A BATLEY-based furniture firm has been given the royal seal of approval.

HSL has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation.

HSL were joined by a special guest at their Grange Road head office, as the Lord Lieutenant Ed Anderson formally presented them with their award to mark the occasion, where colleagues were provided with Queen’s Award badges in a celebration of the achievement.

The family-run furniture manufacturer and retailer has more than 50 years’ experience hand-crafting chairs, sofas and beds and is one of 205 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

But it is one of only four firms to be handed the honour in Yorkshire and the Humber, with the other three based in South Yorkshire.

HSL has been recognised for its excellence in innovation for its patented Innovative Frame Design, which allows the attachment of a wooden knuckle (armchair handle) using a different technique to the methodology used historically by other furniture manufacturers.

Guy Critchlow, CEO of HSL, said: “It is a huge honour to accept the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for our innovation. The team here at HSL are the fabric and heart of the business, so it’s fantastic to see their efforts be recognised in such a prestigious way. It is a testimony to our craftsmen and women, who design, develop, and handcraft our extensive range of sofas, chairs and beds.”

William and Debra Burrows, Business Owners of HSL, said: "We as a family are delighted and hugely proud that HSL has been honoured with a Queen’s Award.

To win a Queen's Award for Enterprise for our innovation is an amazing and humbling achievement, which directly reflects the skill, passion, and commitment of our team

The company operates in a highly specialised niche of the wider upholstery furniture market, and the long-established business has been steadfast in creating products that are tailored to its customers.

Their focus is on providing comfortable furniture, fitted to the customer’s size, and supporting the whole body; thereby improving seated posture and enhancing overall personal wellbeing.

The Innovative Frame Design was born from extensive development and testing, creating a knuckle which is ergonomically designed to perfectly fit the customer’s hand when seated, while also being able to be retro-fitted, removed, and/or replaced. This innovation enhances the experience for customers, and the furniture’s environmental credentials and manufacturing efficiency.

The frame design underwent extensive resilience testing to comfortably carry the weight of a user of the furniture.

The knuckle’s ability to be retro-fitted is especially useful for the additional longevity of the furniture, which already comes with a 25 year frame guarantee. It means that if a customer chooses to purchase the chair without a knuckle for their own aesthetic reasons, it can be easily fitted later if personal needs change.

Now in its 55th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards emblem for the next five years.

In his speech to staff at HSL’s Batley factory, Lord Lieutenant for North Yorkshire Ed Anderson, said “The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is the most prestigious award that any UK company can gain.”

He added: “I say to every single one of you, many many congratulations, I’m sure you feel immensely proud to be associated with this wonderful company which has won the Queens Award for Enterprise in the category Innovation.”