Northampton family-run furniture company proud to be celebrating 50th anniversary and working with big name brands

A family-run furniture company is proud to be celebrating five decades in business and is collaborating with Laura Ashley, who have also reached their 70th anniversary this year.

Daro Cane, in Kings Heath, is a leading name for conservatory and rattan garden furniture in the UK.

The business began operating on markets and has evolved from a small independent wholesale company, to a professional furniture retailer working with big name brands like Next and John Lewis.

It was set up by David Brown and his brother-in-law Roger Rideout, and now David’s children James and Hannah are the only two family members who remain involved .

James, the director, said: “This milestone is something to be very proud of. From where the business began, getting this far is a great achievement as we have been through some troubled times and remained strong.”

James grew up with the business and became fully involved when he returned from university in 2003, meaning he is also celebrating a personal milestone of 20 years this year.

He says the family is “proud of their Northampton roots” and how they welcome fellow members of the town into the business.

“We want our workers to enjoy themselves as you spend so much time at work,” he said.

The business has continued to move with the times and the trends their target market is interested in.

This has meant developing at their own pace, which included introducing outdoor furniture in 2005 – a now consolidated part of the brand.

Daro Cane became a licensee of Laura Ashley 10 years ago and has spent that decade developing rattan, cane and teak products alongside them.

This year, as a celebration to mark both business’ big anniversaries, Daro Cane is making a Laura Ashley deckchair in retro fabrics and a rattan rocking chair.

Though the family hopes to organise a party to celebrate the milestone in the months to come, they wanted to prioritise thanking their stockists by running offers and giving them the chance to win their orders for free.

As the “only indoor furniture supplier in the UK with outlets”, Daro Cane’s future will see them branch out into other home products, including upholstery.