08 June 2010
Jordan Furniture Exporters and Manufacturers Association (JFEMA) supports AHEC's key initiative in the Kingdom

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, revealed that its 'American Hardwood Seminar and Lumber Grading Workshop', held earlier this week (Saturday, June 05, 2010) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Amman, has attracted leading players from Jordan's wood sector. In addition, the Jordanian Furniture Exporters and Manufacturers Association (JFEMA) marked a significant presence at the event, underlining its full support for AHEC's first initiative in the country.

With approximately 3,000 furniture manufacturers operating in Jordan, which employ an estimated 20,000 employees, the Kingdom's furniture industry has achieved remarkable success in introducing new product lines into both domestic and export markets. Today, the country's furniture products are known for their quality, durability and reliability, and are capable of satisfying market requirements throughout the world. AHEC's planned foray into this market is aimed at further boosting the quality of furniture products produced in the country by helping manufacturers to understand the potential offered by America's wide range of hardwood species, which offer a wealth of design and suitability options for this growing sector.

Speaking at the event's sidelines, Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, South Asia and Oceania, said, "Jordan imported almost USD 5.6 million worth of hardwood lumber and veneer from the US in 2009, signalling significant demand. This trend seems to be continuing this year, with USD 500,000 of American hardwood lumber alone being imported during the first quarter of 2010. Increased usage of US hardwoods in Jordan's expanding furniture and interiors sectors is a sign that high quality raw materials are appreciated and it could help the furniture sector to further expand its export business. The support extended by JFEMA underlines the importance of this event, and we would like to thank them, as well as our local partner A. A. Kattan & Sons for their contributions in making this event a resounding success."

The highlight of the seminar was a discourse on the wide variety of American hardwood species as well as their important environmental credentials and the United States' long history of good forest governance by Roderick Wiles. In addition, Bob Sabistina, former Chief Inspector of the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) and AHEC'S grading consultant, conducted a practical demonstration of the grading rules for North American hardwoods, which form the basis of every successful transaction. Following similar activities undertaken by AHEC to generate awareness and knowledge of American hardwoods across the region and beyond, the workshop is also in line with the vision of JFEMA to help its member companies adhere to the latest international standards, trends and norms.

"The remarkable creativity of Jordanian furniture designers and our capacity to produce adequate volume of products have allowed us to meet the dynamic furniture demand across the world's largest markets. However, we believe that access to American-produced hardwoods can provide Jordanian manufacturers an excellent opportunity to develop an even higher quality of products, which can be appreciated by customers in the region and across the globe. We are expecting and this event to be a tremendous success, and the presence of American hardwoods in Jordan to bear positive results for all participating companies," concluded Ali Khreino, CEO, JFEMA.

JFEMA is a non-profit association established with the core purpose of being the sole representative of the Jordanian furniture exporters and manufacturers on the local, regional and international levels. With a total of 43 member companies, the organisation delivers a wide spectrum of services, including sector promotion and marketing, export readiness consultation, networking, work force training and information systems maintenance. In addition, JFEMA plays an essential role in improving the overall performance of its members through its uncompromised commitment to international standards and norms whilst assisting its members in obtaining quality certifications and other relevant international certifications.

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About AHEC
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is the leading international trade association for the U.S. hardwood industry, representing the committed exporters among U.S. hardwood companies and all the major U.S. hardwood production trade associations. AHEC runs a worldwide programme to promote American hardwoods in over 50 export markets, concentrating on providing architects, specifiers, designers and end-users with technical information on the range of species, products and sources of supply. In addition, AHEC also produces a full range of technical publications. Visit: www.americanhardwood.org.

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© Press Release 2010