Creative Woodwork International (CWI) Introduces Skillfully Crafted Wood Furniture that Brings Attractive, Affordable Style to Outdoor Living Areas
by Anonymous

Minneapolis – December 4, 2002 - Based in Minneapolis, Creative Woodwork International (CWI) is a privately held U.S. company that imports strong and beautiful outdoor wood furniture from Vietnam. "We enable retailers to meet the growing demand for high-quality, durable, and affordable wood furniture," says Bernadette Carroll, president, CWI. "Creative Woodwork International offers a complete line of versatile wood furniture that brings character and style to backyards, gardens, patios, and decks. And, it is perfect for sunrooms, solariums, mudrooms, and breezeways that integrate indoor and outdoor living areas in today’s homes."

Casual furniture sales are projected to increase 13 percent annually. Within this category, wood furniture sales have recently increased by 24 percent, surpassing both wrought iron and wicker/rattan. The demand for wood outdoor furniture continues to grow because consumers want to bring the comfort and style of their homes’ interiors to their outdoor living areas.

Teak has long been the standard for outdoor wood furniture. However, original-growth teak is scarce and no longer available. Today’s plantation-grown teak is expensive and lacks the strength and character of traditional teak. Retailers need a new, and reliable, source of quality, enduring, and affordable hardwood outdoor furniture. To give retailers a new, and superior, choice, Creative Woodwork International (CWI) imports quality wood furniture manufactured from alternative, sustainable hardwoods in Vietnam.

Creative Woodwork International is committed to ensuring that all wood used in its furniture meets Forest Stewardship Council standards for forest management and chain-of-custody. CWI’s primary hardwoods, balau (buh-LOO) and keruing (CARE-ing), are plentiful, sustainable, and provide an exceptional, and affordable, alternative to teak. "Our woods are 25 percent more dense than teak, and our furniture wholesales for two-thirds less," says Carroll.

CWI’s manufacturer in Vietnam has been producing beautiful outdoor furniture with these strong, naturally handsome hardwoods for the European, Australian and Japanese markets for more than a decade. Their 400 talented, highly trained craftsmen create distinctive outdoor furniture, from start to finish, in a world-class, ISO-9002 certified factory that features modern machinery from Italy and Taiwan.

"CWI offers 50 different styles, available in balau and keruing, or in retailers’ choice of other sustainable hardwoods that are responsibly harvested," says Carroll. "We can also manufacture customized outdoor furniture true to retailers’ unique design requirements."

"Creative Woodwork International started importing furniture from Vietnam even before the free trade agreement took effect," says Tom Palmby, CWI’s founder, who has been doing business in Asia and Southeast Asia since 1985. With its extensive international business experience and proven track record in importing from Vietnam, CWI streamlines the import process and expedites delivery to retailers.

"CWI has a passion for enduring, skillfully crafted outdoor wood furniture," says Victoria Winslow, principal, Victoria Winslow & Company, a San Francisco-based manufacturers’ representative organization. "With its unique relationship with its Vietnamese partners and expertise in importing, CWI offers a great alternative for retailers to meet consumer demand for quality wood furniture for outdoor living."

More information on Creative Woodwork International (CWI), including a photo catalog of our wood furniture, is available on the Web at www.creative-woodwork.net.

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Note to Editors: CWI’s Web site, www.creative-woodwork.net, features a complete newsroom and online media kit, including photos of our furniture, a corporate backgrounder, and FAQ’s. Editors seeking any follow-up assistance whatsoever may contact David Aquilina via e-mail at davidaquilina@msn.com.

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