In October, SEC led a group of eleven US lumber industry suppliers and association staff to on a business development and education mission to Bangkok, Thailand. Goals for the group were to learn about the Thai market for softwood lumber in remanufacturing and construction use, to develop long term supplier relationships with Thai builders, furniture and millwork manufacturers, and importers and distributors. The group also sought to understand competition from other international suppliers, issues facing Thai manufacturers and builders, and key issues facing Thailand’s wood processing and construction industries.
The seminar was attended by local developers, importers, and manufacturers who have experience importing wood products from North America. Presentations included an introduction to US species and their applications, and a presentation about the installation of preservative treated modular wood housing in Hawaii. The latter presentation specifically addressed the steps needed and feasibility of building with US softwood species in humid, insect-prone environments.
A representative from the University of Washington presented preliminary results of ground contact tests of US preservative treated wood installed in Thailand, and a member of the US delegation spoke about a large-scale pre-cut housing facility in the Philippines to illustrate the possibility of producing pre-cut housing with US species in Thailand.
During the rest of the week, the group toured manufacturing facilities for pallets, windows and doors, and mouldings, and they met with a builder/developer who participated in a past SEC inbound mission. Within one month of the mission, a US supplier reported selling product valued at over $100,000 and other mission members reported making contacts that they expect to lead to sales.
The seminar was attended by local developers, importers, and manufacturers who have experience importing wood products from North America. Presentations included an introduction to US species and their applications, and a presentation about the installation of preservative treated modular wood housing in Hawaii. The latter presentation specifically addressed the steps needed and feasibility of building with US softwood species in humid, insect-prone environments.
A representative from the University of Washington presented preliminary results of ground contact tests of US preservative treated wood installed in Thailand, and a member of the US delegation spoke about a large-scale pre-cut housing facility in the Philippines to illustrate the possibility of producing pre-cut housing with US species in Thailand.
During the rest of the week, the group toured manufacturing facilities for pallets, windows and doors, and mouldings, and they met with a builder/developer who participated in a past SEC inbound mission. Within one month of the mission, a US supplier reported selling product valued at over $100,000 and other mission members reported making contacts that they expect to lead to sales.
