Fife furniture and fit out specialist Deanestor is coming out of its most difficult year with a record breaking order book.
Deanestor, located in Dunfermline, is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of furniture and fitout service to the construction sector.
It manufactures, distributes and installs specialist furniture for a range of sectors including healthcare, education, and student accommodation.
Newly filed accounts show turnover in 2020 dropped by £6.4 million, to £11.9m.
The company made a £884,000 pre-tax loss last year compared to a pre-tax profit of £629,000 in 2019.
In his director’s report, William Tonkinson describes 2020 as the most difficult year in the history of Deanestor.
He said: “As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions put in place, construction activity slowed during 2020.
“A side effect of this was a reduction in the demand for the vast majority of construction supply chain products.
“Further implications of the Covid-19 pandemic included an increase in site restrictions implemented by main contractors and start date delays, pushing secured projects in to 2021.”
Deanestor looks ahead
Deanestor remained fully operational throughout the pandemic, supplying three NHS field hospitals.
Due to the downturn in 2020, the firm has a significant backlog of work which has resulted in a record pipeline of work.
It has a record current quote book of £171m and order book with a value of £22.6m.
Deanestor has also secured a record value of orders during the first eight months of 2021.
Mr Tonkinson said: “Our order intake since January this year now stands at £23m, which is more than double last year and a record for the business.
“We have secured orders for delivery through to 2024 which is very positive and gives us some welcome certainty after a challenging year in 2020.
“We have created a number of new jobs this year to meet the growing demand for our products and services.
“Significant government spending is planned for schools and hospitals and our track record and specialist expertise in these markets means we are well placed to capitalise on this.”
Award-winning design
The firm recently won an award commendation at the Scottish Design Awards for fitting out a new campus in Ayr.
Deanestor designed, manufactured and installed a range of furniture solutions for the primary school and early years centre.
These include benching, storage units, adjustable shelving, shoebox units, cloakroom benches, and also loose furniture such as seating and tables.
Deanestor also provided metal and wood shelving, solid surface worktops, and storage cabinets for the adjacent archive centre and registry.
Ayr Grammar and Archive Centre accommodates a primary school, early years centre, community arts centre, and the Ayrshire Archives and Registry.
The £16m riverside project for South Ayrshire Council was delivered by hub South West Scotland and main contractor Morrison Construction.
Originally established in 1948 to manufacture hospital furniture for the newly established NHS, Deanestor supplies fixtures, fittings and equipment.
As well as the Dunfermline base, Deanestor has manufacturing and distribution facilities in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
In 2019, Deanestor acquired the Havelock brands, including ESA McIntosh, out of administration.