Sleaford-based exhibitions firm diversifies to combat Covid stagnation

RH Displays is run by Dan Rawdings and Robert Whatling based off Mareham Lane. They specialise in building exhibition stands for major international events, but with Covid-19 preventing venues operating, work dried up rapidly from March.

Dan said: “We design and project manage and have a joinery workshop. We work globally, all over Europe, the US and Dubai.

“NKDC helped us relocate from Louth over two years ago and we have grown and grown. At the start of the year we were flat out going from country to country installing big exhibition stands but we were one of the first industries to have to stop.”

He did not expect exhibitions would get going again until next March, but he added: “Because of our joinery workshop and design team we have diversified and set up a new company.”

Dan explained: “Myself and Robert both started our careers in commercial interior fit outs, working for blue-chip clients, therefore it seemed the perfect time to re-visit this and start RH Interiors to run alongside the already successful RH Displays and Exhibitions.

“We will do office refits, showroom and retail spaces, commercial and residential, with bespoke joinery.”

They have already successfully completed their first office fit out of Vaderstad’s Grantham offices and Dan believes the move had turned a positive out of a negative, with hopefully two successful businesses emerging post-Covid, eventually generating more jobs.