We talk about the pressures of running a family business with Amy Giddings, Managing Director of Forte Cloth International Ltd, a world-renowned carpet and rug design company, originally founded in 1996 by Amy鈥檚 father Ian Wallace.
Becoming the brand-new head of a well-established and widely-respected company is always going to be a challenge. And if the business you are taking charge of is your own family鈥檚? That鈥檚 a whole new level of responsibility.
Forte Cloth International is an international carpet and rug design company based in Kidderminster, a town recognised the world over for its carpet-making heritage. Forte was founded in 1996 by Ian Wallace, under whose guiding hand a reputation was forged for crafting uniquely elegant classic and contemporary designs.
Ian Wallace鈥檚 daughter Amy Giddings is now Forte鈥檚 Managing Director. We asked Amy about her journey and how she approaches the responsibilities of leading one of the key suppliers in its industry.
From art school to boardroom
During her childhood and teenage years, Amy freely admits she was vaguely aware of her father鈥檚 business without really paying much attention to it.
鈥淚n high school I was only really interested in the arts鈥� she recalls. 鈥淎fter GCSEs I did an Art Design course, went to University to study Contemporary Art and then moved to Bristol to undertake a Master鈥檚.鈥�
鈥淥f course I knew Dad鈥檚 company was in the creative sphere, but he never pushed me in a particular artistic direction or towards the family business in any way. He was happy to let me run and do my own thing, though occasionally he鈥檇 say something like 鈥榳hy are you paying for all these courses? You could just come and work for me.鈥欌��
鈥淢y response was usually 鈥楧ad, we鈥檙e just too similar. It isn鈥檛 going to happen, absolutely not!鈥欌��
A significant shift in direction came soon after Amy had met her husband and started a family. The COVID lockdowns in 2020 forced businesses across the entire country to retrench and Amy鈥檚 husband was made redundant.
鈥淪uddenly we had absolutely no income, we were living off our savings and I had no idea how we were going to get through it or if it would ever end. Then one day by chance I was out walking and bumped into a family friend who is in the lift industry. He said he really needed someone to manage invoicing and admin from home, so I took that on.鈥�
鈥淏y the time lockdowns were finally lifted I knew the lift business well enough to take on a management role there, and though it wasn鈥檛 really my passion, I did it well and was effectively running the show.鈥�
Running in the family
Amy鈥檚 father Ian was watching these developments with interest.
鈥淒ad had always known I was a creative person but I don鈥檛 think he previously saw my business management potential鈥� says Amy. 鈥淲e sat down and had a chat. He said 鈥業 want to retire eventually and I don鈥檛 want Forte Cloth to just fizzle out when that happens 鈥� how you would you feel about joining so that doesn鈥檛 happen?鈥欌��
鈥淚 must admit I was initially a bit scared, thinking the workforce would be saying 鈥榦h here we go, the boss鈥檚 daughter鈥� but when I first joined I came in with a 鈥榟ow can I help you?鈥� focus and everyone seemed to embrace that.鈥�
When asked what she sees as the principal challenges of working with one鈥檚 parent in a corporate setting, Amy describes what she discovered early on.
鈥淲hen I started going on trips for the company and meeting our customers, I began to understand the magnitude of what my father went through and the difficult tasks he accomplished in order to establish a presence where people throughout the industry all know who we are. He essentially paved the path I now walk on.鈥�
鈥淪o if I propose a course of action, sometimes he鈥檒l go 鈥淥K let鈥檚 try that鈥� and sometimes he鈥檒l say 鈥榥o, that鈥檚 not going to work.鈥� I know that 20-year-old me would have pushed back hard on that, but 30-plus me respects that he鈥檚 seen so much more of this industry than I have and his experience is something I can learn from.鈥�
鈥淚f there鈥檚 something serious that needs to be resolved, we generally sit around the table with a cup of tea and decide on the best way forward. We don鈥檛 find it difficult switching between work mode and family mode, we have professional respect for each other and make decisions accordingly. Though the meeting might occasionally end with me asking 鈥榮o can you still babysit Friday night?鈥欌��
Heavy is the head鈥�.
We ask Amy how great the pressure is of being custodian for the Forte Cloth brand.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a big thing. In this industry my father is incredibly well-known. I took one of our designers to a trade show in the US last year, and this girl came out of nowhere and said 鈥淵ou鈥檙e Ian Wallace鈥檚 daughter aren鈥檛 you? Oh my God, I always wanted to meet him!鈥�
鈥淎t times, it鈥檚 like travelling with a celebrity. He鈥檚 genuinely famous and has a reputation for being the best designer in the business. In America, anyone in the rug and carpet industry will know the name Ian Wallace. When I go to market and I鈥檓 showing a portfolio of designs, the first thing prospects want to confirm is that it鈥檚 him that selected them.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a hard act to follow. But one day it鈥檒l be me picking the designs, and I鈥檝e got to prove to all of our customers and everyone else in the industry that I鈥檓 just as good.鈥�
Does Amy anticipate that the Forte Cloth line of succession will continue down to the next generation?
鈥淲ho can tell? I鈥檝e got a daughter who鈥檚 nine and a son who鈥檚 seven, and who knows what they鈥檒l want to do with their lives? If they wanted to come into the business that would be amazing. My daughter鈥檚 very creative, she loves art so maybe she鈥檒l want to go down that route.鈥�
鈥淭he thing is, my parents never forcibly pushed me or my sister in any direction, they gently helped us along. I think that鈥檚 probably how I鈥檒l be, just quietly supporting the children in the background and wait to see what happens.鈥�
Accentuate the positives
We鈥檝e talked about the challenges, but what are the best things about working with the family in a business setting?
鈥淲ell for me, the best thing has been really getting to know my Dad. Before I came into the company we were always close, but travelling together for business I鈥檝e got to know him on a completely new and different level.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a really lovely experience because we鈥檝e created so many amazing new memories, built things together, experienced all the highs, lows and everything in between.鈥�
What advice would Amy give to anyone else running a company alongside their family?
鈥淔or me, developing an ability to read the room is a great asset. If you鈥檙e in a meeting and someone鈥檚 obviously quite passionate about something but you don鈥檛 quite agree, I鈥檝e found the best course of action is taking a moment and stepping away.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 always a time and a place to give your opinion rather than being instantly confrontational. Sending an email or having a quiet word later to say 鈥業 understand what you鈥檙e saying, but might we consider this other course of action鈥� will always get a better outcome than a family shouting match.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 mainly about giving your opinions respectfully, trying to understand each other and not rushing to judgement. Everyone might not share the same idea but ultimately everyone wants to achieve the same goal.鈥�
Final thoughts
鈥淩ight at the start when I joined the company Dad said to me 鈥榶ou coming into the business will either be the best thing we鈥檝e ever done, or it will create the biggest family rows we鈥檝e ever had.鈥欌��
鈥淎nd you know, we鈥檝e been working together for a while now and haven鈥檛 killed each other yet. So that鈥檚 a positive anyway!鈥�
