Following an ACID meeting between members (and sofa makers) Buoyant Upholstery (based in Nelson) and Bentincks (based in Gateshead) about the latter's Dorset sofa, due to a conflict of interest Bentinck will be discontinuing this model from 1st August, and will be launching a new product in its place.
A confidential agreement was signed between the two parties, having reach an amicable solution to the issue in good faith. Both Mike Aramayo (Buoyant) and Balal Ali (Bentincks) shook hands and commended ACID for bringing the parties together.
Dids Macdonald, co-founder of ACID, says: “ACID set up a mediation protocol to allow companies who have a complaint to settle through mediation without lawyer involvement, rather than go through a cost- and time-prohibitive legal route. The furniture industry is an amazing UK asset, it is always good to talk and promote respect, ethics, and compliance.”
