Award Winners To Show At International Furniture Fair Singapore 2007

Furniture World Magazine

Named the gold and silver award winner in the Furniture Manufacturer Category of the Singapore Furniture Award (SFIA) 2006 respectively, Koda Ltd and Sitra Holdings, two of Singapore’s leading furniture powerhouses will be setting the quality benchmark for the Singapore Pavilion at the International Furniture Fair Singapore 2007/24th ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS 2007). Recognised as household names in the international furniture circuit, Koda and Sitra won kudos at SFIA 2006 with their financial growth and consistency, leadership in manufacturing, marketing prowess and management philosophy. Their participation at IFFS/AFS 2007 further consolidates the show’s reputation as Asia’s “must-see” premier furniture trade event and a highly anticipated one in the global furniture show circuit. Mr Jerry Tan, Chairman of the IFFS/AFS 2007 Organising Committee, said: “We are proud to count the winners of SFIA among our exhibitors at IFFS/AFS 2007. Koda’s and Sitra’s presence at IFFS/AFS 2007 reaffirms the show’s ability to attract world-class furniture trade exhibitors and buyers. The two companies are representative of high-calibre local furniture players who are going to make a big impact at the show with their products and designs. Coupled with the enthusiastic participation that we’ve received so far from leading furniture players worldwide, we are confident that IFFS/AFS 2007 will continue live up to its reputation as the “Best Show in Asia.” Established in 1972 and currently listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Stock Exchange, Koda is a leading original design manufacturer of furniture. With its strong product development, quality product design expertise and precise workmanship, Koda has been able to offer more than 300 differentiated product models to more than 150 established up-market customers located in over 50 countries. At IFFS/AFS 2007, Koda will be taking up a booth measuring 761-sqm, an increase of 38% in area from the previous show. This makes the sprawling Koda booth one of the largest at IFFS/AFS 2007. “Koda has participated in the IFFS/AFS for the past 18 shows and each year, we have garnered wonderful results. We are proud to return to IFFS/AFS 2007 with the added edge as a winner of the SFIA Furniture Manufacturer Award. This recognition reaffirms the Koda brand name in the international furniture market. Coupled with the larger exhibition space, we wish to showcase a wider range of our quality products and to continue growing our businesses worldwide,” said Mr James Koh, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Koda Ltd. A leading brand-centric distributor of high quality wood-based products and lifestyle furniture, Sitra was awarded one of the Enterprise 50 Awards for two consecutive years in 2004 and 2005, achieving 27th and ninth position respectively. Headquartered in Singapore, the Group now boasts a diverse customer base with over 270 corporate clients spanning 48 countries in Australasia, Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East Next year, Sitra returns to IFFS/AFS 2007 for the sixth year, this time with a larger exhibition space of 370-sqm. Mr Steven Chew, Chief Operating Officer of Sitra Holdings (International) Pte Ltd, Singapore said: “The IFFS/AFS just keeps getting better for us since we started exhibiting at the fair in 2002 and we hope to be able to establish more market contacts next year. Our achievement at the SFIA will give buyers greater confidence in the quality of our products when they visit us at IFFS/AFS 2007.” Besides Koda and Sitra, award winners of the SFIA 2006 Furniture Retailer Category will also be featured at IFFS/AFS 2007. They are Air Division Pte Ltd (Gold), Zen Tradition Living Pte Ltd (Silver) and Eurosa Furniture Co (Pte) Ltd (Bronze). The SFIA winners will join a list of prominent international furniture companies who will be showcasing their diverse range of quality products at the annual trade fair, underscoring its effectiveness as a business platform for the global furniture trade. Having experienced sterling results in 2006, many exhibitors have expanded their booth space for IFFS/AFS 2007 in order to offer larger product varieties and to widen business opportunities. Eighteen companies have taken up booths measuring 400-sqm or bigger as compared with nine in 2006. Besides Koda, some of these companies include Actona Asia (China), COE Ltd/Milico Woodworking (Singapore), Hong Kong and Shanghai Leather Corporation (China), Kenas Pacific (Hong Kong), Violino (Hong Kong) and Zhejiang Kuka Technics Sofa Manufacturer (China). An international mix of 76 companies will also be making their debut at IFFS/AFS 2007, adding on to the variety and eclectic product mix of the show. Among them are BSM NV (Belgium), Yangxin Luyi Wenjun Classical Furniture (China), CMP Furniture (Denmark), Sifas (France), Furniture Origins (Gibraltar), Homeland (Indonesia), D.F Srl (Italy), Calamus Hill Company Limited from Myanmar, Grain & Green and Urban Foundry (Singapore), Simexa (Switzerland), Indus Valley (United Kingdom), International Markets Group (USA) and Khai Thien-Cattie Asia (Vietnam). To date, more than 95 per cent of the 36,000-sqm floor space available at IFFS/AFS 2007 has already been snapped up. IFFS/AFS 2007 will be held from 1-5 March 2007 at the Singapore Expo. For more information on IFFS/AFS 2007, please visit www.iffs.com.sg. About the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) The Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) was established in 1981 as the official representative body of Singapore's furniture industry. It currently represents 95% of established furniture manufacturers in Singapore, of whom 65% have subsidiary manufacturing plants in the region including Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Vietnam and Myanmar. Its primary roles include promoting the interests of its members and the Singapore furniture industry. Many of its initiatives aim to facilitate members' exposure to the world market, develop local talent and encourage entrepreneurship. The SFIC also organises the annual Furniture Design Award to spur trend-setting furniture designs from Asia. To ensure the industry’s growth and viability, the SFIC continues to forge close partnerships with government and trade-related agencies to harness technology, knowledge and information for effective strategic planning. About International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd (IFFS Pte Ltd) International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd (IFFS Pte Ltd) is a subsidiary of SFIC, which owns 60% of IFFS Pte Ltd. MP International owns the remaining 40% share of the company. IFFS Pte Ltd’s business is in organising and managing furniture and furniture-related fairs, exhibitions, shows, conferences and other events worldwide. IFFS Pte Ltd organises the annual International Furniture Fair Singapore, which is held in conjunction with the ASEAN Furniture Show. The company has a six-member Board of Directors, comprising the Chairman of the Board, Mr James Koh, Messrs Andrew Ng, Jerry Tan and Sim Kah Choon, all Executive Committee members of SFIC, Mr James Chia, Chairman and Ms Sylvia Phua, CEO of MP International Pte Ltd. About International Furniture Fair Singapore/ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS) The International Furniture Fair Singapore, held in conjunction with the ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS) began in 1981 and has since grown to be regarded by industry experts as Asia's most prestigious furniture trade show. IFFS/AFS provides an effective marketing platform for regional companies to venture into global markets. As a testimony to the quality of the show, IFFS/AFS is the first Asian-based international furniture fair to be accepted as a member of the elite Union des Foires Internationales, a Paris-based international authority on trade fairs. In addition, it is the only furniture trade event in Singapore to be awarded the 'Approved International Fair' status by the Singapore Tourism Board. The Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau also recognises the fair as a major event on Singapore's international exhibition calendar.