Gloster’s Premiere Production And Product Availability
After more than two years into new era of business where supply chain issues have become ubiquitous and extended lead times are unfortunately all too common, some of Gloster’s most valuable attributes have been our ability to maintain stock levels, keep lead times at industry-leading levels, and to be able to get our products in the hands of designers and clients with expediency. These abilities are not the result of luck or happenstance, but the result of a long and focused process of improving all stages of our production that began long before our current business environment arose. In this blog, we will explore some of the key areas of our production and supply processes that have helped us maintain industry-best stock levels and lead times over the past two years and have helped support us once again throughout the 2022 season.
Indonesian Operations
Gloster’s Indonesian operations are an essential part of what allows us to maintain our stock levels and lead times. After moving our factory and production process to the country in the 1970s, we have steadily improved and consolidated our operations in the years since. This trajectory culminated in 2018 when we acquired our own sustainably managed teak plantation of nearly 100,000 square meters/1.1 million square feet of land area. The plantations are located near our two factory locations: a sawmill and main factory. Between these three locales, we have a workforce of around 850 employees that are spread across different stages of our production processes.
The expansive production floor of our facility in Surabaya, Indonesia
The advantages of having many different stages and inputs of the production process all located close together and managed by the same team are numerous. Instead of relying on the cohesion between multiple teams spread out in different locations or third parties outside our organization to handle parts of our process, our operations are closely coordinated and entirely in-house. This setup allows our timber, sawmill, metal, cushion production, and research & development teams to work together and make adjustments to our production schedule as quickly as needed. In an environment of unprecedented demand and supply-chain complications, the ability of our Indonesian operation to adapt quickly and effectively has been essential in maintaining the high stock levels in our American, European, and global markets for the last two years and sets Gloster up well to do the same for the 2022 season.
South Boston, Virginia
Since it serves the biggest market for Gloster products, our center of operations in America has an outsize role in maintaining our stock levels and lead times. Located in South Boston, Virginia, this facility is home to our corporate campus, the South Boston Studio, cushion production operation for the American market, and has over 500,000 square feet of warehouse space for furniture stock. Utilizing a cushion production hall that measures just under 15,000 square feet, our cutting, sewing, and stuffing teams combine to produce around 125 cushions and/or protective covers per day, every day. Once produced, these cushions are paired with their accompanying frames and shipped out immediately in order to keep things running smoothly and our production on-schedule. The ease and efficiency of this operation is the key factor that allows Gloster to offer industry-leading lead times.
Facility in South Boston, Virginia
The journey of consolidating our operations and making our production process faster and more efficient has been a priority for Gloster since long before our current business environment arrived. However, once our industry shifted into the current era of extended lead times and lower stock levels, the advantages of our setup took on an entirely new level of significance. This setup has helped us respond and adjust to the challenges of the last two years better than anyone else in our industry and has once again proven to be a valuable asset throughout the 2022 season. The journey of consolidating our operations and making our production process faster and more efficient has been a priority for Gloster since long before our current business environment arrived. However, once our industry shifted into the current era of extended lead times and lower stock levels, the advantages of our setup took on an entirely new level of significance. This setup has helped us respond and adjust to the challenges of the last two years better than anyone else in our industry and has once again proven to be a valuable asset throughout the 2022 season.