Wood

Tariff-savvy sourcing of quality wood components

We have been sourcing wood components from suppliers in China, Taiwan and Vietnam for 40+ years, ensuring that we meet the specific and evolving needs of our customers. Whether it’s a tariff-free price you are after, a specific wood species or a particular colour to be matched, we can supply the quality wood components you need. Our sources offer formaldehyde-free products and top coatings that are Low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) to ensure they are 100% compliant with Proposition 65, CARB laws, Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)- Title IV, Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturer’s Association (KCMA) standards, and where needed, other major international environmental standards on wood components including FSC compliance.

Drawer Wood 2-1

Our Process

Product Specification Phase:
  • Working with our clients’ designers and engineers, we translate performance criteria and sketches into specifications, compliance requirements and drawings.
  • We send this information to our suppliers for an initial assessment of manufacturability and quoting. Our manufacturers determine if they can produce the design reliably and at the lowest possible cost to meet the performance criteria. Then they provide a quote.
  • If we identify opportunities for design improvement through this process, we discuss and evaluate these with the client for feasibility, cost and timing, and we then update the specifications and drawings before obtaining final quotes.
Sample Phase:
  • After acceptance of a quote, our manufacturers deliver prototype samples for trial, feedback and approval. If any production tooling is needed, it is created once prototypes are accepted.
Quality Control:
  • Our client’s quality control and standards compliance needs are managed by the factory with third-party testing as required. This is done by our manufacturers, as well as by North American test labs (e.g. Intertek).
  • In many cases, our clients will visit our supplier’s facilities to witness first production runs and validate for themselves the quality of the manufacturing, testing and packaging.
  • Where required, all components and completed chairs are tested to meet the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association’s (BIFMA) standards with full test results provided.

Let's Talk

We can source any chair parts for you. Speak to our experts about your particular needs.

Fabrication capabilities

Our wood fabrication capabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Quality sorting
  • Color matching
  • Pre-machining
  • Dovetailing
  • Grooving
  • Cutting
  • UV protection coating
  • Wood grading (i.e. knot size, color consistency, stave width)
  • Carving
  • Custom packaging
  • And more

Items custom produced to order

Here are some examples of wood components that we can custom source or fabricate:

  • Ready-To-Assemble Furniture
  • Handles, knobs, feet and legs
  • Rails and corners
  • Drawer material (solid or plywood)
  • And so much more

Notable projects

Re-sourcing to a low Tariff Jurisdiction While Maintaining 100% Quality

We have been sourcing quality wood components from China for decades. However, the recent trade war between the US and China has resulted in significantly increased costs. Our customer was reluctant to change suppliers because they were very happy with the quality of the product they were receiving.

With our knowledge of global sourcing and supply we anticipated trade imbalances in the markets we operate in, which is why we began establishing relationships with suppliers in Vietnam many years ago. Our foresight meant we had a source for carved wood components lined up for our customer, while other sourcing companies were still trying to get their foot in the door. We suggested that our customer consider Vietnam as an option. 

Result: The new Vietnamese supplier quickly delivered the quality craftmanship and colour matching that consistently met our customer’s expectations – and all at an even better price.

In the current environment of trade uncertainty, we have become even more valuable to our customers due to our well-established supply chain across Asia.