Malaga-Based family business of 49 years, Inglewood Products Group Pty Ltd, has shipped a batch of locally manufactured solid jarrah doors as part of a million-dollar deal in Brunei.
Malaga-Based family business of 49 years, Inglewood Products Group Pty Ltd, has shipped a batch of locally manufactured solid jarrah doors as part of a million-dollar deal in Brunei.
The custom-made jarrah doors are main entrance doors, and the shipment marks the project’s halfway point. The client required that all 360 doors for the project have a uniform appearance.
Inglewood Products won the contract, which is expected to be completed in 18 months, through its Singapore office, set up 20 years ago by founder and managing director, Ardino Gosatti.
Mr Gosatti told WA Business News the deal came about through previous work completed in Brunei.
“Our Singapore office previously secured work with some housing projects where we supplied jarrah doors and timber joinery products,” he said. “They were also able to get the products specified.”
Under the new deal, the Singapore office was given a sample carved panel, from which it devised the method of construction.
“We engineered and designed a door that needed a thicker than usual jarrah veneer, which was supplied locally by Gunns Ltd,” he said.
Mr Gosatti said the main doors, valued at $3,500 each and weighing 120 kilograms, required engineered concealed hinges, and strong sub-frames and frames.
“We have developed techniques to ensure that nothing will move our frames from their wall casings. The door and frame system is supplied pre-fitted with the hinge and lock recesses already in place,” he said.
Inglewood Products Group was helped in its pitch for the contract by the Forest Products Commission, which provided a storyboard that included information on the management of the forest and the suitability of jarrah for the contract’s requirements.
Mr Gosatti said Inglewood Products Group had its own sawmill, located 40 kilometres south of Perth, with the FPC and integrated hardwood forest products company Gunns Ltd providing the jarrah.
Forestry Minister Kim Chance said the contract was not only a credit to quality craftsmanship but a major boost to the state government’s support for the local value-added timber industry.
“This contract represents value adding approximately $15,000 a cubic metre to the raw product,” he said. “It clearly demonstrates that we have the product and the expertise to compete in niche markets on the international stage.”
Inglewood Products Group’s international distributors include Inglewood Elements USA,Inc. (US), Hokusho Co. Ltd (Japan), Inglewood (Singapore) PTE LTD, Bussetti Sunrain s.n.c. (Italy), and Antry Pty Ltd (Middle East).
According to the FPC, Western Australia has three major manu-facturers of outdoor furniture using jarrah – Inglewood Products Group, Jensen Jarrah Pty Ltd and Clarecraft Industries Pty Ltd. The companies produce around 90 per cent of Australia’s outdoor furniture exports.
Last month, the state government said it would look to investigate the adoption of Australian Forestry Standard certification by the Department of Conservation and Land Management and the Forest Products Commission for native forests and state-owned plantations under their care.
Mr Chance said the AFS would provide industry, consumers and investors with an independent, third-party assessment of forest management practices against agreed economic, social, environ-mental and cultural requirements.
