Overview of the Project
Purchased Products
- Fabric sectional and modular sofas (L-shaped and three-seater configurations)
- Moulded-plywood lounge and office chairs with leather upholstery
- Matching ottomans and sofa storage modules
Project Background
A furniture importer based in the Netherlands engaged FBM Sourcing to produce and ship a mixed seating order — fabric sectional sofas and leather-upholstered moulded-plywood office lounge chairs — from two Foshan-area specialist factories, inspected piece by piece and consolidated into one container shipment to Rotterdam.
The two product lines came from two different specialist factories. The sofas were produced at an upholstery plant in the Foshan area, working from agreed fabric, foam density, and dimension specifications. The lounge chairs came from a factory specialising in moulded-plywood shells, veneer finishing, and swivel bases. FBM Sourcing acted as the buyer’s furniture sourcing agent on the ground — managing specifications, production follow-up, inspection, and consolidated shipping as one program.
Project Type
Wholesale sofa and office chair procurement for a furniture importer
Location
Netherlands
Project Highlights
Two specialist factories, piece-by-piece QC, one consolidated container to Rotterdam
Project Delivery Time
2014
How It Works?
A furniture importer based in the Netherlands engaged FBM Sourcing to produce and ship a mixed seating order: fabric sectional sofas in several configurations for residential resale, and leather-upholstered moulded-plywood lounge chairs for the office and home-office market. As with most wholesale buyers, the commercial requirements were strict — every unit had to match the approved sample, because a reseller cannot hand-pick around defective stock the way a project installer sometimes can.
Every specification that decides how upholstered furniture survives resale — cushion foam density, fabric grade, frame construction, seat dimensions, and leather colour standards — was documented in writing before any factory was engaged, becoming the reference for factory comparison, sample approval, and final inspection.
The two product lines called for two different specialist factories. The sofas were matched to an upholstery plant in the Foshan area with proven export production in fabric sectionals; the lounge chairs came from a factory specialising in moulded-plywood shells, walnut veneer finishing, and swivel bases. Matching each category to the plant that actually builds it well — rather than forcing both through one general supplier — is what keeps quality consistent on a mixed seating order.
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After fabric swatches, leather colour samples, and dimension specifications were confirmed against the approved samples, orders were placed with both factories on one coordinated schedule. Production at the upholstery plant and the seating plant was planned to close within the same week, so the full order could consolidate into a single container loading and one freight booking to Rotterdam.
Quality control on this order concentrated on the points that decide how upholstered furniture survives resale: cushion foam density verified against the specification, fabric thickness and moisture readings taken with gauge instruments, seat and back dimensions measured piece by piece, and seam and stitching quality checked on both fabric and leather surfaces. On the lounge chairs, the walnut-veneer shells were checked for finish consistency, the chrome brackets and swivel bases for secure fixing, and the leather upholstery for colour match against the approved swatch.
Inspection took place at both factories before packing — cushion covers were opened to verify filling, sofa frames were checked at the timber and webbing stage, and finished units were assembled and measured before being wrapped. The photos below are from the actual factory inspections on this order.
Sofas were wrapped in inner protective film with corner reinforcement, and the lounge chairs were packed with their bases separated and shell edges padded — the packing method matters as much as the product on a resale order, because retail stock cannot arrive with transit scuffs. Both factories’ production was scheduled to close in the same week, allowing the full order to consolidate into a single container loading and ship to Rotterdam in one booking.
After shipment, FBM Sourcing remained the client’s single point of contact for the order. If any item arrived with a transit or quality issue, our team handled the claim directly with the factory concerned — arranging replacement parts or corrective action on the factory’s account — so the client never had to negotiate with a Chinese supplier from overseas. This after-sales accountability is part of every procurement engagement we run.
The order was produced, inspected, and shipped to schedule, with every sofa and chair checked against the approved samples before loading. The importer received one consolidated container of retail-ready stock — foam densities, dimensions, and finishes consistent across the run — instead of managing two factories, two inspections, and two freight bookings from another continent. The engagement reflects the model FBM Sourcing still runs today for wholesale and project buyers across our living room furniture and office furniture programs; buyers evaluating upholstery factories can also see our guide to vetting china sofa manufacturers.
