Dr Vanessa Brady OBE visits Focus SB’s factories

Sales and marketing manager, Steve Moss of St Leonards-on-Sea based premium electrical accessories manufacturer Focus SB welcomed Dr Vanessa Brady OBE, founder and CEO of Interior Design Services Ltd (IDS) on Thursday 6th March. East Sussex, United Kingdom, 2024-03-18

A private factory tour across the company’s three sites gave the multi-award winning interior designer and business consultant a detailed insight into Focus SB’s in-house electrical accessories manufacturing processes from start to finish. During the tour Dr Brady met a number of the company’s employees from the shop floor to its internal sales office.

Given demonstrations in metal component manufacturing and finishing, metal pressing, hand assembly and despatch, the Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID) founder handled quality components from the smallest screws to finished light switches and viewed products in manufacture such as Alisse socket outlets and the bevelled edges of Focus SB’s clear Prism faceplate style being flame polished by hand. Dr Brady was shown where solid brass and stainless steel raw materials are delivered to the factory direct from the mills, learning how the company separates and recycles its metal waste. She saw finished orders being expertly assembled, labelled and packaged by hand using recyclable materials.

Focus SB’s finishing expertise blends traditional artisan crafts with cutting edge design tech and advanced manufacturing technology. The in-depth tour gave Dr Brady a valuable insight into the variety of finishing processes and length of time required to produce the company’s bespoke made ‘wall jewellery’ specified by design consultants for luxury hotels, private homes and heritage buildings such as Hampton Court Palace.

Dr Brady viewed Focus SB’s electrophoretic finishing plant where experts prepare, jig and degrease faceplates by hand. She learned how Focus SB reuses and recycles chemistry in its degreaser via a closed loop system (degreasing removes contaminants enhancing durability of hand applied finishes). In the company’s spray shop she learned how metal plates being manufactured for light switches and power outlets are sprayed by hand and how particulates are safely removed from the air. Dr Brady also saw the firm’s robotic satining and polishing plant in action which enables the company to offer matching switch caps to complement plate finishes to a high degree of accuracy time after time. She was also given access to view Focus SB’s Jordan bronze finishing area and learn more about the company’s living finishes hand processes.

Dr Vanessa Brady commented: “I had such a lovely time learning about Focus SB as an innovative company from machinery, sourcing materials and the future of the company and its ethos, but importantly - you are a people’s company and you look after each person in a very special way. I noticed that everyone just happily performs their tasks, and they do it with interest. So many had found solutions for improvement in their area of work. In turn you have as a brand built such a fantastic loyalty, you should bottle it!”

Following Dr Brady’s visit Mr Moss said: “It was an absolute pleasure to host Vanessa for a tour of our factory. Our team thoroughly enjoyed meeting her and were delighted by her genuine interest and enthusiasm. We would welcome her back anytime".

In 2024 Focus SB was honoured to achieve the prestigious SBID global lighting design award for its Ambassador Wall Light, the company’s first ever lighting design in collaboration with Gwyn Carless at The Light Yard.

Awarded an OBE for her services to Interior Design and the UK Economy in 2014, SBID founder Dr Vanessa Brady represents the interests of interior design at cross-party meetings at the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The SBID International Design Awards® are now open for entries.

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Editors notes

Focus SB® is an award winning innovative British manufacturer renowned for the design, development and specialist hand finishing of premium electrical wiring accessories, blending traditional artisan techniques with the latest technology. The company's 'wall jewellery' is specified for world class hospitality and leisure resorts, prime residential developments, heritage buildings, royal residences, superyachts and commercial projects both domestically and internationally.

The King's Awards for Enterprise winner for excellence in International Trade in 2023, Focus SB made history in its industry in 2017 when the company became the first and only British and European manufacturer to gain CQC factory accreditation to supply and sell wiring accessories directly from Europe to China, also gaining full CCC licence for all of its products for the Chinese marketplace.

The company’s specialist capabilities include electrical accessory design, development and testing; bespoke metal plate design and manufacture; specialist metal finishing and complex supply chain project management. Focus SB commenced trading in 1979 and exports to Asia, the Middle East, Malta and West Africa. Projects include Aspen at Consort Place, Twenty Grosvenor Square, Belmond Cadogan Hotel, Corinthia London, Royal Lancaster London, Chelsea Barracks, No.1 Grosvenor Square, The Glebe, Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle, The Londoner Macao and Pudong Airport Satellite Terminal VIP lounges.

Focus SB is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by taking all appropriate measures to minimise any impact on the environment throughout the business from operational to manufacturing processes. The company's green energy investment plans have included solar panel, LED lighting and electric car charging points installation. Laser marking technology enables Focus SB to offer a standard alternative to screen printing, for improved fine detail quality and to significantly limit the use of environmentally damaging consumables and reduce waste.

Focus SB is a Disability Confident Employer since 2017 and is committed to creating equal opportunities and a diverse and inclusive workforce, seeing the company work closely with local charity Little Gate Supported Employment for over four years.

UK press contact: Suzi Baker, Balance Web Marketing +PR suzi@balancewebmarketing.co.uk