Hafele (Thailand), the local unit of the German tap and furniture fittings maker, plans to build a 400-million-baht warehouse on Bang Na-Trat Road in Samut Prakan.
Construction of the warehouse is scheduled to start in mid-2015 for completion in 2016, said general sales and marketing manager Yothin Prasertkul.
He said the warehouse, covering 10,000 square metres, would support the company's strategy to extend its product lines to have more sanitaryware and wash basins.
Hafele sells imported taps, furniture fittings, kitchen fittings and architectural hardware. It recently began selling sanitary products, which have been well-received.
"Our business expansion is to serve our goal to become a total home solutions company," Mr Yothin said.
Hafele plans to provide product installations for customers soon.
It has five warehouses in Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani, Surat Thani and Bangkok, while its five design studios are in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Phuket.
Mr Yothin said the country's hardware business was expected to be worth 8-9 billion baht this year. Even though the economy is slow, Hafele's business is still doing well, he said. Hafele's sales are projected to grow by 10% to 3.1 billion baht this year.
The company has continuously expanded its hardware and fitting distribution network via modern retail stores such as HomePro and Siam Global House and sold products directly to more property projects.
Hafele yesterday opened its latest design studio at The Crystal SB Ratchapruek lifestyle mall in Nonthaburi. This is to support increasing demand for hardware and fittings due to a boom in housing developments in the area.
A company survey showed the area contains 50,000 households. More than 100 housing projects have units priced 4-100 million baht, while big retail projects are being developed in the area.
The company plans to open a design studio in Chiang Mai in the near future.
Apart from Thailand, the company takes care of Hafele's business in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, where annual sales are about 100 million baht.
The construction boom in Myanmar will help double sales in the three countries next year, said sales director Rattana Poonsanga.
"After we've established hardware and fittings, we will put more effort to expand our sanitaryware business," he said.