SGS : Promotes Sustainability at the Vietnam Wood & Furniture Industry Summit 2017

Beginning her presentation with a look at US and European market data for the last five years, Ms Galceran illustrated the clear need for furniture manufacturers to consider sustainability alongside safety and regulation compliance. As retail companies increasing look to promote sustainability, furniture manufacturers need to utilize supportable, environmentally neutral sources of wood to maintain their market viability.

The event also provided SGS with an opportunity to promote its testing and inspection services in Vietnam, and introduce a complementary service, closely linked to sustainability, the Cradle to Cradle Certification scheme. SGS is an accredited General Assessor for Cradle to Cradle product certification, a global scheme which encourages innovation and the design of products that effectively and positively impact people and the environment. Businesses working within the scheme have found it helps drive continuous improvement and stimulate product innovation, while also providing a robust marketing tool to differentiate their products in the marketplace.

Global Contributions

Fellow participants at VFIS 2017 included Kartik Shethia, US furniture manufacturer Herman Miller's Asia Pacific vice-president, who started the seminar by explaining how good design makes good business sense. He also described how sustainability influenced their product ranges and made reference to the Cradle to Cradle Certification scheme.

Anna Wilson and Thanh Nguyen from Ikea looked at the Ikea Forestry Standard and revealed how they set-out clear guidelines for all suppliers and ban the use of illegal woods in their products and packaging. For example, 100% of all acacia wood is now sourced from sustainable supplies in Vietnam.

Further presentations were made by Martin Schiessl from Blum, Joseph Xu from Covetro, and Christoh Matthe from DB Schenker, on various aspects of innovation in Vietnam's wood furniture industry, as well as Anthony Yuen, vice-president of Asian operations at Restoration Hardware, who looked at quality and precision in their Vietnamese factories.

Vietnam Is A Good Place To Do Business

Le Thien Duc from Vietnam's Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE), part of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, provided delegates with an overview of Vietnam's wood industry. Vietnam now exports wood products to more than 120 countries all around the world, with major partners including the USA, Japan, China and Korea. Unusually, Vietnam imports the majority of its timber for wood product manufacturing from abroad.

For companies looking to invest in Vietnam, Andy Ho from VinaCapital looked at data relating to the economy. He explained that, for the last eleven years, general exports have increased by 17% and the wood furniture sector remains Vietnam's seventh largest export category - between 2009 to 2016, Vietnam's wood exports grew by 15.1%.

SGS Furniture Services in Vietnam

SGS offers the full-range of furniture testing and inspections services from its laboratories in Vietnam. They have the industry, regulatory and technical expertise required to help businesses ensure compliance against relevant standards and specifications, helping manufacturers deliver sustainable, well-designed, functional, safe and compliant products to their customers.

SGS Global Service - Cradle to Cradle

SGS is an accredited General Assessor for the Cradle to Cradle product certification scheme, administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. They can assess products and determine their conformity with the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Standard at sites around the world.

For more information, please contact:

Priscille Galceran
Global Furniture Expert
SGS CTS (France)
t: +33 (0)4 42 97 64 47
www.sgs.com/hardlines

About SGS

SGS is the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 90,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,000 offices and laboratories around the world.