With strong family values and a close-knit customer base, HSL bedecks UK homes with comfort and style
Blending beautiful designs with quality craftmanship, HSL is redefining comfort with feel-good furniture. Founded in Dewsbury, England, in 1968 by first generation owners, Jeffrey and Patricia Burrows, HSL is a family business with heritage and heart, offering comfortable furniture for all, expertly designed to accommodate a wide range of mobility and wellbeing needs. The company epitomizes traditional British manufacturing, from the emphasis it places on local furniture heritage to the exceptional quality of materials it uses, all the way to the friendly smile and warm cup of tea that greets its guests at every showroom.
HSL’s comprehensive catalogue of chairs, beds and sofas captures elegance and charm with every stitch. With 18 stunning collections in its portfolio, customers can choose from a variety of different fabrics, leathers, patterns, and features for their furniture, all with the certainty that comfort needs not compromise on style. Manufacturing Today is joined by Ben Waters, Chief Executive Officer at HSL, to learn more about how the company drives manufacturing excellence and improves lives for customers all over the country.
“HSL is a British, family-run business with over 55 years of heritage. Since 1968, we’ve specialized in crafting handcrafted chairs, sofas, and beds designed to enhance comfort, mobility, and wellbeing. Our focus has always been on helping customers, many of whom experience mobility or health challenges, enjoy greater independence and ease in their daily lives,” Ben begins. “Our products are carefully handcrafted in our Yorkshire factory, and our customers can visit one of our 55 showrooms or arrange for a free, no-obligation home consultation where we assess individual seating needs to recommend the best solution. We remain proud of our roots and committed to quality, service, and innovation and are still family run to this day, with third generation family members working throughout the business.”
Always keeping its customers close to its heart, HSL is committed to going above and beyond to provide comfort like no other. Quite uniquely, its products and solutions are all backed by science; the business works closely with occupational therapists and physiology experts at Leeds University throughout the entirety of its research and development processes.
“Innovation at HSL is rooted in research, craftsmanship, and real customer need. We partnered with Leeds University and independent experts to study body mechanics and the specific needs of older adults, ensuring our designs genuinely support comfort, posture, and mobility. That evidence-led approach shapes everything we do,” Ben explains. “We’ve also received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation for our removable knuckle design – a simple but clever feature that allows customers to add or remove a knuckle after purchase. It’s helped reduce transit damage, streamline manufacturing, and give more choice to the customer.”
Aside from its R&D operations, innovation also manifests in the culture of improvement that drives HSL’s production processes. Whether its investing in new technologies or expanding its capabilities, HSL is dedicated to enhancing its operational efficiencies to continue providing the very best products and services for its clients.
“We are continuously modernizing our production processes to support both quality and scale. This year, we’re planning to expand our manufacturing operation
further, creating space for increased capacity and the introduction of new machinery. This includes advanced cutting and shaping equipment for greater precision, investment in modern upholstery techniques, and the integration of software systems to enhance production planning, traceability, and overall efficiency,” Ben explains.
“Bringing leather finishing in-house, for instance, has been a great step forward for our manufacturing. It gives us greater control over quality, consistency, and lead times. We’ve reduced reliance on external suppliers, which helps us respond faster to customer demand and tailor our offering more precisely. It’s also allowed for more flexible production scheduling and improved overall efficiency.”
Developments such as these fall in line with HSL’s wider strategic investment plan, which has been implemented to help expand and develop the business. The program’s intention is to further augment HSL’s omnichannel approach, with a priority on growing its retail presence across its brick-and-mortars and digital platforms.
“A major focus for us is strengthening our retail presence across the UK. We’ve already seen momentum with the opening of our new Solihull store in March 2024, the launch of LivHome in December 2024, and the successful relocation of our Ipswich showroom in May 2025, with more new openings and relocations planned throughout 2025 and 2026. These sites are designed to offer an even better customer experience and reflect the future of HSL showrooms,” Ben explains. “Alongside this, we’re continuing to enhance our digital capabilities, ensuring customers can engage with us more easily and intuitively across all channels. We’re also investing in our British manufacturing to support growing demand, and, crucially, in our people, with ongoing training and development programs that support a culture of care, expertise, and innovation.”
With this strategic expansion plan being implemented across the board, HSL is well-positioned for further growth and success. In the past three years alone, the business has more than doubled in size – a tremendous feat that paves the way for a continuing prosperous future. When Manufacturing Today asked Ben what factors he feels have been driving this growth, he echoes a sentiment that truly homes in on the qualities that set HSL apart from its competitors.
“Our growth has been driven by a few key factors: a genuine focus on customer wellbeing, the trust we’ve built over decades, and our commitment to quality and service,” he affirms. “The rise in awareness around the importance of good posture and supportive seating has also contributed, as has our investment in people, processes, and products. Ultimately, it’s our purpose, improving lives through comfort and support that resonates with customers.”
Drawing upon over five decades of experience and expertise, HSL is set to continue building upon its notable legacy as it quickly approaches its 60th anniversary milestone. From its humble Dewsbury beginnings, the business has grown tremendously, now encompassing over 50 showrooms across all corners of the UK, with many more on the horizon. Whatever its next chapter holds, however, one thing will always remain the same at HSL, and that’s its strong family values and passion for perfection.
“Our priorities for the future are clear: to continue delivering excellent service to our customers, to successfully launch our new products, and to strengthen our operational resilience. As CEO, I’m focused on ensuring that as we grow, we retain the family values, care, and attention to detail that have always defined HSL,” Ben reveals. “A key part of this is to further define our growth strategy and cement our position within the specialist furniture market. We’re also driving progress across several major initiatives, including the rollout of our new ERP system, the launch of a new online platform, and the delivery of an exciting product pipeline and refreshed marketing strategy. Just as importantly, supporting and developing our people remains central, because it’s our team that brings these ambitions to life and carries our values forward.
“In five years’ time, I hope to see HSL recognized as the UK’s leading name in comfort and wellbeing furniture, known not just for the quality of our products, but for our positive impact on people’s lives,” Ben concludes, optimistic for the future ahead. “We aim to expand our reach, grow our manufacturing capabilities, and further our sustainability goals while staying true to our core values.”