Published on : Tuesday, December 17, 2013
The FEMB held the 2013 General Assembly at the Celtic Manor resort near Newport in Wales on 20 and 21 November.
The Assembly brought together Associations and senior industry management from throughout Europe to be updated on the progress of the FEMB in a number of key areas. The Ryder Cup 2010 clubhouse was a fitting setting for the outgoing President, Henning Figge of Haworth Europe to present the many achievements of his two year term in office and to hand over the Presidency to Julian Roebuck, Managing Director of Gresham Office Furniture and Director of the BCFA.
Mr Figge thanked the Chairmen of the various committees and recognised their outstanding work in producing Economic data and in particular the development of the European Environmental Standard, which was adopted by the assembly and will now progress toward introduction in 2014. “The FEMB European Environmental programme is the result of four years of work and will be the start of a process to harmonise international standards and unify the industry. We are grateful to the many members of the Technical Committee who have given their time and expertise”.
The UK Presidency will run for a period of two years from January 2014 and Mr Roebuck thanked Henning Figge and the German Association the BSO for their hard work and dedication. “Henning has done an exceptional job and I am very much looking forward to building on the success of the FEMB and the Committee’s going forward. I hope, as we emerge from the Global recession, that the FEMB will become more recognised internationally and as President one of my main objectives is to promote the FEMB and its members on a Global scale”
Newport is the home of Bisley Office Furniture, so it was fitting and very generous that they hosted a dinner following the Assembly in the exclusive The Albert Matthews Suite. Chief Executive John Irwin and Chairman Tony Brown welcomed the guests, which included Dylan Matthews Chief Executive of the Celtic Manor Resort who provided an entertaining insight to how the resort was created and became a premier destination for visitors to Wales. In 2010 the resort hosted the 2010 Ryder Cup, which re-enacts every two years the friendly rivalry between the USA and Europe (Europe won by a score of 14½ to 13½) and provided the local community with a financial boost during the tournament of over £84m.
The following day guests were invited to visit the Bisley factory to see the UK’s largest and most advanced steel office furniture production facility. BCFA Managing Director Colin Watson and newly appointed FEMB Secretary General, concluded proceedings by thanking the Directors and Staff of Bisley for the excellent hospitality and all attendees of the Assembly for coming to Wales to give their support for the European Office Furniture industry.
Tags: 2013 General Assembly, FEMB, Henning Figge, Julian Roebuck, The FEMB European Environmental programme
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