I visited Holden Decor in Darwen and was amazed at what they do!

Holden Decor is one of the leading wallpaper companies in the country for production and design and I decided to pay them a visit.

 Upon arrival I was shocked at how an unassuming warehouse in Darwen has been able to become so successful.

Darwen is widely known as the heart of wallpaper production with countless companies situated in the quaint town but why is this?

It’s because Darwen is ideally located in a valley with a wetter atmosphere which was perfect for making textiles and then wallpaper.

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Holden Decor themselves have been going for over 30 years and have remained in their birthplace since the start.

This has helped them to become a strong local employer, changing lives of many residents whilst creating a strong family-like group of employees some of which have been there for over 20 years.

When asked if the company would ever relocate when expanding, Managing director Neil Duerden, said: “There are no plans as of today.

“We are a large local employer and we are very proud of that and we are strong for that.

“The culture of the company is built around people who live together, work together and socialise together."

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When delving deeper into the Holden Decor headquarters I was amazed at the size of their warehouse which seemed so much smaller from the outside.

As the company outsources the actual production of wallpaper to European countries like Germany, Belgium and Italy, they are able to use their space to store and sell.

The warehouse contained well over £1.5 million worth of stock and was carefully managed by a dedicated group of employees.

I was told the thing that sets Holden Decor apart from the rest of their competitors is their speed.

Whether this was speed in getting their products out to customers or how quickly Holden are at identifying the latest trends that will fly off the shelves, the bottom line is they are quicker than the rest.

Neil said: “It’s been really satisfying to see some of the plans that we have built be so successful and we’ve grown with customers like B&Q and Wickes.

“We actually opened an American business as well in 2023 so when you are in a growth phase like we are now everyone is excited.”

“When we come into work there are always new and interesting projects to work on meaning there is a real buzz around the business.”