Angelique Soenarie
Global Surroundings LLC, an ecological furniture manufacturer that specializes in handcrafted Indonesian wooden furniture, has moved from Minneapolis to Scottsdale.
Since the company opened in 1998, owners J.L. and Jay Jackson said their business has expanded to California, Washington, Texas and Arizona, where the weather is warmer and customers are likely to invest in fine outdoor furniture.
They were averaging 10 trips a year back and forth between the West and Minnesota to meet with retailers, J.L. Jackson said, “It’s too hard to sell long distance.”
The company’s headquarters and showroom for furniture retailers will now be in the Scottsdale Airpark, featuring furniture made from recycled teak, a tropical wood mostly found in Southeast Asia.
Some pieces are rustic benches, trunks, daybeds, tables and chairs suited for indoor or outdoor decor.
Furniture by Global Surroundings LLC, can be purchased at local stores such as Arizona Patio and Robb & Stucky. A typical mission club chair can start at a $1,000 and each piece of furniture is designed differently for each retailer.
“We develop a product line just for them,” J.L. said.
Another amenity to the rusticlike furniture is that it requires less maintenance.
“It has a natural oil that keeps it from rotting and is a deterrent to termites,” J.L. said.
The furniture is made in Indonesia from old homes the factory buys from families who build brick homes.
Retailers can check out the furniture by appointment at the company’s new location, J.L. said.
“What’s so cool about our furniture is this was somebody’s floorboard of an Indonesian home. Our wood is not harming the environment,” she said, adding that a reclaimed teak board of 8 inches wide and 8 inches thick averages $18 each, depending on the volume. “It has a gorgeous grain to it.”
J.L. said she expects to average $3 million in annual sales at the company’s new location, attracting specialty furniture retailers from the area and nearby states.
“It’s a way to compete with big-box furniture stores,” she said. “What I like about our business is designing a line that is exclusive to the customer (retailer). I love the fact that we’re not selling our furniture to every single dealer in the country. We sell it to one customer and we protect that territory for them.”
