DeVOL Kitchens has been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade for its outstanding continuous growth in overseas sales. The King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed last year to reflect His Majesty’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II by recognising outstanding UK businesses. The Award programme, now in its 58th year, is the most prestigious business award in the country.
From virtually no exports, DeVOL has grown overseas revenue by 2,300% over the last 6 years, with 31% of sales now exported and total turnover and net profits increasing almost threefold. The majority of the company's overseas sales are from the US but it has also received orders from over 35 countries, including France, Germany, Spain and Norway, and has established new overseas markets in Thailand, China and Denmark.
DeVOL Kitchens' founder, Paul O'Leary, said: "It’s such an honour to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise. After 35 years in business, I can’t believe that we now export our kitchens and homewares all around the world. What started as two friends making furniture in a garage, almost for fun, has grown into a business that employs 400 people, many of them design graduates from local universities. Together, we sketch, render, prototype, and fettle, with every design and craft discipline embraced; like a modern-day Bauhaus, we are never satisfied that a product for the home is good enough. Everything not created by nature can be improved."
DeVOL Kitchens was founded in 1989 and has always been based in Leicestershire. The kitchen furniture specialist has become internationally recognised as one of the leading design-led kitchen companies, with showrooms in Leicestershire, London, Bath and New York. Along with cabinetry, it also makes smaller pieces for the home, such as lighting, stools, hardware, tiles, tables and tableware. Everything is created and developed by its in-house team of designers.
