Family-owned British furniture manufacturer producing solid wood furniture for dining, living, bedroom and home office
ercol Furniture Limited
Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire (GB)New on Amplifa
About ercol
ercol Furniture Limited is a family-owned British furniture manufacturer based in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire. The company manufactures solid wood furniture for the dining, living, bedroom and home office areas, including dining tables, chairs, sofas, beds and cabinets. Manufacturing combines traditional craftsmanship with modern technology: CNC machines with in-house programmers, steam bending of ash, surface finishing by sanding and polishing, as well as upholstery work and final assembly in its own factory. The main materials are solid wood, in particular British and European ash and oak, complemented by leather and upholstery fabrics. The 16,000 square metre plant built in 2002 houses the factory, offices, showroom and a Factory Outlet Store. Customers are end consumers via stockists as well as the contract sector, including John Lewis. The company was founded in 1920 by the Italian designer Lucian R. Ercolani in High Wycombe and is today led by his great-great-grandson Henry Tadros.
- Site
- HP27 9PX Princes Risborough, Bucks
- Processes
- Machining (machining of solid wood, incl. CNC), CNC Machining (CNC machines with programmers), Steam Bending (steam bending), Finishing/Polishing (surface finishing, oil/matt finishes such as CM clear matt, OA oak on ash), Assembly (furniture assembly, e.g. Windsor chair), Upholstery (upholstering of furniture), Design & Prototyping (design, technical drawings, hand-crafted prototypes), Cabinet making / furniture making (cabinet shop, chair shop)
- Materials
- British/European ash, Grown in Britain certified British ash (GiB ash), Oak (oak), Solid wood (solid timber/solid wood), Leather (leather), Fabric (upholstery fabrics), Grown in Britain certified British ash, Ash (British/European ash)
- Certificates
- Grown in Britain (GiB) Certification, NVQ Level 2/3 apprenticeship programme, In-house quality assurance (prototype team)
- Founded
- 1920
- Industries
- Furniture (dining, living, bedroom, home office), Contract sector, Retail via stockists, Contract
- 01
Design (in-house designers and external designers)
- 02
Technical engineering (draughtsmen, component drawings)
- 03
Prototype building (hand-crafted samples)
- 04
CNC machining (machining of solid wood)
- 05
Steam bending (steam bending of ash)
- 06
Surface finishing (sanding, polishing, oil/matt finishes)
- 07
Upholstery (upholstery with fabric/leather)
- 08
Assembly (cabinet shop, chair shop)
- 09
Distribution via stockists, showroom and factory outlet
Materials & Processes
Grown in Britain certified British ash
British-certified ash from sustainably managed forests, in use since 2023 for selected collections.
Ash (British/European ash)
The core wood species of ercol manufacturing, processed among other things by steam bending for the Windsor Chair.
Oak (oak)
Used for table tops and furniture surfaces, often in combination with ash (e.g. OA oak on ash).
Solid wood (solid timber/solid wood)
The basic material of all ercol furniture; the natural variation of the wood is deliberately incorporated into the design.
Leather (leather)
Cover material for upholstered furniture of the upholstery collections.
Fabric (upholstery fabrics)
Trend-oriented fabrics, carefully matched to the design style of the respective upholstery collection.
Locations
Princes Risborough
GBFactory, office, showroom, factory outlet
- Materials
- Ash, oak, solid wood, leather, upholstery fabrics
- CNC machines with in-house programmers
- Steam bending facility
- Cabinet shop
- Chair shop
- Finishing/polishing shop
- Upholstery shop
- Prototype team
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machining (machining of solid wood, incl. CNC)Machining | – | – | – | – | Ash, Oak |
| CNC Machining (CNC machines with programmers)Machining | – | – | – | – | Wood (solid wood) |
| Steam Bending (steam bending)Forming | – | – | – | – | Ash |
| Finishing/Polishing (surface finishing, oil/matt finishes such as CM clear matt, OA oak on ash)Surface | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| Assembly (furniture assembly, e.g. Windsor chair)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Solid wood (solid timber) |
| Upholstery (upholstering of furniture)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Wood, Fabric, Leather |
| Design & Prototyping (design, technical drawings, hand-crafted prototypes)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| Cabinet making / furniture making (cabinet shop, chair shop)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Ash, Oak |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNS/CNC machines (machining) | – | – | – | – | Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Training
Quality is created by combining long-serving, highly skilled craftsmen with technically precise CNC manufacturing and an in-house prototype team. A structured apprenticeship programme (Level 2/3 NVQ in Machining, Finishing/Polishing, Assembly, Electrical and Maintenance with Activate Apprenticeships and Rycotewood Furniture Centre) secures craft skills for the future.
| Evidence | Princes Risborough |
|---|---|
| Grown in Britain (GiB) Certification | |
| NVQ Level 2/3 apprenticeship programme | |
| In-house quality assurance (prototype team) |
History
- 1920
Founded by the Italian designer Lucian R. Ercolani in High Wycombe, the centre of English furniture making.
- 2002
Relocation of office, showroom and factory to Princes Risborough into a 16,000 square metre plant.
- 2020
100th anniversary with the launch of the 467 Windsor Cabinet.
- 2022
BBC2 'Inside the Factory' visited the plant and featured the manufacture of the Windsor Chair; launch of the new Heritage collection.
- 2023
Partnership with Grown in Britain (GiB) for British-certified ash as well as a collection collaboration with John Lewis.