Welcome to the Iranian Market. In this episode, we’re going to discuss Iran’s furniture industry as one of the chain industries that could lead to economic development of countries. Keep us company till the end of the program.

The furniture industry can lead to economic development of countries.

In the past decades, making of furniture was known as a micro profitable industry in the world. Investment in this industry was also suggested by international economic organizations to developing nations.

Furniture industry is one of the important branches of small and medium businesses and is capable of creating jobs and producing profits in a fast pace. It is said that in England, more than 90% of corporations working in furniture industry are small firms operating with10 to 50 persons. In Italy, too, furniture workshops are small. Denmark, as a country that has allocated 20% of Europe’s furniture export to itself, has the same rate of production as England.

The average per capita consumption of furniture ranges from $53 in low and middle income countries to $189 per year in high income countries. The world average per capita consumption of furniture is $86 per year.

The diversity of furniture and wooden artifacts has caused a high volume in the exchanges.

This high volume translates into a big market of furniture and wooden artifacts in the world. It is said that in 2015 the value of global trade of furniture industry was nearly 150 billion dollars. Asia’s share in this market was 30%. One fifth of this share belongs to China. Among the countries that are known in the furniture industry mention can be made of Mexico, Italy, Germany, and the US. If a country creates a link between the production line in this industry and the global market, it can gain a major development in the sector of furniture industry and can gain a great source of income.

The furniture industry includes movable objects intended to support various human activities such as sitting (chairs, stools, and sofas), eating (tables and desks) and sleeping (beds). Furniture is also used to hold objects at a convenient height for work (as horizontal surfaces above the ground, such as tables and desks), or to store things (e.g., cupboards and shelves). The materials used for making furniture have differed remarkably during different historical eras. Historical evidence shows that for several millennia humans have used different materials including stone, wood, plastic and metal for making furniture. Stone scriptures and tablets remaining from Persepolis in Iran and Pyramids in Egypt show that the record history of designing chairs and furniture in different communities is very long. The oldest stool existing in West Asia was discovered in the south of Tehran, in a region called “Tappe-y-e Cheshmeh Ali”. This stool was discovered by Erich Friedrich Schmidt, a German archeologist in 1934- 1936. The stool belongs to the second half of the sixth millennium BC. It’s made of clay, sand and straw. This stool is made in a way that can tolerate human weight easily. This historical object is now kept in Iran’s National Museum.

There is a stone inscription remained from New Elamite era which shows a woman squatting on a stool holding a spindle. The stool’s feet in this inscription are like a lion’s paw which look like the designs of chairs and beds of Achaemenid era. Among the other discovered chairs in archeological diggings in Iran mention can be made of a bronze chair belonging to the second millennium BC in Amlash in the Northern Iranian province of Gilan. This chair is a small sitting miniature object with a square surface and a rectangular back exactly like today’s samples.

It is estimated that the value of furniture industry in the Iranian market is about 5 billion dollars. This figure which shows the annual consumption of furniture in Iran is higher than the global average. The most important units active in Iran’s furniture industry are small and medium manufacturies which are busy working in every corner of the country. Iran’s furniture is mostly produced in these units. Right now there are 50 thousand small and medium manufacturies active in the field of furniture industry in Iran with more than 117 thousand people working in them.

Although there are many furniture manufacturies in many cities, some cities like Tehran, Qom, Malayer, Mashhad, Tabriz, and Marand are main hubs of producing furniture. Iran’s furniture is exported to neighboring countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Central Asian countries, Persian Gulf littoral nations, Spain, Austria, Australia and the US.

Tuyserkan in the western province of Hamadan in Iran is known as the hub of Iran’s furniture manufacturing and wood carving thanks to its large number of walnut trees and the creative and hardworking people. According to reports, more than 10,000 people in this region are involved in furniture industry in over 4,000 workshops. Currently, more than 65,000 sets of furniture are being manufactured in Tuyserkan per annum.

It is noteworthy to say that Iran’s furniture industry, owing to the quality of the products as well as having creative and studious workforce, has bright future for having presence in global markets.

AE/RM/SS