Next-Shoring: The New Frontier in Manufacturing Strategy Most of us are well versed with the term “off-shoring,” which, according to Wikipedia, involves relocating a business process from one country to another – typically an operational process, such as manufacturing, or supporting processes, such as accounting.  Offshoring has been the trend since the 80’s when Western…

South America, a plantation forest paradise? I recently returned from a 2-week trip to Brazil and Argentina, visiting current and potential suppliers. Traveling from Malaysia to South America is always an adventure as it takes roughly 30 hours from boarding the plane in Kuala Lumpur to landing at my destination in Brazil. My last visit…

Predicting the Future: Our Comprehensive 5-Year Forecast for Supply and Demand Recently, someone asked us about our 5-year forecast of the world’s wood industry, and the initial reaction was, “We would be very rich if we could forecast this accurately.” However, such forecasting is exactly what we have been doing for the last 25 years…

Made in India: The Rise of Timber Manufacturing and the Potential End of China’s Dominance in the Global Market The woodworking industry in India has been growing steadily over the past few years. It is a major contributor to the country’s economy, employing millions and generating significant revenue. The industry is mainly divided into two…

Challenges create new opportunities The Asian furniture manufacturing industry faces serious challenges due to various factors resulting from the recent Covid global pandemic and the ongoing Russian war. For example, American and European furniture demand has dropped drastically. Supply chain disruptions, fluctuation of raw material costs, and shortage of workers are common factors manufacturers encounter.…