Local production of furniture can cut costs by up to 60 per cent and reduce customer waiting time from three months to less than four weeks, says a leading UAE manufacturer.

Bafco, exhibiting at The Office Exhibition from March 3-5 in Dubai, has announced a significant increase in local production processes that will see production rise from 20 per cent to 50 per cent, while cutting costs and delivery periods.

It has also planned a reduction in imported products in order to meet the demand for cost-effective office furniture, it said.

Bafco is well established in the UAE as the exclusive agent of Humanscale products and recently completed an Dh11 million fit-out of customised workstations at Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3. They have also been awarded a contract to fit-out the Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University (formerly eTQM College) in Dubai.

“Given that customers in the UAE can wait for up to three months for their office furniture to be delivered, there is clearly a strong incentive to manufacture locally,” said Gilbert Grino, senior marketing executive at Bafco. “This also means we are able to customise our products to suit local tastes and provide a local servicing centre. In the end, the consumer could also see savings of 10 to 60 per cent.”

Sinead Bridgett, exhibition director at dmg world media, organiser of The Office Exhibition, said while the UAE is an attractive market for imports, many UAE-based manufacturers are discovering it is more commercially viable to produce their high quality office furniture locally.

“According to industry experts, the country’s manufacturing sector grew at 15 per cent in the first three quarters of 2008. Bafco is one of a growing number of companies who have capitalised on the UAE’s increasing industrial infrastructure,” said Bridgett. “In the current global economic climate, businesses are looking for ways to cut costs while still improving the services they deliver. Manufacturing locally fits both of these criteria.” – TradeArabia News Service