LONDON, 21 April 2015 – Hartley & Tissier have been awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category International Trade 2015. They are the first company to win such an award in their industry for the international trade category in over 20 years.
Hartley Tissier, a household name amongst French interior decorators is recognised for their high quality British wool carpets and avant garde style. Working with name such as Alain Ducasse (who advertises that his carpets are Hartley & Tissier), the company supplies all Relais & Chateaux Hotels and restaurants in Paris as well as over one hundred other 4 and 5 star independent boutique hotels.
The Hartley & Tissier reputation stems from the fact that their carpets are made to their own specifications using only the highest quality British Wools and Italian Silks. These wools and silks led to the development of a niche market – the production of carpet and rugs in a blend of Italian silk and Devon wool. These products are made in the UK more reliably, rapidly and often less expensively than their equivalent carpet from the Far East.
Their flat-woven stair-runners are instantly recognisable and exported alongside traditional Axminster runners. In 2014 Hartley & Tissier exported over 14,000m (50% higher than Everest!) of carpet runners worldwide.
Being a small company they pride themselves on the ability to communicate directly with their clients, deliver excellent customer service and build long lasting relationships that have secured the continuous supply of their carpets.
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise recognise outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of innovation, international trade and sustainable development. Each entrant must be able to demonstrate substantial growth in overseas earnings and in commercial success for their business size and sector.
Hartley & Tissier carpets are produced in the UK through a number of specialised sub-contract manufacturers. They oversee the entire manufacturing process from beginning to end, purchasing the wool, the spinning, dyeing and the delivery of the raw materials to their manufacturers. The finished product is sold through UK retailers, interior designers and their French subsidiary showroom in Paris.
With Paris being a major hub for interior design, and their design reputation as such, this Parisian market has given Hartley & Tissier contracts for projects all round the world; Claridges in London, Koffmans restaurant in The Berkeley Hotel and the Christoffe showroom in New York to name a few.
Andrew Suddard Hartley commented: “In order to compete in this very difficult marketplace, we have learnt to develop very different strategies for our various markets and then concentrated our resources to achieve the best results. For example, in the UK our carpets are sold through a network of high end exclusive agents. In France, we purchased our distribution company, who have been trading for over 20 years with an excellent reputation, large clientele and central showroom in Paris. We offer a design service linked to our Cheltenham office that enables us to oversee the installation of all our products throughout Europe.”
Stephanie Tissier said: “We appear to have the best of both worlds, designed in France and made in England. While I always design carpets with the French market in mind, I am delighted to be able to see my creations in restaurants and houses around the world.”
For further information about Hartley Tissier, please visit their website www.hartleytissier.com
Image features Andrew Suddard Hartley and Stephanie Tissier and their bespoke carpets at the Pavillon de la Reine, Paris.