The growth potential for the particle board market is thriving in Bangladesh on the back of rising demand for timber-alternative furniture and their increasing use in home or office interiors. The demand for particle board made furniture, which is much cheaper and eco-friendly than wooden ones, has been increasing around 15 to 18 percent per year since 2017, thanks to rapid urbanization and the growing housing sector of the country.
So, what is particle board? Particle boards are non-structural products made from jute or wood particles of various shapes and sizes that are bonded together with a synthetic adhesive under certain heat and pressure. It is a timber substitute product that is used in making modern furniture and interiors. Particle boards are of various sizes and thickness combinations for use in interior decoration, furniture, door and door frames, partitions, false ceilings, shelves, and panels for use at homes, offices, and commercial establishments.
The first introduction of jute-based particle board in the market was in 1962, and it was led by the late M A Hashem, Chairman of Partex Star Group, under the company named Star Particle Board Mills limited, the only particle board manufacturing plant in the country at that time. Mr. Hashem also sought to relieve the country’s heavy dependency on import-based particle products by producing within the country, thus creating a household brand name called Partex.
“We wish to continue our journey as the leading household brand of this country although we are facing uphill consumer demand each year for more supply” Says, N H M Fazle Rabbi, head of marketing, Partex Star Group, “through continuous improvement of production and quality assurance process, Partex Boards has been producing its particle board products for the last 60 years and will continue to do so in the future. And as the demands for our premium products are ever increasing, it only indicates to the steady growth of the country’s overall economy and the consumerwareness of the timber substitute products such as particle board.”
The journey of the wood-based particle board industry started in 2006. And there has been massive investment in particle board manufacturing after 2011 as demand rose steadily in line with the fast-expanding consumer class. Now, there are several types and categories of particle board products produced in the country, such as plain boards, melamine boards, and veneered boards. Among these, melamine boards account for around 60 percent of the board-based furniture industry due to its higher usage among corporate and residential segments. Manufacturers of these particle boards use locally available raw materials such as wastage of timber and jute stick as the major ingredients for making particle boards along with other bonding agents. There are alternatives to particle boards as well, such as MDF boards, PVC boards, or Plywood. All in all, the market for board-based furniture and interior is ever emerging in the country despite the temporary shake-up during the pandemic, and it only keeps getting bigger by the year.
WIRTTEN BY Kazi Ashfaqur Rahman
