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In Profile: Makasi Imports
Taking
Root High quality wooden furniture and home accessories company Makasi - which imports a diverse and extensive range of products from Indonesia - was founded by entrepreneur Daniel Unsworth in 2014. Eight years on, the business is continuing to go from strength to strength, with Daniel telling PG&H what gives the company its USP. Daniel Unsworth has been in the furniture and home accessories business since he was a teenager. “I started in the industry almost 30 years ago when I was 19, travelling out to Indonesia to buy and sell stock for a teak garden furniture company,” he explains. “I eventually became a partner in the company, subsequently deciding that I wanted to be my own boss, and I started my own business in 2014.”
Makasi: Current Best l Root with Glass Bowl l Bali Sun Parasol l Driftwood Twist Table/Stool
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Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide
That business was Makasi Imports, which supplies high quality wooden furniture and accessories featuring a wide range of rustic and contemporary designs, as well as a range for clients looking for something that’s unique. Explains Dan: “We carry stylish, driftwood-style stock that larger wholesalers find difficult to source and reproduce. We hold good stock at all times in the UK, with our range constantly evolving to keep things fresh, ensuring that we can always offer our clients something truly unique. Key launches for 2022 include hand-painted wooden birds and new larger size 2.5m Bali parasols. Plus, there are new additions to our best selling range of root with molten glass sculptures.” Dan highlights that the aim of Makasi is to supply great quality wholesale products at affordable prices, enabling trade only customers to make a profit. “Additionally, we’re a ‘people first’ company - our products are made by small family businesses using recycled teak roots, enabling the whole tree to be used sustainably in the furniture making Sellers process, eliminating waste, benefiting the environment and helping to support local communities,” he continues. “All
our products are traced from source right through to manufacture and are covered by FLEGT wood licencing. I maintain close relationships with our manufacturers so that I can personally guarantee the quality and ethical production of our products.” Of course, keeping up to date with current trends is crucial, as is constantly investing in brand new product ideas. “Our products are designed to fit within any modern home or garden,” states Dan. “Each piece of our garden furniture is made using teak roots, with items unique across all products and styles.”
Top: Larger size Bali parasols are new for 2022. Above left: Dan Unsworth, founder and managing director of Makasi, is shown at trade show in Indonesia just prior to the pandemic. Far left: A best selling root with molten glass sculpture. Left: Hand-painted wooden birds were among the new lines launched this year.
