From speaker boxes to caskets, a timber manufacturer from Masterton in New Zealand is showing how flexibility counts in tough economic times. Taylormade Furniture started making solid pine caskets for funeral homes two years ago and has seen production grow steadily as orders come in. Source: Stuff NZ
The company is now trying to increase its market share by taking on the dominant MDF casket manufacturers, offering its timber models at a similar price. But while the funeral market is increasingly seen as the company’s future, it is a long way from the furniture they focused on for three decades.
“It actually started by another casket maker coming to us for help,” said Barry Taylor. “We spent 12 months working with them and when they closed up we took all that work and put it into production.”
Taylormade makes traditional pine caskets, in a market dominated by MDF, which accounts for about 90 per cent of all caskets.
The company employs four staff, two fully trained tradesmen and two trainees.
Dean Taylor said their caskets were made using a computerised router, and could be left with a natural finish or stained various colours.
While there were other timber manufacturers, most were aimed at the higher end of the market, he said.
Prices ranged between $1200 and $2500, similar to the MDF products, although a new product would retail for under $1000.
There were also environmental benefits with pine, which made a difference when used on their caskets.
“So far the data is telling us that with the pine casket the crematorium is using less energy to cremate them than with MDF, so there’s benefits all along the line. We think it has a good eco story,” he said.
“It’s grown about 20 per cent every month for the past 18 months.”
