Upholster stands up against furniture importing

Upholster stands up against furniture importing

Upholstery Fit Outs (UFO) owner, Colleen Bryant is calling for furniture import regulations to be reviewed.

The 54-year-old is concerned that upholsterers are getting less work because New Zealand is importing cheaper furniture from overseas.

“When people want to get recovery jobs done on very good solid furniture, they’re tending to throw away rather than have the local upholster, reupholster.

“It’s [the furniture] like the old time crates that we used to receive the big bottles of beer in, that’s what it’s being made of. If you’re after long time furniture you need to spend a bit more money,” she said.

Bryant, who has 31 upholsterers within her nationwide business’ network, says there is no intake of upholstering apprentices.

“There are no apprentices because these small businesses, that we have nationwide, have a great skill base, but they’re not getting regular work to warrant an apprentice.”

Also weary of bio security, Bryant believes New Zealand does not seem to have much of a furniture import monitoring service.

“We have couches coming in from overseas with construction materials that are of poor quality, the timber is undressed and it’s dirty.”

Unaware of any updated information, she says in 2008 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) did an investigation inspecting 51 imported couches. Thirty-nine of them were contaminated with insects, pathogens, bark, plant material, and previous insect damage. Sixty-five types of wood were discovered. Thirty-eight insects were found, with only one being alive, alongside 11 couches infested with fungi.

At the end of the MAF report it says “fumigation is voluntary either overseas or in NZ, and that a high proportion of upholstered furniture imported are infested with potential pests and pathogens.”

Bryant says furniture imports have been a growing problem over the past five years and would like to see the government start thinking about furniture in the long term, and the effect on business growth.

“I think when the recession hit the furniture stores had to look at why the customers weren’t buying furniture. Prices have decreased substantially, and the bigger companies are trying to make more of a profit.”

For further information or to contact Colleen Bryant, visit the UFO website at www.upholsteryfitouts.co.nz.

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