EXPORT OF FURNITURE : When the recipe is made in Senegal across the Atlantic
In the gardens of the Hotel Meridien, an exhibition dedicated to local businesses exporting to the United States will take place. In attraction, there will undoubtedly furniture made by a young company that makes New York one of its main outlets.
the beginning was a click. When in 2001 Latyr Diop Soumbédioune passes, the beauty of furniture that are exposed do not leave indifferent. While on vacation in Senegal, he who lives in the land of Uncle Sam for 12 years, wondered why such goods should not be exported United States. "The young people I interviewed at me then said that they had material, nothing oppose it," he says. "I went to the United States where the day after my return, I was able to convince friends and collect 201,000 dollars (about 130 million CFA francs) before rushing on to Italy to buy woodworking equipment. It's a new life begins for the young Senegalese in their thirties started. He sold his shares in the company he ran until then, a "same day delivery" operating in the area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and returned to Senegal. Finite delivery. Cheers wood and Koch B. "And he and his five partners, Senegalese expatriates chose to name their cabinet carpentry business. "I dreamed of such an opportunity," he said. Except that those are the beginnings of disillusionment. Located in Touba, the one who helps to assemble the case on rolling in the flour. But it takes much more than that to discourage him. After this bad experience, it's relocation to Dakar. In November 2003, the first collection was launched and a first showroom is open on the road Almadies in January 2004. "We only work with solid wood of all ranges to contemporary furniture," he says. Cabinets, doors, furniture, lounges, dining tables, anything that is movable, passes into the hands of the shapers of this company.
Ornamented with glass, woven cloth or other materials, furniture Koch B. make their way across the Atlantic when they are not sold in Senegal at prices ranging between 25,000 and 1,600,000 CFA francs CFA.
07 December, Kock B. which is on the Internet, has opened one of the most prestigious avenues New York Groud Floor Lafayette, a showroom in Soho just inaugurated by the Minister of Industry and Handicrafts for the President of the Republic. In Senegal, the seaside resort of Mbour, Saly has also received one three months ago. Between 2003 and 2004, turnover increased from 73 to 300 million CFA francs. With two workshops, including a unit based out of the woodwork Sodida, group B. Koch which the exhibition space at Almadies also houses a bar-restaurant, employs 92 people. Pape Moussa, one of the partners of expatriates Latyr, here yesterday in the gardens of the hotel when was arranged the exhibition, not only of performance. "Our production units are in perfect order to better meet the expectations of the U.S. market where the business plan we submitted to the Boad," he says. Except for a loan of 100 million CFA francs granted by a local bank, the company runs mainly on equity. "The wood of choice is costly and sometimes out. It takes substantial resources to get him to Gabon or Cameroon "says Latyr.
What about the difficulties of a Senegalese SME to enter the U.S. market. "At my level, I have none. It was there that I learned to do business. It is a market that I'm better than that of Senegal, "replied Latyr. "We do not understand that a company like ours can not benefit from the state budget set aside for the purchase of furniture" asks Pope Moussa. Containers of furniture that were already sent to the U.S. where some of their products are sold to 7000 dollars (more than 3.5 million CFA francs) each, did not cost much in taxes as they were solid wood. With the approval of cloth woven with the regime of AGOA, there are other opportunities available to them. 25 to 30% taxes that hit their products made with this material will disappear. "For us, this meeting on AGOA, we must above all serve to expand our portfolio of partners," hoped Latyr and Pape Moussa. They might not be disappointed if we judge by the curiosity they have begun to awaken in the gardens of Le Meridien. 800 guests of the organizers of the Forum, which is said Wade should scroll on places, between 17 and 21 hours under the tents set up on the seafront yesterday, even though the development of their vast booth was not yet completed, some tourists did not hesitate to leave the pool to go watch the beauty of the furniture entirely made in Senegal, who lack neither insurance nor charm ... in swimwear.
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