Jirachai Tangkungamwong, marketing manager, of Bangkok’s Deesawat Industries Co. Ltd., which manufactures furniture using such species as U.S. White Oak and Hickory.
White Oak, Hickory Contribute To DEESAWAT’S Success
By Lucas Ngu
Bangkok, Thailand–From its humble beginning as a sawmill, Deesawat Industries Co. Ltd. is another dynamic Thai business entity that has evolved to become a big player in the world of wood.
Employing 400 workers, the family business has ventured aggressively downstream over the years to embark on the production of flooring material, furniture and building materials. Besides, the company also offers services in interior design.
Today, both indoor and outdoor furniture items comprise 70 percent of the items that roll off the production line at Deesawat Industries. From its early association with Teak, the factory has also diversified into the use of other materials like aluminium, stainless steel, and synthetic rattan for the manufacture of a wide range of products
These are samples of doors by Deewasat Industries.
It all began in 1972 with the purchase of a Singapore company, resulting in the shipment of not only the factory’s woodworking machinery but also its workers to Thailand. As far as furniture making is concerned, marketing manager Jirachai Tangkungamwong recalled that during the early days, the factory was involved in the manufacture of classical furniture, using Rosewood.
Today, the 30,000m2 production facility of Deesawat Industries, which is located in Bangkok, is managed by three family members – two brothers and a sister with their mother at the helm as managing director.
Each year, the factory churns out 200-250 containers of furniture and building materials, 80 percent of which are exported to the USA, Europe, Japan and countries in the Middle East.
According to Tangkungamwong, the bulk of the raw materials used for the manufacture of furniture and building materials comprise Teak with American timber accounting for 20 percent of the factory’s total wood requirements. “On the average, we import two to four containers of wood from the USA each month,” he said.
These are samples of unique designs of garden furniture produced by Deesawat Industries.
The American timber species of White Oak and Hickory are delivered to the factory in FAS and No. 1 Common grades and they come in random sizes.
Tangkungamwong said the company had been importing wood from the U.S. for more than 10 years. “Initially, we used the American wood for the manufacture of flooring material because of the market trend in Asia which was the preference for light colored floors.
“At first, we used a lot of American species but many of them were gradually phased out because they were found unsuitable for use due to the local climatic conditions. Over here, the humidity is high while the moisture content of the American timber is low so this leads to bending or warping of the wood which makes the floor uneven.”
So far, the company has not encountered major problems with the use of White Oak and Hickory as far as product quality and deliveries are concerned.
At Deesawat Industries, the focus is on the manufacture of contemporary furniture items, which are targeted at the medium to high segment of the market. Garden furniture produced by the company consists of the Boston Collection, Riviera Collection, Frankfurt Collection, Noon Collection and the Manhattan Collection.
Classical doors involve a blend of high quality wood, the company’s rich experience in woodcarving and modern wood processing technology. They come in various models like the Montana, Somerset, Boulevard, Imperial, Westminster and many others, which are either totally wood or a blend of timber and glass.
Deesawat’s decking strips can be clipped together without the need for nails.
Customers can take their pick of a wide range of flooring material produced by the company. Apart from parquet pieces, there are lamparquet, random strip flooring as well as fanciful mosaic flooring models that come with impressive looks such as the Haddan Hall, Star Flooring, Domino and Finger Block designs.
Teak decking comes with a revolutionary plastic locking system fitted to the underside that allows them to clip together without the need for nails.
The wide range of architectural millwork is not limited to items like stair and hand rails, skirtings, cornices and wall panels. The company also has other items to offer like door and window frames, wall panels, as well as boating and yachting accessories.
Quality and design are the forte of the factory and these have enabled the company to receive numerous accolades such as the Good Design Award from Japan, Best Garden Award, Best SME Award as well as the Prime Minister’s SME Award.
Deesawat Industries is also a member of the Thailand Furniture Industries Association with Tangkungamwong’s brother, Jirawat, holding the post of secretary.
