The Bangladesh Wood International Expo 2018 is slated to be held on the dates between 12th and 14th July. The third edition of a global woodworking event, it is going to be visited by stakeholders and companies operating in the woodworking and furniture business sector. Ever since the first edition of the Expo led to great interaction between the exhibitors and visitors, more companies have made it a point to be a part of this major woodworking expo that is destined to serve as a great platform for mutual interactions between companies in this sector.
Therefore even this year the hosts and organizers of this event are expecting extensive presence of various local and international companies that are indicated in the scope for furniture hardware, woodworking machinery, fitting and fixtures, panels and plywood, particle boards, power tools, wood coatings and composites.
Over the last couple of decades, the furniture sector of Bangladesh has expanded greatly and has led on to launch numerous projects internationally. During the 90s, the country made huge leaps and bounds of improvements and one of the major achievements during this era included full scale mechanical production. Earlier, most of the woodwork was done by bare hands. However, the advancement to mechanical production led to greater production which in turn improved the economy of the country. Since then, the furniture industry began to grow rapidly and businesses made use of modern machinery and innovative designs to achieve great results. In fact, new and diverse materials were introduced which further expanded the scope of the furniture industry in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh furniture industry is currently shifting its main focus from teak and other raw materials to completely processed wooden materials. About 60% of raw materials, such as timber, wood coating materials, hardware, hardware items, fabrics and accessories are nowadays imported. The exports have jumped by almost 253% over the last 5 years. Demand for finished goods has been steadily expanding in international markets, particularly in the United States and the European Union. Currently about 41,560 enterprises as well as almost nearly 200000 skilled and semi-skilled workers are involved in this sector. Organizations like Bangladesh Furniture Export Association or BFEA and BFIOA or Bangladesh Furniture Industries Owners Association are working actively on improving the potential of the woodworking sector.
At present, Bangladesh Furniture Export Association or BFEA has got 12 members. Government of Bangladesh recently declared the country’s furniture industry as ‘Thrust Sector’. Other than the various large export-oriented companies, there are numerous furniture clusters located in Dhaka at the Sutrapur, Badda and Mirpur areas. There are also numerous furniture companies with factories and bases in Gazipur and Savar areas. All such endeavors are improving the scope of the furniture industry in Bangladesh. It means that the woodworking sector is also one of the fastest growing sectors in this part of the world. By participating in the Bangladesh Wood International Expo 2018, a company can not only enhance its position in the local and international markets but also earn the maximum return on investments.