The Murcia furnishing industry and the new Contract Platform Murcia
Sun, beaches, vineyards, and farms are typical of the Murcia landscape and fuel the flourishing tourist, food and renewable energy industries of the region. The production of consumer goods is another driver in the Murcia Community with the furniture industry being one of the most dynamic and innovative.
The furniture industry and its subsectors – mattresses, upholstered furniture, kitchen and bathroom furniture, decorative products, carpentry and joinery – are a substantial contributor to the economy of the region. With more than 1,000 industry and a workforce of approximately 7,700 people, the Murcia Community is Spain’s 5th largest producer of furniture, positioned soon after Catalonia, the Valencia Community, Andalusia, and Madrid. The sector’s turnover has gradually grown over the years and at the end of September 2021 amounted to more than 1,000 million euros.
Although distributed throughout the regional geography, more than 50% of the furniture industries are concentrated in the town of Yecla, whose productive fabric has evolved from the small artisan workshops of the beginning of the 20th century to the fully developed and consolidated industries that operate at both national and international level. Other important furniture production sites are in the province of Murcia and Cartagena.
The degree of internationalization of the local furniture industry is high and is key to further growth and to maintain competitiveness in the markets. Over the latest years, Murcia has consolidated itself as one of the 10 main exporting autonomous communities (regions) for furniture in Spain, ranking 8th at the end of 2020 with exports worth 81 million euros – + 3.4% over 2019. This year is going even better with exports amounting to 75 million euros at the end of September and registering a significant increase by 32.2% in comparison to last year’s figures for the same period.
In latest years, almost 50% of the exports have been sold to France, which consolidates itself as the main foreign market for furniture products from Murcia. Other important markets are United Kingdom, Portugal, Italia, Saudi Arabia, which rank 2nd to 5th in the period January-September 2021.
Although the sector is characterized by its fragmentation – most of the companies are SMEs with less than 10 workers per company -, it is also true that the local furniture industry stands out for its high production capacity, its flexibility and the existence of a significant number of entrepreneurial companies with a high growth potential. After the 2008 global economic crisis, which destroyed almost 20% of the companies, the Murcia furniture industry has succeeded in reinventing itself, investing above all in quality, design and innovation capacity as the best assets to gain positions on the international scene.
Murcia also has a number of prominent companies that are very active in the contract furnishing industry both nationally and internationally. In order to group the varied offer of the sector under a suggestive and solid image, the Info (Murcia Promotion Institute) has created the new Contract Platform Murcia, an exclusive digital channel specifically designed to generate synergies among the different players of the contract industry: furniture and lighting companies, the construction and engineering sectors, architects, interior designers, specifiers and project executors. This complementarity offers an important competitive advantage enabling new business relationships and partnerships and facilitating the approach/access to major projects, from hotels and restaurants to workspaces and public establishments.
Enter contractregiondemurcia.com and find a wide array of comprehensive solutions in many different fields: indoor and outdoor furniture, upholstered furniture, mattresses and bedding, architecture and interior design, workspace design, innovative materials for interiors, engineering and architectural solutions, urban planning and landscaping…
The Contract Platform Murcia is a unique tool, created for the architecture and interior design industry to source products and services for residential and commercial projects from Región Murcia accredited companies. With over 40 member profiles providing information about products and projects of each company and contact details, you’ll be able to find the appropriate product or service for your design.
Search Contract Platform Murcia members to find the best products and services for your projects and contract on style!