** ISSUE NUMBER 07/001**
Key facts
- Established in paper business: 1991 WAA; 1993 Grassroots; 1995 Grassroots HQ
- Full time production craft peoples: 100+
- Office, showroom & Production Center location: San Patong, Chiang Mai, North Thailand (approximately 20 km. south of central Chiang Mai)
- Export policy: Direct exports only; no sales to agents or wholesalers within Thailand.
- Geographic market : Worldwide, principally Europe and USA
- Ports: Chiang Mai for airfreight; Bangkok for sea freight; Our prices are FOB Chiang Mai
- Minimum order value : US$ 2,500
- Terms : 30 % deposit with order, balance before shipment
- Pre-production lead time : 2 - 3 week for paper making and production scheduling
- Highest capacity reached : October - Mar
- Lowest capacity : July - September (Heavy rain fall)
- Typical monthly capacities : 5,000 boxes; 10,000 books; 15,000 photo frames: 30,000 cards
What we do
We produce handmade mulberry paper, paper gift and stationery products. We use traditional production techniques in natural village settings, working in small groups that are scattered around the countryside, but which are part of the same co-operative. As an ATO we concentrate on rural development.
Who we are
We are an established alternative trading organisation (ATO) with American and Thai management, supporting a woman’s co-operative movement called White Lotus. We are the only ATO operating in the paper business. The White Lotus program aims to prevent exploitation of village women in three ways:
(i) providing village women with a viable income (we guarantee a fair price for skilled work)
(ii) raising their awareness of their rights and increasing their confidence and self-respect
(iii) encouraging them to unite as a co-operative and thereby to stand up and resist exploitation, particularly by the sex industry.
Why we are different
GHQ is a commercial organisation, which does not receive external funding or donations. However, our production is integrated
with local social work and we see the support of the villagers and improvements in village life in of our community as our reason
for being. We pay producers promptly, provide training, offer free warehousing facilities and advances for the purchase of raw
materials and we co-ordinate bulk purchases. We also contribute a significant percentage of all our sales proceeds back to
the village groups as a cash bonus for communal projects.
Women Against AIDS (WAA)
Twenty percent of the local population is HIV positive and among young adults the incidence is much higher. Some of the women in our co-operative are HIV positive and many are called upon to support infected relatives and friends. All of them earn desperately needed money through the craft skills that we have helped them to develop. Having their own money empowers these women and gives them the strength to fight.
WAA provides practical advice, moral support and counseling as well as funding. WAA is supported financially by international charities such as OXFAM, UNICEF and by European Union, the British Government and other. WAA is now well know locally and gaining international attention through foreign media and of course, through trade of our paper products.
Why we need each other
Our professionally staffed administration and marketing office can give you the reliability, honesty and promptness that you need when dealing with overseas suppliers. You can trust us. Our products are thoroughly quality controlled at every stage of production and packing, are well designed, practical, durable and beautiful. We employ a Total Quality Manager as a pivotal member of our management team.
We need you regular orders to sustain our business and development and thereby to continue to keep the local craft skills and our program alive. Please support us.
Product design features
Our full time designers combine local sensitivity and design skill with practical knowledge of overseas trends and tastes. We are constantly working on new product ideas and will continue to lead the field with innovative designs and production techniques. In September 1997, we received the Packaging Design Award from the Department of Export Promotion sponsored Packaging Design competition. Our winning product was featured on the front page of their brochure.
The benefits we can give to you (primary competitive advantages)
- A large and growing trained work force of genuine craftspeople at your disposal
- Excellent in design and production
- Professional (English speaking) management
- Direct dialogue with us and sales to you - no middlemen, agents and trading companies
- A full range of our own exclusive designs for export only; not sold within Thailand.
- Flexibility in making new products to your own designs: made-to-order work is most welcome
- Total quality management (we employ a Total Quality Manager with a team of QC support staff)
- Quality packaging, offering complete flexibility to suit your needs including shrink-wrapping in PVC, bar-coding and printing.
- Competitive prices
Ordering product samples
We do not hold stocks of any products because of the huge diversity of range and colors available. Samples are therefore made to order and we will be pleased to make any samples from our product range on request. There is no minimum order quantity for samples and they are charged for at the FOB price +50 %, plus carriage.
We can also make new products to your own specifications. Please send us the details and we will quote a FOB price for your approval before making the samples.
Carriage can be by airmail (about 9 days to Europe/USA), EMS speed post (about 5 – 7 days) or couriers such as UPS (4 – 5 days).
Please note that we are obliged by Thai tax laws to add VAT (currently 7%) to goods that do not pass through Thai Customs. VAT is therefore applied to packages that are sent by airmail, EMS or courier service.
Key Sales contacts
Mr. Jeffrey Jones (Managing Director)
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Grassroots HQ Co., Ltd., 43 Moo 3, Tambon Makamluang, Amphur San Patong, Chiang Mai 50120 Thailand