An East Lancashire furniture designer impressed judges at The Furniture Makers’ Company 60 for 60 awards with their plans to drive the growth of their business.

Rollie Attard, chief executive of Burnley-based fabrics supplier Panaz, was among six North West winners at the awards and was alongside fellow Lancashire winners Hannah Shore, Sam Coggin, and Jordan Hargadon.

Mr Attard, 35, pleased the expert judges from within the industry by spearheading a strategic plan to drive the future growth of their business, including recruiting key personnel in the UK and Germany, restructuring the UK sales team, and establishing a London showroom.

He said: “This recognition reinforces my passion for innovation and design, motivating me to contribute further to our dynamic industry.

"We can all craft a future where creativity meets functionality, and where every product tells a story.”

The other Lancashire winners were Hannah Shore, sleep knowledge and research manager at Silentnight Group in Preston; Sam Coggin, director of Coggin SOS also in Preston; and Jordan Hargadon, new product development team leader at Silentnight Brands, which is based in Barnoldswick.

Launched as part of the 60th anniversary of The Furniture Makers’ Company, the 60 for 60 campaign recognises 60 of the most accomplished and promising young people in the sector from product designers, cabinetmakers, and technical developers, to logistics professionals, commercial managers, and operations directors.

Judges from within the industry reviewed the submissions and selected the winners who were announced at an awards ceremony in London on December 5.

Amanda Waring, master of The Furniture Makers’ Company, said: “We received hundreds of entries for 60 for 60, ranging from woodworking to carpet and textile design, showing not only the vibrancy and diversity of British talent, but also that the industry continues to offer exciting and rewarding career opportunities.

“We congratulate every one of our 60 outstanding winners and look forward to sharing our members’ mentoring skills and providing networking opportunities as they continue to develop their professional careers.”