Sangthong bamboo products weaving their way to success
Sangthong bamboo products weaving their way to success
S angthong Bamboo Production Group is keen to develop new products to attract even more customers after their handicrafts have proven popular with the public.
The group's Director, Ms Bountom Hongvilay, spoke to Vientiane Times last week while displaying bamboo items at her booth during the IP Fair at Lao-ITECC.
She said the group was established in 2008 and was made up of more than 20 families from villages in Sangthong district, Vientiane, to make bamboo products and provide jobs. Since then the handmade products have been well received by the general public. Only families that can produce items to the highest standards are selected to join the group. There are now just 15 families who produce 27 types of bamboo products for a growing market.
“The products not only appeal to local people but also to foreign visitors who buy them to decorate their house or to keep as a souvenir. It is a great endorsement of local people's handmade designs,” Ms Bountom said.
The bamboo products, especially baskets and furniture, are proving very popular with customers who have been eagerly buying from their display booths at the numerous trade events organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, she added.
“The group is developing more products of various styles while maintaining good quality to meet customer demand. We are encouraging group members to concentrate on their production processes while providing them with marketing support to generate income for their families and improve their living conditions.”
The group had more than 20 types of bamboo products on display at the IP Fair, generating a brisk trade, and Ms Bountom expected to make more sales during the Lao-Thai Trade Exhibition at Lao-ITECC from May 6-10.
The group's work helps provide employment for local people after they have finished their rice harvest.
Apart from trade fairs, eager shoppers can also visit the group's stalls at Asean Mall in the capital and in Sangthong district.
