High quality standards

Gloster, which is based at Bristol in the UK, is part of the D-Scan group that came into existence over 100 years ago through the founders’ trading links in the Far East. D-Scan had already been making furniture for more than 30 years when Gloster was set up. Today Gloster is one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of teak furniture with a production plant at Surabaya in Java, Indonesia. In order to guarantee total quality control, the company diverts very little work to sub-contractors. Management of the factory, which employs a workforce of more than 700, is in the hands of European employees.
Gloster demands a high standard of quality from the timber that is its raw material: nothing but first-class teak with a straight grain structure and an absence of knots, splits or cracks is good enough for processing. The timber is classified at the sawmill stage, and is then kiln dried to a residual moisture content of eight per cent. This gives it stability in a variety of climate environments and temperature changes. Following a great number of operations the timber components are repeatedly sanded by hand to achieve the desired silky-smooth finish. The mountings are also manufactured with equal attention to detail: the fittings consist of brass or acid-resistant stainless steel. Every Gloster model is tested for durability, stability, finished accuracy and comfort.
Importance is attached to both aesthetics and more practical considerations when it comes to designing new models. In addition to straight teak models the range of furniture includes teak chairs with vinyl covers, furniture combining teak with metal, and also items made of handwoven hularo, a material with the appearance of wickerwork.
This furniture from Indonesia reaches retailers all over the world by means of distribution centres in Britain, the USA and Belgium. Retailers have access to appropriate advisory services as well as comprehensive POS material and training exercises to ensure optimum success for their sales efforts. What is more, the company also regularly invites chosen dealers to Surabaya in Indonesia, where they visit teak plantations and the Gloster factory.