The biggest issue of the local furniture manufacturing industry “is to get them equipment ready to complement their skills,” Canadian joiner Ralph Heading says.
Heading, a volunteer specializing in furniture manufacturing and a fourth generation Canadian joiner, made the comments during a seminar for local furniture manufacturers. The seminar was held in conjunction with the Forest Products Development and Marketing Council of Guyana Inc (FPDMC). The aim of the seminar was to look at improving the products provided locally as well as for international markets.
Spending one month in Guyana and observing the local industry, Heading said that he found that most producers rely on an analog system of producing furniture. One of his major findings was that many furniture producers did not use sharp tools which produced rough finished products that would not be accepted in his world, he said.
The Canadian joiner encouraged manufacturers and carpenters to use sharp tools, not only because it produces quality finished products but it also means that less electricity would be utilized, translating into savings and less time sanding furniture to correct the rough work.
Heading also highlighted the disinclination of international buyers to pay for products before delivery and the reluctance of Guyanese furniture manufacturers to supply before payment. He suggested third parties such as PayPal to act as the middle person for the parties.
Heading also pointed to the obstacles in shipping products from Guyana. “It should not be the responsibility of carpenters to figure out international shipment but as it improves so will the potential to reach the markets competitively. You have a real forest. Other people have what is left of a forest so what you choose to do is still going to be improved by the access to a living forest,” he told Stabroek News.
Dillon Beckles of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) spoke on the need of his institution to develop capacity in monitoring the quality of furniture. Currently, GNBS monitors 20 categories of products which includes furniture. The bureau follows the standards set out by CARICOM’s Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ). He said that the industry’s standard must be mandatory before the quality measures are imposed.
He advised the participants on the prerequisites of attaining the standards which should be detailed in the labeling of the product. It must state the origin so it can be traced back to the manufacturer, finishing used and dominant materials used in the production.
The afternoon discussion included an interactive session with Heading and the participants discussed ways of optimizing work space and techniques in finishing and production of quality furniture while also factoring in the preference of the customers. Heading spoke on the need for stakeholders to take a more proactive role in going to different countries and talking to foreign investors rather than wait on them.
He will be visiting the participants at their worksites to give a hands-on evaluation and make suggestions. This is an effort to teach efficient techniques that are affordable in the production of quality furniture.
