Gift Focus - Jan/Feb 2019 (Issue 111)

giftfocus 7 news and events SATRA UNVEILS CANDLE TESTING SEMINAR SATRA will be holding a seminar on 20 th February, 2019, at its head office in Kettering. The seminar will cover the European standards for candles and gives manufacturers the chance to visit SATRA’s testing facility. SATRA is an independent research and testing organisation, established in the UK in 1919. It has technical facilities in Europe and China, serving customers worldwide. The company tests products to European and international standards across a wide range of industry sectors, as well as manufacturing and selling test equipment. SATRA’s purpose-built candle-testing laboratory is accredited to ISO 17025 by UKAS. The facility is designed to test the safety of all types of candles and candleholders, measuring candle burn performance and sooting. SATRA provides reports with photographs of how the candle burns, advice and expert comments on candle performance. The seminar will include an explanation of the candle-testing standards, advice on labelling, foreseeable use and misuse and a tour of the testing laboratory. For further information or to book a place, contact ppe@satra.com, call +44 (0)1536 410 000, or visit satra.com/ppe BLUE EYED SUN’S JEREMY CORNER SPEAKING ON MAIN STAGE AT SPRING FAIR Jeremy Corner, founder of Blue Eyed Sun, chairman of The Gift Association and distributor of BambooCup and Origamo, will be speaking on the main stage of Spring Fair at 1:15pm on February 3 rd . Central to Jeremy’s business interests, his talk will cover the rise of the ethical consumer and adapting to the growth of green economy. This will provide an insight into ethical practices, including what inspires people to make ethical choices. Jeremy will also be charting the increase in the sales of ethical products, discussing how retailers and producers can meet the need for information around ethical products and services and how retailers can best reflect the trend in store, while remaining authentic to their business identities. With a huge increase in the demand for ethically sourced and environmentally-conscious products over the past few years, Jeremy’s talk is set to be a can’t-miss event for any and all businesses hoping to better understand the trend and to learn how to incorporate this ethos into their own work. NEW CHAPTER FOR DARTINGTON CRYSTAL Devon-based glass makers Dartington Crystal begins 2019 with the managerial team having acquired majority control of the business. Since 2006, chairman and major shareholder John Hammond MBE had led the company to independent ownership and strengthened its performance to the current healthy trading levels. The three directors, Neil Hughes (managing director) (left), Richard Halliday (commercial director) (right) and Alan Ramsay (financial director) have been supported by Barclay’s Bank to take a major share of the business in order to continue its growth. Neil Hughes commented: “We are grateful to John Hammond for his commitment and investment in Dartington Crystal over the last 12 years. We are delighted to be able to further his ambitions for the company and for his belief in us as a management team.” John Hammond added: “Despite market challenges, the company and its employees are well-positioned to meet them and prosper. I am very proud in what we have achieved over the years and look forward to seeing progress continued.” As one of the last factory-scale producers of crystal in the UK, Dartington Crystal employs 130 members of staff at its Torrington HQ. The company also owns the Scottish Caithness Glass brand, Royal Brierley cut crystal and John Beswick ceramics. In recent years, it has developed a diverse range of sales channels, including high street retailers, wine and spirits, corporate gifts and its bespoke own-label products. In 2017, the business celebrated 50 years of trading with record sales of circa £14million.