Woodtek Expects Big Sales of Laminate This Year

Bangkok, Thailand, April 23, 2008--Laminate flooring manufacturer Woodtek International Co Ltd expects to double sales to $51 million this year as many importers of Chinese laminated flooring have become its partners, according to assistant marketing director Sittiwat Sahawat.

''They [Thai importers] have faced higher costs after the Chinese government terminated a tax refund of 15 percent to laminated floor exporters in China,'' he said yesterday.

As a result, some local importers have stopped bringing in Chinese flooring and changed to sell local products.

Seven importers have now become partners with Woodtek, which supplies products to them under OEM contracts, raising the proportion of its OEM business to 70 percent this year from 58 percent last year.

The remaining revenue would be generated from sales of the Vanatur brand through dealers (20 percent) and from direct sales to property projects developed by existing customers, Mr Sittiwat added.

The company expects to increase production capacity to 100 percent next month from 80 percent in January and February.

Its annual production capacity is 3.2 million square meters.

About one $32 million would be from imported products and $19 million from domestic sales.

Woodtek's domestic sales in 2008 are expected to account for 40 percent of the total laminated floor market value.