6 minute read
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.” 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 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.”
Makasi: Current Best Sellers l Root with Glass Bowl l Bali Sun Parasol l Driftwood Twist Table/Stool
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.
To ensure the quality of Makasi’s products, Dan regularly travels around the globe to maintain close relationships with manufacturers so that he can personally guarantee the quality and the ethical production of products.
Despite the pandemic however, Makasi has continued to grow steadily, going from strength to strength. Having started out with one main warehouse eight years ago, there are now three large warehouse units located on the company’s Surrey farm location. A team of over 40 people are based in the UK and Indonesia, with Makasi’s capacity growing from one to two containers per month to six to eight. “Since starting out, we have also increased our warehousing in Indonesia to five times our original warehouse space, with our own new onsite wood kiln drying facility introduced in 2021,” confirms Dan.
As for the challenges of the past two years, he’s proud that Makasi has carried on shipping throughout the whole of the pandemic and is still shipping constantly, despite the rise in shipping rates being a consistent threat to the import industry.
“We took the decision to reduce our margins rather than pass the full cost of increased shipping and materials costs onto our customers, to try and help them keep the ball rolling,” he confirms. “We are very aware that if we were to slow things down we would lose vital employees in the UK and in Indonesia and we don’t want to do that. Our customers have really appreciated our philosophy, and we had a lot of positive feedback when other companies were struggling to maintain their client base.”
As for future opportunities for Makasi, Dan admits that, as with a lot of businesses, it’s been difficult to plan ahead over the last couple of years. “However, since the pandemic restrictions were lifted, it’s been a lot easier, with the retail industry beginning to pick up again,” he points out. So, what does he feel is the secret of Makasi’s success? “We deliver high end products within specified time scales, ensuring that each piece that’s delivered is of the highest quality, and we also pride ourselves on building strong relationships, both with our suppliers and our customers. Additionally, we always listen to our customers and regularly ask them for their feedback.”
As for what’s in the pipeline for the second half of the year, Dan highlights: “In addition to investing in over 150 new products this year, we plan to concentrate on marketing and advertising to build on our customer base. And although I feel that consumer spending on big ticket items will stay low for this year, with the general public enjoying holidays abroad etc., I nevertheless see spending on home accessories, giftware and smaller occasional furniture increasing in 2022.”
Top: A design-led wooden wine rack. Above: A driftwood Twist table/stool. Left An attractive wooden bowl.
Dan Unsworth: The Lowdown
l Which three words best describe you? “Hardworking, focused, innovative.” l What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced since launching Makasi? “We had quite a big setback in 2015, with a large fire at our - uninsured - warehouse in the UK that took a lot of time to recover from, and very nearly finished us off. I had to sell my home to put the money into the business to get it back up and running again as quickly as possible, but very fortunately, it paid off.” l What do you enjoy most about working in the furniture/home accessories sector? “I love getting it right with brand new products. I also love talking to people.” l What was the best piece of business advice that you were given when you started out? “Re-invest back into the business constantly. Look at ways you can improve the business and move with the times.”
l What’s the best piece of business advice that you would give to someone else today? “Put the hours in and keep in good communication with all customers both big and small.” l What was your career plan B? “I actually started out as a pâtissier/baker.”
