The Furniture Manufacturing Industry of Barbados - Caribbean ...

• Carry out a detailed assessment of the machinery at the Polytechnic’s workshop and
draft a plan for its upgrade (including additional staff / resource persons)
� (BIDC Industrial Services Division and Polytechnic)
• Set up a furniture producers’ association and develop its institutional capacities so that
it can manage / coordinate of the “Barbadian Vernacular” marketing campaign
• Have an additional competition asking craftsmen to present their suggestions for “Bajan
Fusion” pieces
� (Historical Committee with BIDC Design Section)
• Produce “Barbadian Vernacular” furniture on a test scale and start to market it
through an existing(!) e-trading platform; then scale up the production and trade as per
the demand of the market
� Furniture producers (with assistance of BIDC)
• A show room to put the furniture on offer either in Barbados or overseas is an additional
though not essential option; a convenient option could be to open such an outlet in one
of the stores at the Pelican Centre; this location could cater for the domestic customers
and tourists alike
� BIDC (and furniture producers)
• To increase ownership for the “Barbadian Vernacular” label, the responsibility for the
marketing of the furniture is to be handed over to an association of furniture producers
by mid-2007. Avoid that the promotion of “Barbadian Vernacular” is perceived as an
undertaking of BIDC or any other state agency
� BIDC and furniture producers
5.1.3 Longer term (in the coming six months)
Some of the suggestions that have been brought forward in the process, so far (like the establishment
of a distribution centre in Barbados and/or Miami) will only make sense once
measures outlined in chapters 5.1.1 and 5.1.2 have been implemented.
• Have an additional competition asking craftsmen to present their suggestions for “Bajan
Fusion” pieces
� (Historical Committee with BIDC Design Section)
• Produce “Barbadian Vernacular” furniture on a test scale and start to market it through
an existing(!) e-trading platform; then scale up the production and trade as per the demand
of the market
� Furniture producers (with assistance of BIDC)
• A show room to put the furniture on offer either in Barbados or overseas is an additional
though not essential option; a convenient option could be to open such an outlet in one
of the stores at the Pelican Centre; this location could cater for the domestic customers
and tourists alike
� BIDC (and furniture producers)
• To increase ownership for the “Barbadian Vernacular” label, the responsibility for the
marketing of the furniture is to be handed over to an association of furniture producers