Kitchen manufacturer Crown says it has retained a “significant portion” of its customer base and is opening new trade accounts every week following a move to direct sales after the collapse of sister company Waterline.
Newly-filed accounts for the year to March 31, 2025, provide the first detailed explanation from Crown of how it has rebuilt its business following Waterline’s administration in October last year, describing the move from a distributor-led model to supplying retailers directly.
The Herne Bay-based manufacturer said the loss of Waterline, which had been its exclusive distribution partner, meant its manufacturing operation immediately lost around 95% of its customer base.
However, the company said it moved quickly to offer direct accounts to retailers, recruit additional customer service staff and establish its own direct delivery operation.
In its strategic report, Crown said: “We are pleased to report that a significant portion of our customer base has been retained and we continue to open fresh accounts on a weekly basis as customers from the past return to purchase directly from the factory.”
It added that the shorter supply chain was delivering “faster, more accurate responses” for customers while reducing product handling through direct factory deliveries. The company also highlighted investment in new door ranges and an online digital showroom as part of its future strategy.
Crown’s sister company Waterline ceased trading and entered administration on October 9, 2025 after weeks of speculation over its future. It was one of the UK’s largest distributors to independent kitchen retailers but administrators were called in after efforts to sell the business as a going concern failed.
The report says that Waterline accounted for around 80% of group turnover during the financial year in question.
Turnover in the distribution business fell by a further 10% during 2025 after sales had already dropped by more than 20% the previous year, despite launching a contract sales division and sourcing own-brand appliances directly from factories in the Far East. The business also closed its Bristol and Bolton distribution hubs at the start of 2025 as it sought to reduce costs, with all staff at those sites made redundant.
Directors blamed continued inflation, high interest rates and pressure on household finances for delaying kitchen replacement projects and depressing demand across the sector.
Despite the upheaval, Crown struck an optimistic tone about the future, saying it had successfully navigated the transition to a direct supply model while significantly reducing its cost base.
The company, which celebrates 80 years of manufacturing during 2026, said it is now “well placed to navigate any future challenges” and intends to continue enhancing its product and service offering for direct customers.