We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our Founder and Managing Director, David Carter.

David’s journey in the seating industry began with Trueform Posture Chairs. Armed with nothing more than a buyer’s guide and a single sample chair, he would set out from Ipswich each morning at 8:30 am, travelling door to door with no brochures and no appointments, working his way home to his family in Hemel Hempstead. His natural ability, determination, and belief in the product quickly set him apart. Opening up to six new accounts a day, David’s success soon overwhelmed factory capacity, and within a short time he was promoted to General Manager, running the company until its owners later separated.

Following this, David had the vision and courage to start his own business. With a detailed business plan, two young children, and very little capital,
he approached suppliers with an ambitious promise that he would sell 15,000 chairs in his first year. Despite his lack of capital every supplier agreed. True to his word, David sold all 15,000 chairs in under a year, working alongside his wife Doreen.

David believed firmly in sound financial principles. He chose to work only with customers who paid within 7–30 days and ensured suppliers were paid back-to-back. In May 1970, Pledge Office Chairs was founded with the objective of specialising in the production of adjustable office seating. Operating from just 180 m² of factory space with 10 employees, David took on the roles of sole manager and salesman, securing his first order from a company named Hoggs.

In 1971, David designed a new swivel bush for office chairs. The invention allowed chairs to be supplied in “knock-down” form, significantly reducing
the bulk and cost of packaging and transport. The design provided firm support for the seat on the spindle, while allowing smooth rotational movement through a snap-action mechanism that retained the spindle securely while permitting swivel motion.

Just one year later, in 1972, Pledge moved to new premises in Leighton Buzzard, employing 50 people and focusing on the production of operator chairs. In 1975, continued growth required a move to larger premises of 2,200 m², including a new engineering department featuring robotic welding, automated saw cutting, and a powder coating plant. The workforce grew to 70 employees.

In 1980, Pledge partnered with German company Grammer to produce a range of chairs designed by American designer Charles “Chuck” Pelly. These seating systems were developed to meet modern ergonomic principles, helping users remain comfortable, healthy, and productive across a wide range of applications and environments.

Innovation remained at the heart of the business. In 1982, David designed a revolutionary tilting chair mechanism named Levermatic, allowing seat height, back height, and back angle to be adjusted while seated using side-mounted levers. In 1983, the mechanism was further developed into the Trimatic, offering independent seat and back adjustment with body-weight tension control. Worldwide patents were registered, and the mechanism was exhibited at the NEC. In 1987, David further advanced the design with the Synchromatic mechanism.

In 1985, two further sites were acquired Leighton Buzzard, bringing total manufacturing and office space to 5,600 m² and enabling expansion of the metalworking division. The workforce grew to 120 employees.

Pledge’s reputation grew internationally. In 1989, a licensing agreement was agreed with Lion Seating, enabling the Pledge Milton range to be produced in Malaysia. In 1990, further licensing agreements were signed with Faultless Doerner in Canada and Kayd Seating in Durban, South Africa, allowing the Trimatic mechanism to be produced under licence.