Malaysia: Higher demand for imported sawn timber
July 23rd, 2007 Category FurnitureDEMAND for high quality and certified imported sawn timber products will increase significantly in Malaysia and the region, according to a timber expert.
Local wood-based and furniture manufacturers, which traditionally used hardwood and rubber wood timber species as their raw materials, had gradually switched to imported sawn timber like oak and pine over the past three to five years, APP Timber Sdn Bhd managing director Michael Hermens said .
With competition from low-cost producers like China and Vietnam, many local players, particularly furniture makers, are actively improving their product range by manufacturing high-end furniture to capture a bigger export market.
Hermens told StarBiz: “There is also an emerging trend among wood-based furniture makers in Malaysia and Thailand to seek custom-made or cut-to-dimension timber components as they want to fully concentrate on assembling, finishing and marketing the end-products.â€
On APP Timber, he said the company’s presence in the Asian timber industry for over 10 years was a testimony of the increasing demand among regional wood-based and furniture product manufacturers seeking high quality sawn timber and timber components.
Headquartered in Malaysia, APP Timber focuses on selling imported timber product segments like sawn timber, veneers, dimension strips and panel products in high growth wood manufacturing markets, namely South-East Asia and China.
“APP Timber is a timber trader with a difference as our offerings include materials sourcing, kiln drying, product quality control and market advice,†said Hermens.
He said the company was positioning to be the preferred partner for both timber suppliers and customers on a sustainable and long-term basis.
In Malaysia, sawn timber accounts for 70% of the company’s total sales.
He said about 51% of the sawn timber was sold to furniture makers and the remainder to flooring and door manufacturers as well as retailers. “Our softwood and hardwood species are suitable for manufacturing high quality products especially for the re-export market,†he added.
Hermens noted that the scarcity in rubber wood supply in Malaysia had prompted many local furniture makers to seek for alternatives in imported timber species.
To ensure sustainable supply of timber, he said APP Timber has an extensive sourcing network located in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Africa and China.
“We are very selective in choosing our suppliers and saw millers worldwide,†he added.
Hermens said the raw materials included softwood and hardwood from South America, pinewood from New Zealand, South Africa and Finland, eucalyptus from Australia, veneers from Europe and Africa, as well as hardwood from the United States.
He said APP Timber planned to open warehousing facilities in Vietnam and Thailand given the increasing growth in the wood-based manufacturing operations.
“We will open more marketing offices in Indonesia and China and also look at opening a representative office in India in the near term,†he added.
Commenting on the importance of certified timber products, Hermens said: “There is an increasing awareness among regional furniture makers on timber certifications.â€
He said APP Timber’s imported products have PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) timber certifications.
The PEFC is committed to promoting sustainable forest management through independent third party forest certification while the FSC is an international network promoting responsible management of the world’s forests.
