After nearly 50 years in the furniture industry and some 30 years since founding the business that bears his name, Julian Bowen has announced his retirement in order to enjoy a well-earned break and pursue his extensive outside interests.

Julian has built a business that is widely regarded as a leading furniture wholesaler in the UK - acknowledged by numerous industry awards and accolades over recent years- which continues to grow and lead by innovation. Indeed, following record sales figures in 2015, Julian Bowen continues to show great ambition, expanding warehouse capacity by over 50% for 2016 and preparing to launch a record number of new products at the upcoming January Furniture Show.

Julian will remain a significant shareholder in the business and will continue to advise the executive team of Julian Bowen Limited. Going forward, Julian’s son Jonathan, who joined the business in 2015 after a successful career in financial services, will assume the role of chairman, while current commercial director Emmett Lenaghan takes on the role of MD.

Julian says: “I am incredibly proud of the business that I have been able to build, over thirty years, with the help of some phenomenal people. There is no doubt that the staff at Julian Bowen Limited are the best in the business, from our customer service representatives, through to our warehouse and logistics teams, our quality control teams across the world and a very talented senior leadership team.

"I have always demanded that as a business we must constantly strive to set ever-higher benchmarks in terms of what we can offer our customers, and I know that this ethos will persist under Jonathan and Emmett’s leadership. I’m incredibly grateful to so many of our loyal customers, many of whom have become good friends over the years, for their unwavering support on our journey. It has been a lot of fun, and I’m delighted to leave the business in such fine fettle and with more growth to come.”

Emmet says: “Julian Bowen is a hard act to follow. He has created a brand, culture and framework for success that positions us incredibly well in a rapidly changing industry. As a management team, we are incredibly grateful to Julian for his massive contribution and guidance over many years and are excited by the opportunity he has given us to continue to drive the business forwards.”

Julian Bowen will be exhibiting at the January Furniture Show in hall 4 on stand E20.（furniturenews）