Bentley Starts Making Furniture to Keep Its Skilled Workers

Bentley could refurbish your house in the future...

With the financial downturn knocking on car makers' doors, it's no surprise that many of them resort to unexpected solutions to cope with the problem.

One of the weirdest solutions we've heard so far comes from Bentley. You probably all know that Bentley makes cars... luxury cars, but now it seems it will be making furniture as well in order to avoid further lay-offs in its woodworking team, The Telegraph has learned.

Although Bentley has never made furniture in its 90-year existence, the woodworking team is now using off-cuts from the walnut used for the car's dash board and trim to refurbish the company's reception area at its Crewe factory.

"Some people have been in our woodworking shop for 40 to 45 years," explained Stuart McCullough, Bentley's board member for sales and marketing. "We have been turning our hand to making furniture. At the moment they are making furniture for us, but no doubt somebody will want to buy it from us. There are very few other furniture makers who could match our level of veneer," he added.

For the moment, they are making cabinets, occasional tables and furniture just for their reception and possibly for their showrooms. But if there are interested buyers in the furniture made by Bentley, the car maker is ready to sell it to the public.

Certainly that doesn't mean that Bentley will stop making what it knows best, meaning cars. In fact, the British luxury automaker hopes to attract new customers with the launch of a new model, the Bentley Supersports, which is thought to reach 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds.

"This is about turning a difficult situation to our advantage. We have an excellent skills base in our workshop. We are a car maker," added Mr McCullough, "We are not a furniture manufacturer."

Well, this might be just a temporary activity as the automaker claims, but what if the business starts bringing profit? After all, surviving in a capitalist economy means continuous adaptation...