Why eco-friendly carpets are the future
Carpets Inter managing director Parkpoom Jarnyaharn says bookings are strong in 2010, with particular demand for eco-friendly carpet products
Publicly listed Thai company Carpets Inter has had a bright start to 2010, according to managing director Parkpoom Jarnyaharn.
Inquiries, demand and bookings are high for the year so far, with Jarnyaharn expecting this to continue into quarters three and four.
“Business will be wavy during the recovery period in most of the countries that we operate in, with Asia picking up faster than the Americas,” says Jarnyaharn.
“Carpets Inter has a high level of order backlogs and promising inquiries from both Asia and the Middle East. Demands and actual bookings in all product ranges, including Hand Tuft, Axminster, Machine Tuft and Carpet Tile, are high in the first and second quarter and looking forward, they will be even higher in the third and fourth quarter as well.”
This is good news, considering that in 2009, the recession resulted in the company seeing “approximately a 10-15% demand downturn” according to Jarnyaharn.
“We reacted by holding on to shares in the markets that we participated,” he says.
To overcome the challenges of 2009, Jarnyaharn says the priorities were: offering more flexibility and product choice; design and delivery commitment; excellent service; and pricing on a ‘case by case’ basis.
In addition, all crises tend to open up opportunities and in the case of the worldwide carpet and flooring industry, the 2008/9 economic downturn highlighted the demand for using environmentally friendly materials, he continues.
In 2009, Carpets Inter experienced high growth for its Cushion-backed EcoSoft Nylon Carpet Tiles, with demand for these products specifically from the hospitality, leisure and commercial markets.
“Green considerations have become the norm in the design and purchase stages,” says Jarnyaharn.
The company is already working with budget hotel brands such as ibis, Novotel and Pullman.
As Van der Werf notes: “It’s beautiful to do the Armani Hotel, in the Burj Khalifa, which took a lot of effort, but we should never forget that we can serve our four-star hotels at least as well and as efficiently as we can luxury brands.
As a result, the company has also recently decided to extend its eco-friendly product development to include international product certifications and labels.
The Hand Tuft, Axminster, Machine Tuft and Carpet Tile brands are registered under the CRI Green Label Plus system and The Wool Broadloom and Wool Cushion-backed Axminster EcoSoft Tile are ANSI / NFS140 and Carbon Label certified.
Carpets Inter has also started a carbon footprint programme for major products starting with the wool and nylon ranges.
In addition to the focus on sustainability, Jarnyaharn says the emerging trends they saw in 2009 were the growth of a niche market in hospitality and gaming areas for the Axminster EcoSoft Tile, and new markets in the Africa hospitality industry and boutique airlines.
COMPANY INFO
COMPANY: Carpets Inter
ESTABLISHED: 1974
Staff: 150 office and 1400 factory
USPs Flexibility and a ‘can do’ service mindset; leadership in sustainability and CSR; variety and capability in design; ‘one stop’ service from design concept to finish on the floor.
Product life-cycle: seven to 10 years with warranty; normally hotels reorder after four to five years.
Tel: +662 318 3670
Email: export@carpestinter.com
WEB: www.carpetsinter.com
ABOUT Parkpoom Jarnyaharn
Parkpoom Jarnyaharn joined Carpets Inter in 2004 and was promoted to managing director in January 2009. He held previous management roles with various companies in the chemical industry, including most recently Troy Siam Company Limited and Union Carbide Thailand.