Portugal shows its craftsmanship, character
Despite a soft economy, trade fair attendance up
By Susan M. Andrews -- Furniture Today, March 10, 2002
PORTO, Portugal — By American standards, Portugal is a small country with thousands of very small furniture manufacturers.
But it's also a huge hotbed of furniture craftsmanship that should not be overlooked as the country works to become a player in the global market.
The Portugese furniture industry's efforts include an annual trade fair called Export Home, which showcases everything from case goods, upholstery and bedding to fabric, foam, lighting and rugs.
About 32,000 buyers attended the show this year, up from 27,000 last year. Once again, about 15% of the buyers were from outside Portugal, the majority from Spain. This year's event, the 14th, was successful despite lackluster economic conditions in much of the world, said several exhibitors, who characterized their business as surprisingly brisk.
One delighted exhibitor was Fernando Santos, an executive with upholstery specialist Belar.
"Our clients had been rather pessimistic due to the present state of affairs, but we have certainly had no reason to complain," Santos said. "We were able to sell even more than last year, exceeding our best expectations."
While the majority of foreign buyers were from Spain, there were also Americans on the show floor, including David Greenbaum and Scott Bross from Provenance Interiors in New York, who were on hand to shop for classic, handcrafted furniture.
Greenbaum said with a grin that "although there's no Krispy Kreme here (referring to a High Point landmark), this is an evolving market and they are very nice people to work with, and very accommodating."
Also shopping Export Home were Alesh Stopar, president of Viva Trade Corp., and Morty Dougatz, principal of International Furniture Sales. "Americans haven't discovered this market," said Dougatz, who is from New Jersey, "and that suits us just fine."
If APIMA, the Portuguese furniture industry's trade association, achieves its goals however, more Americans will be discovering this market.
Sergio Gomes, who heads APIMA, said the industry is working its way "step by step to the United States. Three years ago, we came with several companies to visit High Point, and Joal (one of the country's largest manufacturers) has been showing there since then.
"We will visit High Point again in October 2002 and plan to have a group of eight companies exhibiting at the April 2003 market there," Gomes said.
Few Portuguese manufacturers have the capacity to produce furniture in significant volume and even if they did, they cannot hope to compete against the labor costs in countries like China.
What Portugal does have, though, is the skill of its craftsmen. Generation after generation, they have produced exquisite classic furniture in the English and French styles. For hundreds of years, they have specialized in the handcarving, handpainting and intricate inlays that characterize those classic furniture styles, and it's that high-end niche in which they hope to grow their international business.
| Gomes |
| Crafted of olive wood, this secretary features the delicate marquetry from classic furniture specialist Atrium. |
| Designer Emanuel Jose styled this sofa for Anaric, mixing a funky wood frame with metal legs and cellulosic upholstery. |
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| Part of a line called Pull, this platform bed is highlighted with leather panels in the headboard. |
| Left: Covered in microdenier suede from Spanish mill Mercador, this contemporary chair was a star in the lovely showroom of Mobiramos Interiores. |
| This chest designed by Ana Ribeiro and Paulo Melo Veiga, ARPMV Design, received an honorable mention in the fair's design competition. It features pau ferro (ironbark) on the top and outside and satinwood on the drawer fronts. |
| A. Oscar & Oscar produces handcrafted French styled furniture like this chestnut beauty, another example of which will be exhibited at the Joal showroom in High Point next month. |
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