'The bamboo professor'

• Source: Global Times
• [13:21 April 29 2010]
• Comments

Soren Matz shows the different ways to process bamboo. Photos: Zeng Zhiwei

By Zeng Zhiwei

When Soren Matz first came to China five years ago, he ran into a problem that stood in the way of his plan to create high quality bamboo furniture. He couldn't find anyone who could give him information about bamboo.

"When I first came to China, I had no one to ask about bamboo furniture making," said Matz, a Danish furniture designer and co-founder of Hothouse Design Exchange, a Shanghai-based interior design and furniture manufacturer. According to him, although China is a key player in the global bamboo industry, it lacks organizations dedicated to bamboo research and market information.

This forced him to research every facet of the domestic bamboo industry by himself, earning him the nickname "the bamboo professor." Because of his reputation, foreign companies often hire him to consult about the domestic bamboo industry.

Actually, there is an organization that provides information about the bamboo industry. An organization called the International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, which operates under the Chinese State Forestry Administration, acts as a platform for businessmen to share information. However, their phone line is usually busy and they lack English language service, which can be troublesome to foreigners.

However, Chris Trees, director of MGT Engineering Ltd., had less trouble finding information about the bamboo industry when he came to China three years ago.

"When I came to China, factories were already in place. All I needed to do was find the right supplier," Trees said. MGT manufacturers bamboo tricycles in Fujian Province and assembles them in Shanghai. Using the Internet, Trees was able to find a factory that made products similar to what he needed. "It was quite fast and easy," he said.

Challenging perceptions

Many people know bamboo as a highly versatile material that can be used to make all kinds of things, from floors to kitchen wear to furniture. However, most bamboo products are made from unprocessed bamboo materials. "Few people can see the full potential of it," Matz said. For some of their designs, Matz company uses specially processed bamboo that they call "Nu-Bu," which has properties similar to hardwood and can be used in ways that unprocessed bamboo cannot.

"Anything you can think of, we can use bamboo to make it," said Xie Xiaorong, director of Zhenghe Hehe Exhibit Equipment of Bamboo Factory. According to Xie, there is an organization in the city of Dongguan, an industrial center in Guangdong Province, that offers free information about the bamboo industry.

"It is true that those of us in China don't usually process bamboo to make different types of products. It is not a problem of technique. It is just simpler and easier," said Zhao Yong, director of Suzhou Heqi Trading Company, which primarily produces bamboo home furnishings.

The biggest problem that Matz's company currently faces is production scale, Matz said. If a company wants large profits, they need mass production, but they simply don't have the orders yet.

"I would love to make lots of bamboo furniture because it's environmentally friendly, but the bottom line is we need to survive," he said.

As demand for furniture made with environmentally friendly materials increases worldwide, so do the opportunities for the people who make it. Currently, Matz is helping another company with its large-scale production in China. He helps them with production and quality control. "They give me a commission for the design and material consultation. Even though my cut is only 2 percent of the profit, it will still end up being a large sum because of the scale of production," he said.