The C.O Designs Story
Founded in 1994, C.O Designs has established itself as a manufacturer in the furniture business that differentiates itself with quality and innovation. Engineering the Evolution of Workspaces.
Our story
Founded in 1994 by Raymond Ellerbeck in Somerset West, C.O Designs began with a simple yet powerful idea: to reimagine home office furniture at a time when personal computers were becoming household staples. One of its first innovations, The Box Office, was licensed to Makro in 1995, setting the tone for the brand’s future in scalable, functional design.
As demand grew, so did the company moving to larger factory premises in 1996 and again in 2001, and evolving its focus from home offices to large-scale corporate and educational clients. Key leaders like the late Peter Pillon and current director Graham Radford played a pivotal role in driving expansion, including landmark projects like the furnishing of Sanlam Investments’ London offices.
Through challenges and milestones, the company continued to grow, opening its Johannesburg office in 2013 and welcoming Debbie Radford as Director.
Today, C.O Designs stands at the forefront of corporate office furniture manufacturing in Southern Africa and now enters a bold new chapter. In 2025, the company became 52% Black Female-Owned, welcoming respected industry leaders Bernadette Isaacs and Lerato Moledi as majority shareholders. Their vision, paired with the deep-rooted experience of Ellerbeck and Radford, forms a united leadership committed to innovation, inclusivity, and transformation.
With over 30 years of experience, C.O Designs remains true to its promise of Engineering the Evolution of Workspaces—delivering functional, modern, and sustainable office solutions for a changing world.
Our Company Profile
Our Purpose
We aim to make a positive contribution to businesses in South Africa by supplying products that will help them grow and create greater employment opportunities, so more people share in their success. This is a long term and ongoing motivation because our mission of designing products that help our clients to consistently improve their productivity levels, is not finite, nor will we be able to say that we’ve finally accomplished our goal. Subsequently, our work will never be finished - so there is every reason that C.O Designs will outlive many of us that work here today.
Vision
Creating productivity enhancing furniture products for workspaces.
Mission
C.O Designs’ mission is to consistently be the leading South African designer, developer, manufacturer and supplier of privacy & focus enhancing furniture and acoustic solutions that contribute to the wellbeing and increased productivity of a company's employees.
Sustainability
We strive to protect the environment through developing low carbon footprint products through low carbon operations.
Values
Winning Team
We all have different roles and responsibilities, but we work together towards the same common Goal of designing, manufacturing & supplying furniture that meets the ever-changing needs of our clients.
Excellence
Being specialists by way of focus.
We chose to be specialists by being focussed on what we are trying to master, namely designing & manufacturing productivity-enhancing furniture.
Dynamic & Innovative
Our product designs are guided by studying international trends & doing research to understand the future-of-work.
Positive Discontent
We give ourselves credit when we are doing well, but we know we can always do better.
We make small, incremental improvements daily.
Nurturing Partnerships
We develop relationships that make a positive difference in the lives of our employees, our client’s and suppliers.
Integrity
We uphold the highest standards of integrity in all our actions.
Our Journey
Explore the milestones that shaped our story
C.O Designs Founded
Box Office Launched
Box Office Licensed to Makro
Factory Relocated to Parow
Peter Pillon Joins as Partner
First Export Project
Second Factory Relocation - Epping 2
Peter Pillon Passes Away
Graham Radford invests in C.O Designs
Exclusivity Deal with Italian Acoustic Experts Caimi Brevetti
Factory Expansion
Debbie Radford Joins as Director
Attended Orgatec Furniture Fair
Graham & Debbie Radford Relocate to Cape Town
First QuickPod™ Room-in-Room Installed
Attended Orgatec Furniture Fair - Second Attendance
First Locally Made Privacy Pod in South Africa Launched.
ChatterBox LITE 1.0 Launched
ChatterBox Classic™ 1.2 Launched
Upgraded ChatterBox Classic™ 2.0 Launched
Upgraded ChatterBox Classic™ 3.0 Launched
Privacy Pods Displayed in Entrawood Sandton Showroom
SkyLite™ & CitiPod™ Launched
New Ownership - 52% Black Female Owned
ChatterBox Classic™ 4.0 Launched
Meet our Leadership Team
With a combined legacy of leadership and a renewed vision for transformation, Raymond Ellerbeck, Graham Radford, Bernadette Isaacs, and Lerato Moledi now lead C.O Designs together—championing innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable growth as they shape the future of workspace design.
Raymond Ellerbeck
Graham Radford
Bernadette Isaacs
Lerato Moledi
The C.O Designs Team
Meet the amazing team that is behind the continued success and growth of C.O Designs.
Our Production Facilities
Our Clients
The key to our success has been the exceptional relationships we have built with our customers over the years.
