From Minggu Simon Lhasa MILAN (Italy), April 25 (Bernama) — Malaysia’s furniture industry achieves a milestone and its image received a boost this week with its participation in the ongoing 48th Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano or International Furniture Fair of Milan. In its inaugural participation at the largest and most anticipated furniture trade fair in the world held between April 22 to 27, Malaysia is represented by five companies.

 

“It is a milestone as to gain entry and getting a place is not easy as there are 500 companies on the waiting list and in order to maintain standard, the organisers purposely limit exhibition space,” said Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) chief executive officer Datuk Noharuddin Nordin.

Pointing to the high stake involved, he said if Malaysian companies are successful at the world’s most prominent furniture exhibition fair, then Malaysian furniture would have a chance to penetrate the global high-end market.

 

Noharuddin is also part of the ongoing trade and investment mission to Europe organised jointly by Malaysian Industrial Development Authority and Matrade. Participation at the premier furniture fair was achieved after five years of attempts, he told Bernama after the soft launch of the Malaysian pavilion last Tuesday. Noharuddin said to improve its image, the positioning and branding of Malaysian furniture and its reference points in the future will be the furniture from countries such as Italy and France rather than those known as low-cost producers like Vietnam and China.

 

“We are going on a branding route. Now is the time to get the market to be willing to accept our products as a premium products that they are willing to pay more, just like what they are paying for Italian, French or American products,” he said, explaining why much efforts and time were spent to gain entry into the fair. Malaysia’s representatives include Design Principles Sdn Bhd (rush and rattan furniture), MIH Wood Industries Sdn Bhd (modern bedrooms and dining rooms), T&H Stainless Steel Works Sdn Bhd (modern bedroom and furniture), and Best Store Corporation Sdn Bhd (modern sofa and armchair).

 

There are about 1,300 exhibitors at the event, which attracted 130,000 Italian and 210,000 foreign visitors last year. Malaysia’s participation in the event is a joint effort of Matrade, Malaysian Furniture Promotion Council and Furniture Industry Technology Centre, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara). Noharuddin said Malaysian was promoting its own brand in the global furniture industry, and the challenge now was to retain its space in the exhibition as those deemed not meeting the high quality standards set by the organiser would lose their place.

 

“It is very competitive. For the exhibition we have selected companies with unique products in term of design and materials,” he said.

 

Noharuddin said though Malaysia was developing its own brand, the OEM (original equipment manufacturing) business, which contributed about 70 percent of the exports, will still continue to be important financially to the furniture industry. However, he said, eventually more Malaysian companies are expected to develop their own brands. Noharuddin is confident that Malaysia will be able to participate next year with a bigger exhibition space compared to 150 square metres this year.

 

“We have walked around the exhibition and we believe the companies we brought here are able to portray the high image of Malaysian design,” he said.

 

Noharuddin said it was highlighted at the exhibition that most of the raw materials for Malaysian furniture came from renewable resources. This, he said, was important in developed markets as the consumers are conscious about conservation and environment.

 

Malaysia is among the world’s top 10 furniture exporters and its exports last year amounted to RM8.72 billion with the United States, Europe and Japan among its major markets. Exports to Italy remained small at 10.10 million euro (one euro=RM4.75) last year, a 10.7 percent increase compared to 2007. Italy imported 2.73 billion euro worth of furniture last year with China as its biggest source.

 

 

Article Courtesy of  www.bernama.com