COLOMBIA – “I will never forget that number”, says amazed Ma. Eugenia Hernández, Production Manager of RTA Muebles (formerly RTA Design). “In 1240 square meters we had the production plant, storage of raw materials, packaging, warehouse and offices,” she adds, recalling the first days of the company founded in 2003 in Yumbo, Valle del Cauca that in just 15 years has become Colombia’s leading wooden furniture manufacturer.

And the numbers from RTA Muebles never cease to amaze. The ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturer currently operates from its own plant consisting of two buildings totaling 12,000 square meters of constructed area. From there RTA Muebles produces between 42 thousand and 45 thousand boxed references a month – being able to manufacture up to 55 thousand references / month – and with an industrial flexibility capable of producing batches of 40 or 400 units without a hitch. This plant, led by the only woman production manager in the Colombian furniture industry, handles at least 240 monthly references and of these at least 30 are new references developed by the 14 company designers.

“We have to invest in order to grow, to understand the mix between technology and human resources”, explains Dimas Tobón Gómez, General Manager of RTA Muebles. In 2016 RTA Muebles led the industry in investments in technology by allocating more than € 1 million to edge banding and drilling machinery supplied by the Homag Group. RTA Muebles has also approved a € 700 thousand investment for 2017 for high tech drilling technology, also supplied by the Homag Group. The company, with a high component of its sales directed to the foreign markets – in fact today RTA Muebles is Colombia’s main wood furniture exporter – takes advantage of its proximity to the most important Colombian port on the Pacific ocean, Buenaventura. Of these, the target markets are Chile, the United States and Mexico, where the company operates commercial offices with the capacity to handle direct sales. To reach all these impressive figures, RTA Muebles requires a team of motivated employees synchronized with the company’s principles. When asked about the impact of a three-shift operation on costs, Dimas Tobón explained,  “That issue must be assumed calmly and responsibly. The achievements of this company are based on three pillars: truth, proactivity and respect to the employee”.

Colombian Top Wood Furniture Manufacturers by Sales

RTA Muebles (Rta Design) Exports