N.C.-based American Furniture Exporters makes progress
Group sees buyers at High Point Market
Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, November 17, 2008
HICKORY, N.C. — American Furniture Exporters, a local consortium of high-end custom furniture manufacturers created to spur international business, got off to a good start at the High Point Market last month.
The group, formed to create a cost-effective export program, distributed literature to international buyers and directed them to partner showrooms.
"We saw some decent (international) traffic in our space with buyers from Venezuela, Greece, Israel, Quatar, Mexico and elsewhere. Some expressed interest, some were browsing," said Rick Moose, sales manager for dining chair specialist and AFE member Designmaster. "Our goal is to show overseas."
Other members are upholstery makers C.R. Laine, Leathercraft, McKinley Leather, and Paladin Inds. and case goods manufacturer Wright Table. All privately owned and some share customers and sales representatives.
The group plans to create a database of international customers and set up foreign-based sales representation.
"We made some headway with that," Moose said. "But, as with other manufacturers seeking to do this, trying to find qualified representatives is challenging. We are making as many connections as we can."
Once the group has offshore sales representation in place, it can solicit buyers.
AFE will coordinate orders and shipments with Consolidated Services, a distribution and freight-forwarding operation here. The cooperative effort will help international customers fill mixed containers.
Shipping documents and credit will be negotiated under one umbrella. By simplifying logistics, AFE will reduce shipping costs for the buyer and shorten lead times.
Assisting the group is Catawba Valley Community College's Center for Emerging Manufacturing Solutions and the North Carolina and U.S. Departments of Commerce.
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