NEARLY 30 Singapore furniture makers have banded together to promote their wares overseas - and they will do so under a single brand name, Singapore Mozaic.
The 27 manufacturers, who are also members of the Singapore Furniture Industries Council, will go on business missions and attend trade shows under this banner.
The brand will make its overseas debut at Italy's Milan Furniture Fair next month, followed by fairs in Cologne, Germany; and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
The council's president, Mr Andrew Ng, said the Singapore manufacturers now needed to sharpen their competitive edge and set themselves apart from their rivals.
The new brand was launched yesterday by Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lee Boon Yang at the opening of an international furniture fair at Singapore Expo.
The council, with Spring Singapore and IE Singapore, worked for over a year to come up with a suitable brand name.
They settled on 'mosaic', which means a picture formed by collaging pieces of coloured stone, tile or glass. The name reflects the diverse designs produced by these manufacturers.
The word mosaic is spelled with a 'Z' for a unique twist.
The brand is meant as a stamp of quality for companies which are reliable and service-oriented, and which have modern design capabilities.
Singapore Mozaic is the latest salvo in a campaign to triple Singapore's share of world furniture exports - from 0.7 per cent in 2006 to 2 per cent by 2015.
This translates into growing exports from $2.4 billion in 2006 to some $11 billion by 2015.
The $17-million International Furniture Centre in Sungei Kadut Industrial Estate, where 28 furniture exporters have set up shop, opened last December; two more centres are being planned.
Spring mattress maker Four Star Industries and furniture maker Cellini Holdings have joined Singapore Mozaic for a toehold in markets beyond Asia.
Four Star's executive director Neo Sia Meng said that as recently as four years ago, the Europeans at a German trade fair had not heard of Singapore.
The new brand, he said, was 'a good way to get people to know of Singapore - that we are metropolitan and can be relied on'.
The director of Cellini, Mr Jimmy Tan, said: 'We are exporting more to this region, but we want to sell to the world, and there's still a long way to go.'
