A WITNEY furniture maker that has been family-run for more than four generations has been sold to a private investor.

The new owner of Wesley-Barrell, which hand-crafts sofas and armchairs, is businessman Ayiaz Ahmed.

Mr Ahmed bought the firm on September 24, for an undisclosed sum through Somerset-based Wessex Bristol Investments, which owns a number of luxury brands including Chalon kitchens and Morpheus bedroom furniture.

Sisters Juliette, Isabel and Eugenie Barrell, who run Wesley-Barrell, have reassured the 100-strong workforce their jobs are safe.

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These include 50 at a Ducklington workshop, with the rest at 13 showrooms around the country, including one in Witney.

The three women, whose great-grandfather Anthony Barrell started the firm in 1895, will stay on, along with financial director, Trevor Cook.

Sales and marketing director, Juliette Barrell, said the sale marked the start of a new era, adding: “We have been having conversations with our new partner for a long time and have known him for years. This is an alliance and we see the brands as being quite distinct.

“Our company is in a good, strong position and we have made significant improvements. We have turned the corner, with sales up £500,000 on last year and our order book is full.

“This is a thriving company, so it is not a stress purchase.”

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