A top Kiwi furniture company is setting the global industry alight with its world-leading nanotechnology developments.
Auckland-based PLN Group is a finalist in the Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards, with winners to be announced on June 29.
The company is earning up to 40 per cent of its revenue off shore from clients such as Citibank, HSBC, Google, Hewlett Packard, Disney and Apple, Chief Executive Blair McKolskey reveals.
“Our cutting-edge innovations such as acoustic nanotechnology is world-leading and we ar
e seeking to gain entry into Europe and North America this year.
“We have product we manufactured on display in North America’s biggest commercial furniture show NeoCon in Chicago next week,” he adds.
PLN is “one of, if not the most,” innovative furniture firms in New Zealand, McKolskey claims.
“We have special nanotechnology in acoustic applications, leading developments in air filtration and Internet of Things in furniture.
“We are turning the furniture world on its head,” he insists.
“We are one of the few truly vertically-integrated research, design and manufacturing firms in New Zealand.
“There are many furniture manufacturers, many resellers and few research firms – we do all three.”
McKolskey also believes PLN is one of the leading research firms in the New Zealand furniture market.
“We have qualified for a Callaghan grant to carry out research and development.
“We are one of the biggest exporters of furniture in New Zealand and one of the fastest growing with global product sales climbing more than 500 per cent in the last five years.”
PLN has been invited by world-leading furniture giant Haworth to showcase the best of their Keystone modular furniture system at exhibitions in Singapore and Sydney next month and in Bangalore in August.
McKolskey says the Haworth events are annual exhibitions in the Asia-Pacific region and of the entire portfolio of products featured, PLN will sit alongside two other global furniture brands Cappellini of Italy and Orange Box of the UK.
“The implicit endorsement of our firm and product is enormous benefit to our brand and product offering.
“It puts our Kiwi label on the same stage as one of the greatest furniture brands of the world, Cappellini, which is famous for identifying new trends and talents in the global furniture industry.
“Our nanotech has been a collaborative effort with one of only approximately five facilities in the world that can commercially spin nano fibre.
“We are also innovators in the application of the dense fibre to absorb sound waves in furniture.
“Haworth people say we have created an entirely new category of product in the furniture industry and we have created a path for others to follow.
“We are developing new technologies all the time,” McKolskey promises.
