Heritage

1946

Crown Products was founded by Len Head in 1946, following his retirement from the Royal Air Force where he had been flying VIP transport planes across the North Atlantic. Following his success in obtaining a license to purchase timber as a raw material, he began by manufacturing small wooden toys for children. This developed into a range of nursery furniture which was sold from a small shop in Fulham High Street, London.

1950’s

Crown Products began manufacturing desks and chairs for the local county council and then became contract manufacturers.

1959 saw Crown relocate from London to a small factory in Herne Bay, Kent. Michael Head (Len’s son) joined the business of 12 employees.

1960′s

The 1960’s saw Crown evolve as one of the country’s largest specialist manufacturers of furniture with the British Government as the main customer. Crown also manufactured the wooden frames for thousands of Lyons and Wall’s ice cream stands.

Michael Head was appointed Managing Director after his father suffered a heart attack and following a period of rest Len became Chairman.

1970’s

The company continued to expand, with a host of new automated machinery and factory buildings. At one point they employed a full-time bricklayer who spent almost 10 years laying bricks and carrying out other building tasks!

1980’s

In 1980 a political decision enforced a suspension on purchasing of furniture by all government departments. Crown took the decision to quickly diversify and focus on the production of high quality kitchen furniture.

1987 saw the opening of a new 100,000 ft². production facility, designed as the cornerstone for expansion for many years to come.

1990’s

Following the family traditions, 1990 saw Michael’s two sons Barry and Martin join the business. Both graduates from the University of Birmingham, they marked a new era of development.

1995 saw the introduction of the Imperial range of kitchen furniture.

2000’s

Continued key investment in technology

2000 – Crown in Daventry opened. A 15,000 sq. ft. inspirational furniture showcase boasting 50 lifestyle sets of Crown Kitchens, Living and Bedrooms.

2006 – Crown celebrated another achievement – 60 years of manufacturing and offering over 6000 different products.

2008 – Crown launched its Crown Lifespace collection, featuring a host of innovative storage solutions and working at home designs.

2010’s

Continued key investment throughout the decade with the arrival of new machinery and stunning furniture styles.

2016 – A momentous occasion, marking a remarkable milestone, with the celebration of Crown’s 70th anniversary as a leading British furniture manufacturer. The Crown Imperial story also began a new chapter, with Barry Head third generation of the family, taking the helm as Managing Director and Michael Head became Chairman.

2020 – Crown Daventry celebrated its 20 year anniversary of inspiring thousands of visitors to find their dream furniture scheme.

2020’s

2021 – A landmark year in the history of Crown Imperial, as we celebrated our 75th anniversary of British manufacturing excellence.

2023 – Crown Daventry re-modelled its entire first floor space to create eight new stunning bedroom room sets, to reflect the latest style and storage trends and a ‘must have’ destination for customers looking for bedroom furniture inspiration. Crown Imperial also introduced a host of new cabinetry enhancements across its entire kitchen collection.

2024 – As a third generation family business over seven decades, the Crown team continues to deliver the latest furniture innovations, dedicated to creating the highest quality furniture to meet the needs of modern lifestyles.