Makers of Wooden Furniture Parts Develop New Products for Worldwide Markets

Makers of wooden furniture parts in Taiwan are adapting to labor shortages and rising production costs by boosting their use of advanced automated-production equipment to turn out high-end products. Some of them are also moving some of their production lines to Southeast Asia and mainland China to take advantage of the low-cost labor available there.

In addition, some of the island's manufacturers in the line have used their long-term R&D experience to develop sophisticated technology for the production of complicated, hard-to- make parts.

Some of the companies that are keeping their production in Taiwan say that they have the expertise needed to develop high-end wooden parts rarely found elsewhere, as well as parts that can be used not only by furniture makers but in other industries as well.

The Bentwood Advantage

One of the leaders in the line is Kenstar Bending Board Wood Co., which has over three decades of experience in making bentwood parts for office automation (OA) furniture, furnishings, and other furniture products. The company also produces finished bentwood furniture in a wide variety of styles for commercial use.

A strong design capability attracts customers the world over. "Our long-term R&D work enables us to turn out sophisticated designs that meet the needs of customers from all over the world," comments the company's president, Liu Kun-yuan.

Kenstar's bentwood parts, which are turned out in small quantities and large varieties, are 100% waterproof, wear-resistant, and non-toxic, and are thus perfect for use in kitchens. "Our bentwood can withstand temperatures of up to 90 degrees centigrade," Liu boasts. "Our products are suitable for development into everything from steering wheels for the automotive industry to outdoor decorations for temples."

The seamless bentwood that the company has developed over the past few years has become its hottest-selling category. Although it concentrates on furniture parts, it has also expanded its product line into such areas as stationery, flower stands, toys, and children's educational items.

Kenstar currently focuses its sales efforts on the quality-sensitive Japanese market. "Although Japanese buyers always find fault with the products they procure, they have strong purchasing power," the president explains. "If we can continue to raise the quality of our products, Japan will remain our largest export market over the next few years."

The company is also making an all-out effort to develop more overseas markets, for instance by taking part in international furniture shows in Japan, Germany, and Dubai.

The Importance of Superior Skill

Muh Yang Enterprise Co., established in 1980 as a maker of plastic molds, has since become a specialized manufacturer of high-quality wooden furniture parts. Last August it inaugurated a plant in Vietnam for the production of parts that rely heavily on manual labor, but it continues to turn out high-end products in Taiwan using automated- production equipment.

This equipment includes computerized numerically controlled (CNC) machines from Italy. "These machines," notes Chiu Hung-chin, Muh Yang's president, "help us boost production efficiency in making high-end products. But we also use some domestically made CNC machines, which cost only a third as much as imported models. Another advantage of the latter type is that we can get prompt service for them." Chiu says that the quality of locally made CNC machines has improved a great deal over the past several years.

However, he continues, "We don't rely completely on CNC machines to turn out high- end products. The most important factor in the production of high-end items is the dedication of the highly trained technicians in our R&D department. Our competitors cannot easily copy their skills."

Chiu claims that he uses the same production technology as companies in his industry's leading countries. "In the early stage of our development of wooden furniture parts," he explains, "we acquired Italian technology, and later on we began developing more technology on our own. We've also mastered the characteristics of various kinds of wood, which is the most important factor in making complicated patterns on the wood's surface."

All of the output from the Vietnam plant is exported, mainly to the United States, Canada, and Egypt, while the Taiwan plant supplies products primarily to Taiwanese manufacturers with furniture plants in Southeast Asia.

High Volume Means Lower Costs

Lee Ah Sheng Enterprise Co. has been making deluxe wood, aluminum, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blinds and poles for 25 years, and during the past several years has diversified into such products as wooden Venetian blinds, slats, and related components; wood curtain poles; PVC and aluminum mini-blinds; foam- wood blinds; folding wood screens; PVC trellises; and wood shutters. Two years ago it began producing woven wood blinds, which are selling well in Europe.

In 1993, the company shut down its plant in Taiwan and moved production to Guangdong Province in mainland China. Since that time it has been striving to develop new products and expand production capacity.

Lee Ah Sheng claims to be one of the world's largest makers of wood blinds and poles, and its huge production capacity enables the company to strengthen its global competitiveness by negotiating lower prices for materials. It is now considering a further expansion of its mainland factory, which currently measures 1.6 million square feet.

The company's work force of 1,800 can turn out 200,000 to 300,000 wood blinds and 100,000 to 200,000 PVC blinds a month. Its annual revenues average US$35 million. Europe is its largest market, absorbing 60% of total output, followed by the U.S. with 30%.

A Film-Making Leader

M.S. Printing Co., a specialized maker of wood-grain, stone-grain, and patterned film for the furniture industry, offers decorative transfer film that is suitable for application on all kinds of furniture and materials. Transfer film that is especially designed for curved surfaces is among the firm's hottest sellers.

Founded back in 1964, M.S. Printing made its first move across the Taiwan Strait nine years ago when it set up a factory in Guangdong Province. It has since added a second plant there.

The plants' production facilities are equipped with the most advanced printing machinery and engraved cylinders to ensure optimal printing quality. They turn out products suitable for use on all kinds of furniture, wood materials, and construction materials.

The wood-grain and patterned transfer film, for example, can be easily affixed to fiberboard, veneer, plastic laminated boards, and floors. This film, and the company's other value- adding materials, can help furniture manufacturers improve their profit margins.

M.S. Printing enjoys ISO9001-quality certification and boasts that it can print the latest patterns on paper, melamine, PVC, and other materials. To fill the ever-expanding range of its customers' needs, it strives to continually add new styles and colors to its product line, as well as items with custom- ordered colors.

The company exports most of its products to Mexico, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.