U.S. hardwoods have found another foothold in India as commercial manufacturers have now begun to realize the potential benefits of using sustainable andhigh quality American hardwoods, according to the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry. Leading the way are established names such as Furnicheer, Ebco and Ritikaa Wood who areall either trailing or commercially using imported American hardwood species including redand white oak, and tulipwood.
“Currently, about 50 percent of our production is in tulip wood. Not only is tulip wood easierto work with, the finish is far superior in comparison to the timbers we were using previously. Testament to our belief in American tulip wood, we have recently started working with Ebco, one of India’s oldest and leading manufacturers in the furniture hardware sector. Previously, Ebco was crafting all of the wooden elements for its accessories using steamed beech. This new agreement means that all wooden accessories for Ebco will now be produced in American tulip wood in our factory in Mumbai. Looking ahead, we’re confident that this will open up a massive opportunity for us and for American hardwoods in India’s booming modular kitchen market,” said Subhangi Vaidyanathan of Furnicheer.
Our products are the preferred choice of clients and architects who desire the naturalelegance and warmth of real wood, but with little to no maintenance. We’ve been primarily working with Accoya and have, to date, completed over 600 installations across more than 50 cities in India,” said Anuj Divanji, Managing Director, Ritikaa Wood. “We have recently started looking at American red oak as it has a beautiful aesthetic and figure pattern. Wedo see a good potential for its use in India in the limited market that we are focusing oncurrently, which includes doors and windows. It's early days yet and we will evaluate thisand observe the performance before moving ahead in a major way.” According to AHEC, the majority of European hardwoods are being used in furniture andjoinery production for the domestic market, where the ‘exotic’ look of temperate woods pecies is becoming increasingly popular. AHEC is very focused on this opportunity and remains committed to working closely withIndian manufacturers tohelp them find suitable U.S. hardwood alternatives,” concluded Roderick Wiles, AHEC Regional Director.