Claudia Gardner, Hospitality Jamaica Writer

Sixteen years ago Boss Furniture Company began operations at its downtown Kingston location, with a focus on manufacturing living-room suites.

Today, the multiple-award-winning company is the English-speaking Caribbean's leader in the manufacturing of upholstered furniture and bedding, supplying local chain stores and an exquisite line of bedding for the tourism sector in the region.

Boss' chief executive officer, Omar Azan, said his company has served to complement the tourism's accommodations sector over the years, as, by buying Jamaican-made furniture, hoteliers have eliminated the long wait periods, shipping costs and port charges associated with importation of foreign-made ones.

A Boss Furniture worker in the factory.

Boss supplies some of Jamaica's finest resorts and hotel chains including Sandals, Breezes, the Courtleigh and the Spanish-owned RIU and Iberostar. The company's most exquisite line of bedding includes its Hotel Collection - a fire retardant collection with edge support in either tight top of pillow top - the Royal Collection, Heavenly Collection and its Sleep-on-it collection, but also manufactures custom-made bedding to the hotelier's specifications.

"Hotels have had guests who've slept on our beds, inquired as to who the manufacturers are, and have ordered our beds be shipped to them in their country," Mr. Azan said. "We have quality control at every stage of our production from the cutting and sewing to the bedding and finishing. We offer one time, just-in-time delivery service and after sales service and our pieces are known to be the best in the market."

vertical integration

Boss has moved to vertically integrate its operations, the latest initiative being its new Elletson-based polyurethane foam factory, which has eliminated the need to rely on imported foam - the main raw material used in bedding. Mr. Azan says this has helped to cut costs, increase production and service to customers, and also save on foreign exchange, while creating an additional 20 jobs to the staff complement of 165.

professional touch

The Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA) has recognised the company's professional touch and constant eye for quality. Boss has won the JMA's Furniture and Wooden Products Annual Competition for three consecutive years (2002-2004) and is also the JMA's 2005 Product Group Award winner for excellence in the category of furniture, bedding and wooden products.

Mr. Azan said he is optimistic about Boss' future in Jamaica because of the company's dedication to the country and the Jamaican people. His hopes that within another 10 years he will see Boss becoming more vertically integrated and employing another 200 Jamaicans "and constantly being a good name out there."

"Boss is all for local production. My staff is what made this company. It is good to support the local economy because production is the only thing that will move Jamaica forward," Mr. Azan said.