Sofa Connections invites Big Furniture Group back to the West Midlands to see its new factory as 2026 plans get underway.
It’s been some year for West Midlands-based family run furniture manufacturer Sofa Connections. Kicking off 2025 with a full rebrand, new logo and fresh tagline, to launching a collection of new products that have resonated extremely well with its customers, both existing and new accounts.
More recently, the business has also completed the relocation of its factory. Still located in Dudley – and just a few short miles from its former premises – the new site offers more space, a streamlined process to operate and a dedicated area for its master product designer, (although Matt calls it his ‘cupboard’ to escape to!).
With the business now settling in to its new facility, which is based on Bagley Industrial Estate, Railwharf Sidings, Northfield Road, Dudley, husband-and-wife team, Matt and Sarah Oakley, invited Big Furniture Group back to take a look, almost a year to the day BFG explored its original factory.
Upon arrival, you could tell that the new premises is allowing the business to push to new heights. In fact, inside the unit, there’s an upper floor that overlooks the main area of the factory, which is dedicated for fabrics and upholstery sewing, offering a smoother process compared to its former site. The factory itself is similar in floorspace size, but having the mezzanine adds a crucial area of expansion.
“The move has been challenging,” says Matt. “We did it ourselves, which took a bit of time but it allowed us to have the freedom to map out exactly how we were going to install equipment. We’ve got dedicated areas throughout the factory to allow for more efficiency, which has also enabled us to extend our total output.
“We’ve also got a new showroom space with some models on display, which is great to show customers, although this is a work in progress to further maximise this area.”
On products, Matt added that they are busy fulfilling orders of its popular models, such as the Blakedown, Belfry and Sherwood, as well as experiencing early success with its brand-new model, the Kingston, a splay arm sofa, which was displayed earlier this year at the Manchester Furniture Show.
“Since Manchester, business has been steady,” Matt said. “Our Sherwood model particularly caught the eye of some very key buyers with its quilted arms and supportive head bolsters, while Kingston has been a success too.”
Another hit was Sofa Connections’ new core fabric range, which features a waterfall of 27 new fabrics and colours, as Sarah explains: “Our fabric range now consists of Core, Standard and Deluxe. The Core range is the same excellent quality fabric but with a commitment from us where we are able to buy in bulk to bring our customers a lower price point.”
At the new factory, Sarah was keen to highlight its dedicated fabric zone, a new space that has become an important part of the facility. “It’s great to have dedicated areas for everything, including our new fabric zone.
“It helps us keep on top of the latest fabrics, while also benefiting the design process as it’s in the area where Matt works his magic.”
On that note, Matt is now turning his attention to the January Furniture Show 2026, where new products are currently under development, although this remains top secret for now. We did get a brief look at the stand plans though – which look exciting.
With 2025 a year of growth, rebrand, relocation and recognition – being named as Best Upholstery Supplier (Fabric) in the Big Furniture Awards 2025, as voted by the industry, Sofa Connections is busy building its brand, reaffirming its long-serving heritage in the industry, spanning over some 35 years.
“We’re excited to return to the January Furniture Show for a second year after such a successful debut,” Sarah said. “We’ll be in Hall 1, with plenty of new products on display, so make sure you come and see us.”
For now, Matt is back in his cupboard, planning, developing and making the next show-stopper.
