeships to build future skills.
DSW
LEATHER LTD Unit 9 – 10 Abergorki Industrial Estate, Treorchy, Rhondda – Cynon – Taff, CF42 6DL
enquiries @ dswleather. co. uk
Several years ago, HSL worked with Kirklees College and other partners to help bring modern upholstery back to the curriculum. Since then, apprentices have joined the business through upholstery and wood-machining programs, creating clear paths into manufacturing careers and helping build HSL’ s future workforce. Charlotte points out,“ The reason for doing that is that upholstery, or modern upholstery, is quite a dying trade. It’ s quite a difficult skill to find. We’ ve got an ageing workforce, and over the next five to ten years we will see people reaching retirement age. We’ ve got to keep that pipeline of younger people and talent coming through.”
Investing in core skills reflects a culture that shaped Charlotte’ s own career. Internal development remains a top priority, and employees are encouraged to progress through different departments and leadership roles.
182