Gordon Russell decks out high-profile boardrooms with furniture designed in SolidWorks
Longtime U.K. office furniture maker streamlines custom, quality product development
CONCORD, Mass., Nov. 28, 2006 - Gordon Russell, whose boardroom tables, executive desks, and system workstations grace the offices of companies like Deloitte, British Petroleum, and Fidelity, uses SolidWorks® 3D CAD software to design the custom furniture its high-profile customers demand. The 83-year-old U.K. company adopted SolidWorks to accelerate time to market for its specialty office furniture products.
Headquartered in London, Gordon Russell has established a reputation for quality, not quantity. It prides itself on the handcrafted elegance for which its furniture is known. As customers increasingly demanded more specialization, working in 2D became cumbersome and sometimes resulted in errors that forced craftsmen to scrap the work they had been doing. That's when the company chose to standardize on SolidWorks software.
"Ask any manufacturer in industries where craftsmanship is at a premium, and you'll find there is a shortage of skilled craftsmen," said Mike Rivers, managing director at Gordon Russell. "So you can't afford any manufacturing downtime due to design errors. 2D CAD software made customization less precise, and sometimes yielded design errors. SolidWorks ensures we get the design right the first time so we can develop better products. It allows us to meet customer demands for style, durability and turnaround time and maximize our craftsmen's time."
Gordon Russell uses SolidWorks to modify different product lines to suit customers' unique needs. The software's associativity means engineers can simply adjust one component of the design, and SolidWorks will automatically adjust the rest of the design accordingly to eliminate errors. The company is developing a library of standard parts that it will be able to quickly add to custom designs to accelerate development.
"Fine office furniture makes a strong statement," said SolidWorks' Executive Vice President of Europe Michel Gros. "Gordon Russell has lasted for nearly a century because of quality handcrafted pieces that stand out. Working in 3D will help the company maintain its well-deserved reputation for meeting or exceeding customers' expectations."
Gordon Russell relies on authorized SolidWorks reseller Solid Solutions Management for ongoing software training, implementation, and support.
About Gordon Russell
Long associated with the Cotswold town of Broadway, Gordon Russell has developed award-winning furniture since its founding in 1923. Combining timeless design with enduring quality, it has established an industry reputation for producing fine office furniture, with pioneering ranges of executive desks, boardroom and meeting tables, workstations, workwall, and seating. Its products grace the offices of some of the world's largest and most renowned corporations. For more information, visit the Web site (www.gordon-russell.com).
About Solid Solutions Management
Founded in 1998, Solid Solutions focuses on providing industry-leading software and services. This philosophy has helped Solid Solutions gain respect, recognition, and awards as an established and high-capability supplier of SolidWorks software. With main offices in Warwick and Fareham, and regional training facilities throughout the U.K., Solid Solutions supports thousands of customers encompassing all industry sectors and ranging in size from single-person operations to large multi-national organizations. For more information, visit the company's Web site www.solidsolutions.co.uk.
About Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.
Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a Dassault Systèmes S.A. subsidiary, is a world leader in 3D solutions that help millions of engineers and designers succeed through innovation. Our products deliver an intuitive experience in product design, simulation, publishing, data management, and environmental impact assessment. For the latest news, information, or an online demonstration, visit our Web site (www.solidworks.com) or call 1-800-693-9000 (outside of North America, call +1-781-810-5011).
About Dassault Systèmes
As a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, Dassault Systèmes brings value to more than 100,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire lifecycle of products from conception to maintenance to recycling. The Dassault Systèmes portfolio consists of CATIA for designing the virtual product – SolidWorks for 3D mechanical design – DELMIA for virtual production – SIMULIA for virtual testing – ENOVIA for global collaborative lifecycle management, and 3DVIA for online 3D lifelike experiences. Dassault Systèmes’ shares are listed on Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA). For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com/.
SolidWorks is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation in the US and other countries. 3D VIA is a registered trademark and 3DVIA Composer is a trademark of Dassault Systèmes in the US and other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. © 2010 Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.
