the warren evans philosophy
we hope our principles are what makes us different and guides our company:
to make products of excellent quality at fair prices.
to use 'fair trade' methods and employ skilled local craftspeople.
to deliver when we say we will.
to only deal in products sourced from socially responsible businesses.
to always use environmentally friendly woods, certified by the fsc.
to sell quality hand made orthopaedic mattresses using high quality springs and natural fillings whenever possible
to make buying our products a pleasure.
warren evans: the business journey
1979 – warren evans is 17 years old and enjoys working with wood, spending holidays helping a family friend handcraft a wooden sailboat and a wooden plane. he borrows a couple of hundred pounds from his sister to start a handcrafted bed business, selling from his clerkenwell workshop and advertising through a one line classified in time out.
1985 – warren’s beds have become so popular he opens the first official showroom in camden, london to cope with the demand. he opens with a range of four beds that are handmade in his new workshop, which is managed by his father.
1998 – dave geer joins warren evans, starting as a woodworker and eventually becoming general manager.
2002 – warren evans clapham showroom opens.
2005 – the company spreads west with a new hammersmith showroom. warren evans employs luke louka as sales manager to take care of his growing sales force.
march 2006 – warren evans launches the big bed campaign initiative in partnership with the big issue london magazine to provide a free bed and mattress to all re-housed vendors in the capital.
november 2006 – the original camden workshop reaches capacity and the search for bigger premises begins. warren evans employs zoe robinson as ethical development manager to further develop his green and ethical campaigns.
april 2007 – the new workshop opens in walthamstow, london. green and lean, it not only significantly increases capacity but reduces waste and helps the business become even more energy efficient. the bio-mass boiler heats the entire building using any waste wood and sawdust as fuel. this also prevents two skips of waste being sent to landfill each week.
august 2007 – warren evans becomes the first uk bed maker to become certified by the forest stewardship council uk® (fsc).
april 2008 – warren evans shoreditch opens.
may 2008 - the business is awarded a sunday times best green company award, an observer ethical award and a business commitment to the environment award in recognition of the business’ ongoing commitment to the environment, and the huge achievement that the workshop move brought.
july 2008 – the innovative space saving bed collection launches, as well as a new upholstered range.
may 2009 - the business is awarded its second sunday times best green company award and a second observer ethical award.
september 2009 – the company’s green flagship showroom opens in bromley.
november 2009 – the company rounds off an award winning year, being named green business of the year at the growing business awards.
march 2010 – the big bed campaign goes national with warren evans providing beds to re-housed vendors across the uk.
may 2010 - the sunday times best green company award is won for the third time and zoe robinson, ethical development manager, joins colin firth as a judge on the observer ethical awards panel.
august 2010 – warren evans kingston showroom opens.
december 2010 – the first warren evans showroom out of the capital opens in brighton.
april 2011 – warren evans st albans showroom opens april.
