8 Things Your Hospitality Furniture Manufacturer Should Provide

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As a designer, you’re constantly battling tight deadlines and budgets. Sometimes you need to call in the reinforcements. 

Hospitality furniture manufacturers can be a big help in making a project the success you’ve envisioned. 

With plenty of hospitality furniture companies to choose from, it’s important to make sure the manufacturer you partner with can deliver. Carelessly selecting a manufacturer can jeopardize a project’s completion and drive up its costs. 

8 THINGS YOUR HOSPITALITY FURNITURE MANUFACTURER SHOULD PROVIDE

In your search for the right manufacturer, make sure they can, at minimum, provide:

1. AMERICAN MADE PRODUCTS

Offshore manufacturing may seem cheaper on the surface, but it can end up costing you more in the long run. Make sure your manufacturer is domestically producing the products you’re purchasing and isn’t a middleman for internationally made goods.  Benefits of using a manufacturer in the USA  often include:

  • Shorter lead times
  • IP protection
  • Availability of replacement parts
  • High quality products
  • Safer materials
  • Higher ROI

RELATED: 14 Factors to Consider in Your Hotel Furniture Design 

2. PARTNERSHIP 

You shouldn’t have to struggle to work with a hospitality furniture manufacturer.

As with any custom hospitality furniture project, obstacles can -- and often do -- come up. Your manufacturer should be a true partner through the duration of your project, available to answer all your questions or help you navigate the unexpected. 

3. INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS

When a manufacturer designs a project, furniture installation should be at the forefront of their mind. Key installation considerations include: 

  • Space limitations for assembly
  • Maneuverability in stairwells, elevators, and hallways
  • Proper equipment or resources for unloading

Failing to plan for installation can lead to a host of problems for your project, including needless delays and increased costs. 

4. PROPER DOCUMENTATION

It’s important to have proper documentation and spec sheets, from furniture layout to electrical requirements. 

Your manufacturer should be able to provide you with guidelines outlining guestroom blocking and electrical service to avoid things like an electrical outlet being covered by a headboard or a dresser obstructing a walkway.

5. ONE-STOP SHOP

A word of caution: Not every manufacturer is a one-stop shop, meaning they can’t provide you with an entire furniture and millwork package for guestrooms. 

Working with manufacturers who can meet all your project’s needs saves you a lot of valuable time because you’ll only have one FF&E casegood and millwork point-of-contact.

6. QUALITY CONTROL 

Quality control is an important part of the furniture manufacturing process -- it holds your manufacturer accountable and makes sure the job is done right the first time. 

A designer should receive hospitality furniture free of defects, on time, and within budget. Through quality control, your manufacturer can ensure the products you’ve ordered are the products you receive in the condition you expect. 

7. HEALTH & SAFETY  

Though this goes without saying, furniture used in your design should not pose a threat to guests’ health and safety. Your manufacturer should be aware of and adhere to the regulations set by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The federal law sets strict guidelines for the use of new and existing chemicals. 

8. A WARRANTY

Your manufacturer should provide a warranty against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for every piece of furniture they produce. The warranty should be valid for several years from the date of delivery.

Investing Now to Save Later

Taking the time to ask the right questions of a potential hospitality furniture manufacturing partner can save you time and money in the long run -- not to mention a few headaches. 

Vetting manufacturers to provide these 8 deliverables helps ensure your project is completed on time, on budget, and as planned for.  

 

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